Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis off to a strong and impressive start at the box office, netting $8.8 million in Thursday preview showings domestically. This is a promising beginning for the extended weekend, where the latest Marvel offering will hope to gather around $50 million by the end of the four-day Labor Day weekend. This placesShang-Chiin second place for Thursday night previews this year, falling only behind Marvel’s previous film,Black Widow($13.2 million), and positioning it ahead of films likeF9($7.1 million) andA Quiet Place Part II($4.8 million).
Analysts have predicted thatShang-Chicould earn anywhere from $45-$50 million over the extended weekend, though these preview numbers do offer the possibility for the superhero flick to exceed those expectations. Even amidst an ongoing pandemic and a raging delta variant, audiences are still eager for superhero content, especially from Marvel Studios. Like 20th Century Studios' filmFree Guy, Shang-Chi is unique in that it does not have a digital component to its release, which would have come in the form of Disney+’s Premier Access. This gives the film a unique advantage overBlack Widow, for which many viewers decided to catch at home on the streaming service (though it should be noted the difference from July to now is vast, pandemic-wise).Shang-Chiwill have this exclusive window for 45 days before being available to watch at home.
Related:‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Projecting to Break Labor Day Weekend Box Office Record
Labor Day weekend has historically not been a huge weekend for box office draw, and COVID complications are undoubtedly what caused Marvel to drop one of their films in this spot.Halloween(2007) currently holds the largest opening weekend for this timeframe with $30.5 million. Therefore it seems rather foregone thatShang-Chiwill have seized this record by Monday given the box office predictions. Perhaps Marvel will have successfully staked another claim to the release year calendar, just as they upended the start of the summer box office to late April withAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.
Just asBlack Pantherdid for its respective audience,Shang-Chishows Marvel taking great strides with regards to representation, offering the long-overdue spotlight to Asian audiences. Asian-American filmmakerDestin Daniel Crettonis behind the lens and screenplay, with the cast being led by some of the biggest names in Asian cinema, such asTony Leung,Michelle Yeoh, andFala Chen. NewcomerSimu Liu(Kim’s Convenience) portrays the title character. The film shows Shang-Chi (Liu) forced to confront his past and upbringing, made difficult and complicated by his father, Wenwu/The Mandarian (Leung), the leader of the villainous Ten Rings organization.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis now in theaters.
Keep Reading:Here Are the Marvel Movies to Watch Before ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
