Black Widow, the superhero action picture starring Scarlett Johansson, isn’t only a hit for the “early post-pandemic era”—it’s a hit in this and every other timeline.
Here are the numbers for the 24th entry in the expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter. The film, which is directed by Cate Shortland and features a sterling Florence Pugh sidekick role, made $80 million at the domestic box office and an additional $78 million in international markets. Disney+’s Premiere Access program earned $60 million on top of that, bringing the grand total north of $215 million. Much to the chagrin of Hollywood reporters, studios rarely divulge streaming numbers, so the announcement suggests the figure is a point of pride for Disney.
Disney’s Premiere Access was created last year as studios were scrambling over what to do with their titles during the coronavirus pandemic. Starting with Mulan, subscribers to Disney+ (which is eight bucks a month) could get unlimited access to bigger titles on an à la carte basis for an additional $30. This included pictures such as Raya and the Last Dragon and Cruella. (After three months, these films join the rest of the Disney+ archive for those who decide to wait.)
The next Premiere Access film will be Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, on July 30th. There is no official word on whether the program will continue after that, but considering Black Widow’s success both at home and at multiplexes, we shouldn’t be surprised if it sticks around.
Black Widow’s victory is the biggest opening weekend haul since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. The film has also not yet opened in China, which is a substantial moviegoing market.
Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, no doubt bursting with pride (and perhaps the lure of a strong Christmas bonus), told THR that “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+.”
Black Widow didn’t blow critics away, but it didn’t poison them either. The film has an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, which tallies reviews on a yea or nay binary, and a 68 out of 100 on Metacritic, which is a little more nuanced in its appraisal. CinemaScore, which polls audiences as they emerge from the auditorium in their popcorn and Icee haze, awarded it an A-.
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