It’s official: no matter how unfamiliar they are with certain characters, audiences will always turn out in droves to watch the continuing saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Variety, the official box office tally for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ opening weekend is finally in. And it signals big things ahead for Marvel’s newest hero.
Shang-Chi closed out the extended Labor Day weekend with a domestic haul of $94.4 million, defying all expectations for the kung fu master’s debut. Back in August, early projections estimated that the film would open somewhere in the $35-55 million range. This would have given it the weakest MCU premiere since The Incredible Hulk bowed in 2008. But last week, these figures were amended to at least $60 million. Several analysts also cited the recent uptick in COVID cases as a possible hindering factor. Regardless, the movie has already achieved the second biggest opening weekend of the pandemic behind July’s Black Widow.
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As Variety points out, Labor Day is usually a slow time at the movies. However, Shang-Chi managed to smash the holiday weekend record previously held by Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake, which raked in just $30.6 million when it opened in 2007. The movie has also performed well in international markets, bringing its worldwide total to $146.2 million.
Shang-Chi’s numbers also bode well for November’s Eternals, which also features a cast of lesser-known superheroes. But since that movie boasts a smattering of A-listers along with a director who is still riding the wave of her groundbreaking Oscar win earlier this year, it might not need the extra boost.
Are you happy with Shang-Chi’s performance at the box office so far? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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