When the pandemic first took the world by storm, the movie industry was scrambling to turn a profit for their films. Now, as our economy is starting to reopen back up again, moviegoers are making up for a lot of lost time. The Marvel film “Black Widow” was released on July 9, and it is already off to a great start financially. Per reports the Scarlett Johansson-led film has brought in an estimated $80 million during its North American opening weekend. This figure is the most for any film released in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. For its release, 81% of theaters were open to the public. In addition, “Black Widow” grossed $78 million from international ticket sales.
The Movie was also available for streaming on Disney+ where it made an additional $60 million globally. Subscribers on that streaming service were charged an extra $29.99 to view the film. According to Disney, the film made more than $215 million globally from streaming and theater showings. Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney’s media and entertainment distribution, released a statement regarding the film’s success. According to Daniel, “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+.”
