Even with an option to watch Black Widow at home, US audiences went to the movie theatre in pandemic record numbers this weekend to catch the first Marvel movie released in two years.
Black Widow has broken the pandemic box office record in North America, which was previously held by Vin Diesel's F9.
The movie, starring Scarlett Johansson as the cat-suited superspy, took in an additional $60 million streaming on Disney Plus (at $29.99 for subscribers), and $78 million internationally, for an impressive global total of $218 million.
The Hollywood Reporter called it "unprecedented" for a studio to announce its streaming total on a film's opening weekend. The film has yet to open in China.
The film was liked by audiences, who gave it an A-minus CinemaScore, and critics. Black Widow currently boasts an 80 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Men made up some 58 percent of the opening weekend crowd, reports The Associated Press.
- The Walt Disney Co said Sunday the superhero pic generated an estimated $80 million in ticket sales in North America. Combined with $78 million from international theatres and at least $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access rentals, “Black Widow” grossed over $215 million in its first weekend.
- The studio said it’s the largest domestic opening weekend since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuted in 2019, pre-pandemic.
Hybrid release strategy instrumental in film's box office success
- Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson, has had a long journey to theatres. Originally slated to come out in May of 2020, the blockbuster was delayed because of the pandemic.
- Disney ultimately decided to release it “day and date,” meaning it came out on more than one platform at the same time.
- Black Widow is screening in theatres and for a $30 rental on its subscription streaming service Disney+ in the US. The film is not yet available on India's Disney+ Hotstar platform.
- Although not unprecedented for pandemic movie releases, or even for Disney, which did the same for “Cruella,” it’s the first Marvel movie to attempt the hybrid strategy. And it’s by far the biggest earner to date.
- “Black Widow's strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theatres for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney+,” said Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in a statement.
Black Widow in overseas territories
- The Hollywood Reporter notes that while the film had its overseas release, many territories including India, Taiwan, parts of Australia, and some countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America were excluded due to COVID-19 mandated shuttering of cinemas.
- However, Black Widow witnessed a record-breaking opening in South Korea, where it was available on 2,500 screens, Variety states via data tracking service Kobis. Despite a new wave of infections, around 1 million people flocked to theatres says Yonhap News Agency.
- Black Widow's five-day run in Korean theatres amounts to $12.1 million. The superhero film topped homegrown thriller Hard Hit that had been going steady over the past two weekends.
- Deadline writes that in Hong Kong, the film grossed $3.2 million.
(With inputs from agencies)
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