Marvel's 'Black Widow' Brings In $80M in Theatrical Debut; $60M On Disney+

Marvel’s Black Widow pulls $80 million from its theatrical debut and $60 million from Disney+ in a massive post-pandemic opening weekend.

Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty

Movie theaters have gone through a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic started, the question everyone was pondering was if movie theaters would even exist whenever the pandemic got under under control. Luckily, movie theaters are still here and people are slowly returning to see the newest releases, which are slowly rolling out.

Fast & The Furious was the first franchise to return to theaters with a positive sign, bringing in $70 million at the box office. The true test of the climate, though, was still weighing on Marvel’s Black Widow. According to CNBC, the movie exceeded expectations in theaters, but most importantly, on Disney+.

The latest Marvel film scored $80 million at the domestic box office during its debut, the most of any film released in the wake of the Covid epidemic. Over the weekend around 81% of theaters were open to the public, according to data from Comscore.

Walt Disney also revealed that it garnered more than $60 million globally from sales of the film through Disney+ Premier Access. This is the first time the company has shared information about movie sales earned from its streaming service.

“This is an unprecedented way of reporting opening weekend business for a film, but Disney deserves some credit for detailing what was generated by the actual box office and what was earned from streaming,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice.com. “Hopefully this sets a standard for even more transparency across the industry, but it’s crucial to keep perspective on the unique circumstances and times we’re living in.”

In addition, “Black Widow” tallied $78 million from international ticket sales.

It seems like people are split down the middle about returning to theaters, but the most surprising thing is those not ready to return are ready to fork over $30 to view a movie from home. Things always change and evolve and if watching movies at home and paying a premium stays, it’s a win for everyone.