Kraven the Hunter director J.C. Chandor reveals where he’d like to take the Kraven series.
Starring award-winning Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Oscar-winning and Gladiator-alum Russell Crowe, Kraven the Hunter is an origin story based on the Marvel Comics character, famously a revered Spider-Man villain. The film is written by Richard Wenk and directed by J.C. Chandor.
Earlier this week, Kraven the Hunter director J.C. Chandor sat down with Collider to talk all things Kraven; he delved into the production journey of the film, before revealing where he’d take the story in a sequel.
Chandor first discusses the challenges with getting the feature greenlit, before steering the conversation to his most interested comic storylines:
“The rule I set for myself is by the final frame of our movie, you had to believe that character could live in a world where Kraven’s Last Hunt is a real thing. But in this part of the journey, he’s not there yet. It’s what I hope makes the story somewhat human. You’re getting to see the meetings in the road where one direction leads to Kraven’s Last Hunt, and one leads to success and more moderated happiness.”
Chandor then spoke on how this infamous comic book could be adapted into a future film:
“As crazy as it seemed, and there were a lot of challenges, there was the opportunity to structure it as a classic origin story, but not a hero’s story, or a classic superhero story. It’s essentially this building of a villain. The final piece in that, for Aaron and for me, was in Kraven’s Last Hunt, which, if this thing works and is a success, that’s where we’d have this story end. It’s obviously very tragic and sad. The journey getting there is a wild crazy ride with a lot of fun, but the character we’re trying to create is one who could realistically, if this film is a success, end with Last Hunt. That, as a storyteller, can sit right on the shelves with the rest of my movies.”
Kraven’s Last Hunt, written by comics authors J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, is a fan-favourite comic book storyline featuring the final battle between Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man. The storyline follows an older Kraven the Hunter who defeats Spider-Man and assumes his mantle, conquering his demons and concluding his rivalry with the web slinger, ultimately taking his own life. The six-issue collection has received widespread critical and fan praise since its publication in 1987.