Defying what has historically been a slow end-of-summer frame at the box office, Disney/Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” smashed records over the Labor Day weekend by grossing an estimated $71.4 million over the three-day frame and a Disney-projected $83.5 million through Monday from 4,300 locations. That’s more than double the previous three and four-day records held by Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” remake, which grossed $26.4 million and $30.6 million over Labor Day weekend way back in 2007. Additionally, “Shang-Chi” boasts the third-highest three-day opening of all time in the month of September, behind only It and It: Chapter Two, which grossed $123.4 million and $91.06 million, respectively, in their debuts.
“Shang-Chi” also had a good start overseas, where the film opened in such key markets as the U.K., Korea, France, Russia, Japan, Mexico, and Hong Kong to the tune of $56.2 million over the three-day period. Still to come are releases in China and several countries in Southeast Asia, where it’s anticipated to be a strong performer.
The picture for “Shang-Chi” looked fairly uncertain in the weeks leading up to release, but 25 IMAX fan screenings in mid-August, which generated strong word-of-mouth, helped boost social media hype around the latest MCU installment. Compound that with relatively strong reviews, the film’s historic nature as the first major Asian and Asian-American-led superhero film, and the 45-day exclusive theatrical window it was granted by Disney, and it’s no wonder “Shang-Chi” outperformed expectations.
READ MORE: ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ Is Flawed But Has A Winning Spirit [Review]
It’s true that “Shang-Chi” came in at the lower end of MCU openings; indeed, only “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Ant-Man” and 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” have opened with less. But that discounts the environment in which “Shang-Chi” was released, as the country has seen an enormous surge in coronavirus cases driven by the highly-infectious Delta variant over the past number of weeks.
In fact, since the start of the U.S. pandemic in March 2020, only one film, Marvel’s “Black Widow” – which was made available day-and-date on Disney+ for a $30 surcharge, a move that resulted in the lawsuit star Scarlett Johansson recently lodged against the studio – has enjoyed a higher three-day opening ($80.4 million). And given the strong word-of-mouth and theatrical exclusivity for “Shang-Chi,” it’s certainly possible that the film will ultimately surpass the total gross of the fast-fading “Black Widow,” which has so far taken in over $182 million in North America and more than $370 million worldwide.
Looking to the release calendar, “Shang-Chi” appears to have a pretty favorable road ahead of it for the next several weeks, as the next major action tentpole, MGM/UA’s “No Time to Die,” doesn’t hit theaters until October 8.
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