Kraven the Hunter is one of the most widely anticipated superhero films from Sony Pictures. It’s not just that it stars an antihero in the form of the titular Kraven played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. It’s also because it’s one of the few R-rated superhero films in Sony’s recent lineup. All that blood and body parts flying around has to mean something to the MPA, after all.

That’s precisely why we at That Hashtag Show were so eager to get an interview with the director behind Kraven the Hunter: J. C. Chandor. All to find out things that happen behind the scenes of the film that only the production cast would know. What exactly do you mean, you might ask? Well, why not watch our interview with the director himself below, and see for yourself just what went on that only the production crew know?

Kraven the Hunter: Director JC Chandor Interview | THS: Details

The man of the hour himself giving us the low-down.

That Hashtag Show (THS) is proud to present on YouTube our interview with J. C. Chandor: the director behind Kraven the Hunter. Our interview with him touched on a variety of subjects. Here’s the nitty-gritty details below:

The Importance of Location

BTS Director J.C. Chandor, Producer Matt Tolmach and Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel KRAVEN THE HUNTER

The very first thing we at THS asked J. C. Chandor is whether or not location was important for Kraven the Hunter. Specifically: whether shooting on location was important for at least some of the stunts Aaron Taylor-Johnson had to do?

As it turns out: location was absolutely critical to the shooting. Everything about shooting on location is to immerse the audience into the world of Kraven the Hunter, and to make the whole film feel believable. If one room doesn’t match the other, then the film stops being believable.

So to J. C. Chandor, it was very important to have, for example: the length of a jump a character makes to feel like something a human could reasonably do. Yes, this seems a bit at odds with a superhero film since the characters are typically not human, but this is one film that makes an exception to that rule. Virtually everyone in this movie is either human, or at least is depicted to be within the levels of a normal human with only a few exceptions. Thus, it is important to make sure everyone feels believably human in their actions. Kraven especially, since he is depicted to be human. Hard to make sure he feels human if he’s doing building-height jumps.

Too Bloody for Sony?

BTS Russell Crowe and Director J.C. Chandor in Columbia Pictures and Marvel KRAVEN THE HUNTER

Our next question is simple: was there a scene too bloody for Sony? And yet, was this hypothetical scene compelling enough for J. C. Chandor to have it in Kraven the Hunter despite the attempt at corporate censorship?

Surprisingly, J. C. Chandor that he was actually the censor for Kraven the Hunter, especially towards the end of the film. Yes, he admits that the whole film is basically a stylized grindhouse of a movie, with a massive butcher’s bill and bloody kills to emphasize that. The bear trap kills keep popping up for a reason, you know?

And yet, J. C. Chandor wanted to counter all that grindhouse gore with more…emotional moments. Specifically: the “emotional violence” that leads the titular Kraven to become comfortable with that space of physical violence in his life. Funnily enough, he half-jokingly mentions that he still wants his mom to be able to watch the film. You know, without closing her eyes when the bloody bits goes on the screen.

But all joking aside, J. C. Chandor really does want the violence to serve a purpose instead of just being there for violence’s sake. Specifically: to represent Kraven’s emotional state as it develops in the film. Or rather, to represent how it devolves. See, the bloodiest of the violence occurs when Kraven is basically losing his mind. Almost akin to a Quentin Taratino film, which Chandor deliberately invokes.

So to answer that first question: there probably were scenes that J. C. Chandor felt were too bloody for the moment. However, he’s not going to list a specific scene, unfortunately. A shame, really. It would’ve been nice to get a look at some cut content for Kraven the Hunter.

Tune back in to THS to find out more about Kraven the Hunter and other superhero films when we do.