It looks like Marvel Studios has not lost its steam at the Box Office after not releasing a film for two full years. Black Widow was originally set to release in May of 2020 but got continuously pushed back due to the pandemic. Still, the long wait is over and it is finally available in theaters, as well as on Disney+’s Premier Access. There was some uncertainty that its availability would dampen its Box Office success, but early predictions already had it eyeing a potential $110M domestic opening.
These predictions hinted that it would pass F9‘s $80M. We’ve seen an uptick in Box Office performances since Godzilla vs. Kong gave us our first glimpse of hope in its Easter weekend release. It looks like the digital release didn’t hurt Marvel Studios’ first Phase 4 film in the slightest, as it already garnered $13M in ts preview nights.
BLACK WIDOW scored $13M in previews last night, which was more than WONDER WOMAN ($11M)—that film ending up debuting with $103M.
Of course, BW is now available on D+, so we’ll just have to see how the simultaneous launch impacts theatrical this weekend.
— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) July 9, 2021
That alone is already signaling a $100M+ opening. The release is even on par with other Marvel titles, as it’s only slightly below Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s $15.4M and ahead of Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s $76M. The former garnered a $117M opening and it looks like people have been anxiously awaiting the return to cinemas. It’s uncertain if the general release might be influenced by the Disney+ release. So, there is a chance it’ll lose momentum over the weekend. Disney and Marvel are still hoping for a $120M+ release. Perhaps word-of-mouth
Now, HBO Max’s similar release showed its fangs in the second weekend. Their films would commonly see a harsh drop, but they were also freely available for subscribers. Disney+’s additional fee could end up pushing people towards rewatching it in theaters to also get that experience they’ve missed out on during the pandemic. All eyes will be on the film#s weekend and then what it may mean for September’s Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings release.
Source: Twitter, Hollywood Reporter
