Tag: Black Widow

Leaked ‘Black Widow’ Deleted Scene Reveals Alternate Ending

It looks like one of the deleted scenes from Black Widow have found their way online. Not just any scene, but what seems like an alternative ending where Natasha witnesses a group of kids playing Avengers in her old Ohio neighborhood where she grew up. It’s quite a different take on the ending, as the current version pretty much sets up her storyline in Avengers: Infinity War. We still get her iconic blonde hair in this sequence with Yelena’s green vest. So, it would’ve served the same function but also give her a stronger emotional ending realizing she has done well for the world. The leaked footage comes courtesy of @CosmicMedia_.

New deleted scene from #BlackWidow pic.twitter.com/JeiMrH2hq2

— Cosmic Media (@cosmicmmedia) August 10, 2021

In a way, this ending matches the post-credit sequence even better. As the original set her up for her next appearance, which was in theaters years before the film was released, only to cut to her grave after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Her outfit gives away the connective tissue, and there wasn’t much of a need to explain where they got their Helicarrier from. This emotional ending matches her story throughout the franchise much better.

Plus, seeing a girl free to pretend she is Black Widow also adds some relevance to the actions she undertook in the film. There’s a reason they went with the ending that was released in theaters and on Disney+, but it’s always great to get a look at what almost made its way into the film. It’s neve ran easy decision to figure out what leaves the cutting room floor, but luckily physical releases still offer glimpses into what could’ve been.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

There’s a major shift in the cinematic landscape happening as we speak. Up until before the pandemic hit, Netflix dominated the streaming landmark. We never found out just how successful their projects were, but saw their subscription numbers continue to grow. Now, Disney+, Apple+, and HBO Max have entered the market. In addition, we’ve entered a year when major motion pictures no longer are theater-only releases. HBO Max and Disney+ Premier Access offer accessibility to popular films in different ways. It’s taken a bite out of their Box Office numbers and shows we’re adapting to a brand-new market.

Disney+ is a very special case due to Disney doing something rather surprising. They’ve released the opening weekend sales of their Premier Access showings. Yet, they only did it as of Black Widow and never followed up on it. So, its success is up in the air due to no transparency if those numbers have changed at all since the initial opening weekend. Samba TV claimed its US market doubled over the course of the second, which would be insane considering it already made 60M in one weekend. A lawsuit followed by Scarlett Johansson to claim its digital release hampered her initial contract and is still an ongoing discussion to this day.

There’s also the uncertainty surrounding HBO Max. The Suicide Squad opened to a lower than expected Box Office, as it failed to hit its initial $30M prediction. The Delta variant is still considerable across the world and is hampering Box Office results alongside other key factors. HBO Max offers the film for free with a same-day release as theaters. Once again, we only know how it’s doing in theaters, but not on the service. We are reliant on Samba TV to give us information to guess if it’s a streaming success or not. We commonly only find out when an executive likes to share a success story, like he did today with The Suicide Squad being their second most-watched film during its simultaneous theater release.

We’re entering a new generation where a film’s success will be more than its Box Office income and physical sales. Just releasing information during its launch does not give a great estimate of a film’s overall performance. Plus, it seems like these metrics are more a PR move rather than useful information if it’s not communicated consistently. As we enter the new era, it’s time for more transparency. Third parties can only offer estimates, and it’ll get more difficult if this model wants to remain. Plus, digital-only releases like Pixar’s Luca or The Tomorrow War depend on estimated Nielsen ratings for any sign of life. It’ll become more difficult to understand how and why a film deserves a sequel or not. At some point, they can no longer keep these numbers under lock and key.

Relying purely on Box Office numbers could paint their productions in a negative light. The Suicide Squad is a perfect showcase of that, with headlines calling it a disappointment based on purely one metric. Black Widow’s Box Office is hindered by a lack of Chinese release and a lack of understanding of how Disney+ Premier Access performs for repeat viewers after its initial launch. Even if companies don’t want to provide these metrics, they are essential for understanding a film’s overall performance, as well as relevant for their talent’s individual contracts as the current allegations showcase. The streaming era is here, but the industry refuses to fully embrace all that comes with it.

Source: Twitter

August 8, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Passes ‘F9’ to Become Highest Grossing Domestic Film

It looks like Black Widow has finally done it, as it officially passed F9 to become the pandemic’s highest-grossing film in the domestic Box Office. It currently pulled in $170.4M over the course of four weeks. It officially passed the film with its Wednesday Box Office. To put that into comparison, the latest Fast and Furious installment required six weeks to hit the $169.8M mark. So, even among all the legal issues, it still managed to top the Box Office.

Ever since the opening weekend, Disney has been coy on sharing any insight into how the film has performed on the streaming service since its initial launch. It supposedly made $60M in its opening weekend alone, but it’s uncertain if that number has grown at all since the initial launch. An analysis by Samba TV hinted that they managed to double their US viewership. So, it might turn out quite profitable for Disney.

The big question remains if it would’ve made more money without a digital release. Even The Suicide Squad’s release is influenced by Warner Bros.’ HBO Max strategy. Even Disney’s latest release, Jungle Cruise, nabbed $34M, which seems on par with Dwayne Johnson’s film Rampage. It would imply that the Delta fear isn’t affecting viewers too much in their initial watch.

Yet, the second weekend has shown a general drop of around 70%+. Old and Snake Eyes dropped by 70% and 79% respectively. All eyes are on Jungle Cruise if it will continue that tradition. The Suicide Squad is currently eyeing a $30M+ opening weekend, and it still looks like the overall Box Office still needs time to return to the numbers we saw in 2019.

Source: Deadline

August 6, 2021
‘Jungle Cruise’ Nabs Decent $34M in Domestic Box Office and Another $30M on Disney+ Premier Access

It looks like the Box Office still requires more time to heal after all. As the Delta variant rages across the world, the latest Disney movie entered cinemas with a decent $34.2M opening. As Forbes points out, it’s in line with Dwayne Johnson’s most non-Fast and Furious films. In a way, it’s on par with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. In addition, Disney also released their income through Disney+ Premier Access, as they gained an additional $30M.

The film did manage to pass Space Jam: A New Legacy‘s $31M, but it can only hope for a leggier post-launch to ensure it makes back its expensive $200M budget. Overall, the trend continues as the film’s second weekend sees a sharp decline. Last week’s Old dropped by around 70%, while Snake Eyes plummeted by 79%. In a way, we should continue to expect these kinds of drops in future releases.

Black Widow earned another $5.8M, with only $2M keeping it from surpassing F9’s domestic total. As such, it seems likely it’ll hold the title as a domestic top performer for some time. It may remain Marvel Studios’ third worst-performing film due to the current situation, but it still is showing some legs. Of course, the lawsuit surrounding Scarlett Johansson adds some questions on how to perceive its “success.”

Jungle Cruise’s advantage moving forward is it doesn’t have any direct competitors. So, there’s a chance it could leg out like Black Widow is currently. The curious aspect about the Box Office development is that it still seems the overall trends between films are on par with pre-pandemic numbers. Disney releasing their Disney+ numbers only for the opening weekend is curious and opens up a question regarding transparency. We never heard how much about Raya and the Last Dragon, Mulan, or even Cruella‘s numbers. Moving forward, transparency from streamers will be a big question mark.

Source: Forbes

August 1, 2021
Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

It looks like the Black Widow drama might leave its scars internally. There have been various hints that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was a strong contender for Disney to wait out the pandemic for a pure theatrical release. Yet, Disney moved forward with pulling it on their streaming platform. This decision has now recently led the film’s lead, Scarlett Johansson, to file a lawsuit against the company. Disney’s backlash by calling out her actions may have stirred up some discomfort within the company. Hollywood Reporter’s Matthew Belloni shared a “What I’m Hearing” newsletter that hints at Feige being unhappy with the overall release and seemed to have predicted the potential lawsuit.

[Feige is] a company man, and not prone to corporate showdowns or shouting matches. But I’m told he’s angry and embarrassed He lobbied Disney against the day-and-date plan for Black Widow, preferring the big screen exclusivity and not wanting to upset his talent. And then when the sh-t hit the fan, the movie started tanking, and Johansson’s team threatened litigation, he wanted Disney to make this right with her.

This report matches what has been talked about for some time and opens up the question about Disney and Marvel Studios’ relationship moving forward. It also doesn’t bode well for Disney CEO Bob Chapek‘s current run as the new head of the company, after only recently taking over from Bob Iger. The hope of utilizing the streaming service within the pandemic made sense, but it seems they simply moved forward without consulting internally.

Of course, it’s not an easy decision to make, but this move could leave some scars between the house of mouse and its subsidiary. It also reveals the limitations of what Feige can decide and with backlash after backlash, Jungle Cruise may lead to similar events. It’s Disney’s hands to do the right thing, but their first legal and public action left a sour taste. So, we’ll keep an eye out on how this develops.

Source: What I’m Hearing Newsletter via Comic Book

July 30, 2021
What ‘Black Widow’s Third Act Could’ve Learned from Marvel Studios’ Phase 1

Marvel Studios has come a long way from where it started. In 2008, they introduced the world to Iron Man and slowly started expanding into the entertainment behemoth they are today. Even among Disney’s many star IPs, Kevin Feige‘s work has reestablished what it means to be a comic book fan. Even to this day, they still try to test out new genres to reinvent their approach to films. Disney+ has become a new playground, with WandaVision and Loki offering very distinct storytelling among the many heroic tales.

Yet, the recent release of Black Widow has also showcased that it’s hard to avoid your own trappings. After a visceral and grounded first two-thirds, the grand finale falls back into some bombastic and over-the-top action sequences. In a way, in the studios’ early days, they didn’t have the budget for it. So, they were able to keep the main battle focused on the protagonist and antagonist.

Even if Marvel Studios’ first phase was a bit simpler. Iron Man’s final battle was a simple confrontation between Tony and his former mentor. Yes, they were in mechanical suits, but the backdrop didn’t take away from the confrontation. Even the first Thor film ended on a magical rainbow bridge in space, but it was a battle of hesitance. If the God of Thunder had a choice, he wouldn’t even be fighting his brother.

We technically get a similar emotional core with Romanoff’s confrontation against Taskmaster. Her regret pushes her to free her and leads up to the final confrontation on the ground. The collapse of the Red Room, which fits right in with other James Bond inspirations in the film, makes for a fantastic backdrop. Yet, the final battle doesn’t happen until they safely land.

It felt like a waste of having the confrontation be on the floating fortress. It would’ve added a sense of urgency as they lose footing. In a way, it would even be the way to give Natasha an advantage against the soldier capable of copying everything she does. It would’ve allowed for a more creative fight sequence. Taskmaster can copy all her abilities, but might not take the environment into account. So, like the Arc Reactor in the first Iron Man and Thor‘s rainbow bridge, the backdrop adds urgency and becomes an integral part of the core fight sequence and character’s arc.

The Red Room falling apart is a physical visual of Natasha finally breaking free from the past, but it doesn’t feel quite fully realized. Integrating the fight into its fall would add more suspense to her decision. Once they were safely on the ground, the result of their fight felt simple. We’re not as connected with the moment like we were when Thor tried to save his brother. There’s no real sacrifice for Natasha, and neither is it a difficult decision to make. We have stakes, but they feel disconnected from the rest.

It’s something Marvel Studios’ first phase did quite well and is hopefully something they return to with future installments. They’ve learned a lot over the years, and after their massive release of Avengers: Endgame, it seems like the perfect time to take a step back. We’re about to meet a whole new world, and the Disney+ ventures are already exploring these smaller, more personal stories. Here’s hoping the films don’t forget that is what drew us to this universe in the first place.

July 30, 2021
Disney Fights Back Against Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit

It’s not every day we get to discuss legal actions on this site. In a sudden move, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for breaching her contract on Black Widow being a theater-only release. The claim is that this would keep her from gaining the benefits written within her contracts. The film was released in theaters, but also on Disney+ Premier Access. We don’t know if she originally was set to receive a specific type of percentage from the Box Office income, which has been hampered by the digital release.

It looks like Disney wasn’t going to sit there and take it, as they already gave a public statement in regard to this legal action. It confirms that her bonuses were tied into its Box Office earnings. They offered a public statement regarding their contractual obligations and that she received $20M for her work with additional compensation on top of the digital release. Disney’s statement is as follows:

There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, we have no further details on the matter. To some degree, it seems like a public display rather than an actual lawsuit. We’ve seen open discourse regarding contracts and combined releases. HBO Max and Warner Bros. are no strangers to this discussion. The bigger question is if this will end the working relationship between Disney and Johansson for future projects. It seems very unlikely we might see her return in any capacity if they burn bridges with this lawsuit. Here’s hoping they come to a consensus, and it doesn’t put the final nail in the coffin on Natasha Romanoff’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: Variety, Variety (Disney)

July 29, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Passes $150M Domestically as M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’ Takes Top Spot

We’ve entered the third Box Office weekend for Black Widow and it’s not looking good for the domestic Box Office overall’s development. M. Night Shyamalan‘s Old took the top spot with a painful $16.5M. It beat out Snake Eyes, which aimed to revive the G.I. Joe franchise. The Henry Golding-led project garnered $13.3M at the Box Office. Even with a smaller budget of $88M, the overall Box Office of the weekend has been rather subpar. Even last week’s top spot holder, Space Jam: A New Legacy, dropped to the fourth spot by 69%. It proves that pandemic releases are extremely frontloaded.

Black Widow held unto the third spot of the domestic Box Office. It even managed to break the pandemic record for passing $150M ahead of F9‘s record. The film did hold surprisingly stated in comparison to its second weekend with a 55% drop. It seems very likely it might pass the latter’s overall domestic Box Office, but worldwide suffering from a limited release. Especially F9‘s dominance in the Chinese movie market is making it this summer’s tentpole release. $215M of its total $621M Box Office was purely in China.

Marvel Studios’ latest entry release in the market remains uncertain. Its Disney+ release has been hurting the film’s potential longevity. But, there have been some similar developments with and without digital releases. The second-week drops have been around 65 to 70% for each film. Space Jam continues the tradition and showcases that repeat viewing is reserved for home. Disney has never released the follow-up numbers for their digital release, but there were hints through third-party analysis that it almost even doubled in its second week.

The lack of transparency is the issue and in comparison to other MCU films, Black Widow is on par with Phase 1 releases. The true test will end up being Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Its September release without a Disney+ Premier Access option may offer a better look at how strong the hold is for an MCU project without the digital influences. Yet, current developments with the Delta Variant may hint at Plus, the current issue with its Chinese release also opens up many questions regarding Marvel’s dependency on foreign Box Office.

Source: Variety, Forbes (BW), Forbes (SE), The Numbers, The Numbers (F9)

July 25, 2021
REPORT: Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova To Appear in Multiple ‘Hawkeye’ Episodes

Black Widow was more than just a farewell to Scarlett Johansson‘s Natasha. It also acted as a passing of the torch with Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, to continue her sister’s legacy. The post-credit sequence confirmed her return in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series. Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ mysterious Val made the claim Clint Barton is behind Natasha’s death. Outside of this detail, not much is known about the upcoming series and her involvement. It seems that Cosmic Circus might offer some details on what we can expect from her upcoming appearance.

While they cannot offer any insight into her exact storyline, it luckily won’t be a one-and-done. Pugh will appear in multiple episodes of the show. Sadly, no exact insight for how many episodes we can expect her, but it looks like her search for vengeance won’t be over in an instant. We know the Tracksuit Mafia will also make an appearance. So, Clint and his new protegé, played by Hailee Steinfeld, will have quite a bit of trouble at their hands.

The series will also introduce us to Alaqua Cox as Echo. Whatever Val’s end goal is, she may have some new recruits on her radar once the show premieres sometime later this year. Currently, it doesn’t look like she will appear in the series, but Belova may also find some new friends throughout the series’ run. It seems November might be a likely release date for the series, which will most likely be the last Disney+ entry for 2021. So, here’s hoping we get a first look after What If premieres this August.

Source: Cosmic Circus, IMDb

July 20, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Takes Top Spot as Most Pirated Film in the Pandemic

The digital release of any film is a considerable risk. As such, Black Widow‘s release on Disney+ Premier Access and theaters was going to be a gamble. Not only because it influenced its theatrical run but also due to piracy. This is why a delayed-release in China is a considerable risk for Marvel Studios’ Box Office return. As predicted, it became a reality, as Torrent Freak shared their overview of the most torrented movies of the year. Marvel Studios’ latest has been holding that spot ever since it was released.

To add a positive twist to the matter, it shows the strong demand for Marvel Studios films. There always was a risk involved in releasing it via their streaming service at a price. The fact they still sold $60M is impressive, and the film caught the top spot during the pandemic for its opening weekend. It also seems that the Disney+ U.S. household viewers have nearly doubled throughout the second week, which does show a generally good development for the game.

The problem that piracy creates is the film’s longevity. Throughout its Box Office run, films gain additional income through repeat viewings. Disney+ is not a one-time payment. So, you can rewatch it from the comfort of your home. Others might take to piracy to avoid the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. These developments are a big challenge for streaming services.

They need to find ways to protect their offerings from torrent sites. It affects others such as Amazon’s The Tomorrow War and Netflix’s Gunpowder Milkshake joining the Top Three. Piracy is a general issue but took on a whole new level during the pandemic. The big question is if Jungle Cruise will face similar developments and if it might be the end of Disney Premier Access.

Source: Torrent Freak, Gadgets 360

July 20, 2021