As has been the case for the entire film industry over the last 12 months, Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter hasn’t exactly enjoyed the smoothest ride to a theatrical release. Indeed, COVID-19, which remains a serious problem in many parts of the world, has caused repeated and long-lasting cinema closures and indefinite screening delays. Arguably the most prominent casualty of these restrictions has been the continued pushing back of Bond flick No Time to Die, though other studios haven’t had the luxury of time, committing instead to limited or alternative means of delivery.
Anderson’s first big budget video game adaptation since 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter belongs to this latter category and, while early signs point to it having been a success with audiences worldwide (excluding China, where it was banned on the grounds of containing content deemed racist), the director believes it’s still far too early to call whether Monster Hunter‘s performance has warranted a follow-up.
When quizzed on the topic in an interview with WGTC’s Scott Campbell, the man responsible for Mortal Kombat‘s original live-action debut describes how, on a personal level, he’s overwhelmingly satisfied with the final product, offering particular praise for Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa’s onscreen chemistry, who play protagonists Captain Artemis and the Hunter respectively. As far as another outing is concerned, though, the filmmaker stops short of giving a yes or no answer and instead cites how the prolonged lifecycle of a newly-released movie makes discerning its performance – and therefore the chance of meriting a sequel – considerably more complicated than before.
Financially, it used to be that you could usually tell whether your movie had worked or not opening weekend, because you had a day and date release around the world, and by Friday night you knew if your movie had worked or not. Now, of course, times are very very different, because back then you’d release your movie and probably three of four weeks later you’d be out of the Top 10 because there’s another big movie releasing every single weekend. Now, you know, movies hang around for longer, they have a bigger multiple over time than they normally would do, they probably have bigger video on demand numbers because people aren’t having the opportunity to see them in cinemas, and you don’t have a day and date release.
In counties such as Taiwan and Thailand, where the pandemic has remained largely under control, the director indicates that his creature feature has been “kicking ass big time.” So for now, at least, all signs are positive.
For folks who missed the chance to watch it in theaters, Monster Hunter is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as VOD. For WGTC’s full interview, see here.
