Marvel's 'Black Widow' debuts with dazzling $80 million in theaters

According to [Rappler], Marvel's superhero adventure film, which also earned $60 million on Disney Plus, has the biggest opening weekend at the box office since the pandemic

Disney and Marvel's superhero adventure Black Widow captured a massive $80 million in its first weekend, crushing the benchmark for the biggest opening weekend since the pandemic.

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According to [Rappler], in a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film opened simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus as part of the streaming service's Premier Access offering, where subscribers can rent Black Widow for an extra $30. Disney reported that Black Widow generated more than $60 million "in Disney Plus Premier Access consumer spend globally," marking the rare occasion in which a studio discloses revenues for digital rentals. Overseas, Black Widow collected $78 million in its debut, boosting its global box office haul to $158 million.

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According to [Rappler], in a statement on Sunday morning, July 11, Disney's media and entertainment distribution chairman Kareem Daniel said Black Widow's strong performance this weekend affirms our flexible distribution strategy of making franchise films available in theaters for a true cinematic experience and, as COVID concerns continue globally, providing choice to consumers who prefer to watch at home on Disney Plus."

After a brutal year and change for the movie theater business, the performance of Black Widow is encouraging to Hollywood and film exhibitors alike. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, says Marvel remains in a league of its own at the box office. After all, few film franchises would still be able to galvanize audiences 24 films in.