Picture Source: Lumiere
'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ is estimated to have broken records for Labor Day weekend grossing an estimated $90 million in the United States and Canada, or $75.5 million from Friday-Sunday without the Labor Day holiday included.
Even with rising Covid-19 numbers, theaters were packed across the country as many ventured to see the first Marvel movie released exclusively in theaters since the start of the pandemic.
This opening weekend can be compared with Marvel’s last release, Black Widow. Black Widow was released on Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+, for a $30 fee, while also being released in theaters. Black Widow opened at $80 million gross in the U.S. and Canada.
Disney’s Chief Executive Bob Chapek was quoted saying “On ‘Shang-Chi’ we think it’s an interesting experiment for us,” in reference to Disney being able to release ‘Shang-Chi’ exclusively in theaters and then bring the film to Disney+ 45 days later.
The film's performance, on what is typically a slow weekend, can be taken as a good sign for the movie industry as a whole, as it continues to rebound from the pandemic. ‘Shang-Chi’ also gives Disney a reference point on revenue from future high budget exclusive theatrical releases since the beginning of the pandemic.