Tag: Scarlett Johansson Black Widow

  • Marvel’s Scarlett Johansson-starrer ‘Black Widow’ soars to pandemic box office record

    By Associated Press
    Even with an option to watch “Black Widow” at home, audiences went to the movie theater in pandemic record numbers this weekend to catch the first Marvel movie released in two years. 

    The Walt Disney Co. said on Sunday, July 11, 2021, the superhero pic generated an estimated $80 million in ticket sales in North America. Combined with $78 million from international theaters and at least $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access rentals, “Black Widow” grossed over $215 million in its first weekend. The studio said it’s the largest domestic opening weekend since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” debuted in 2019, pre-pandemic. 

    It’s a massive win for coronavirus-era moviegoing. In North America, the previous pandemic record-holder was Universal’s “F9,” which debuted to $70 million a few weeks ago. But unlike “Black Widow,” which is playing on 4,100 screens, the ninth “Fast & Furious” movie was exclusively in theaters. 

    “This was a pretty monumental weekend for the industry,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “‘Black Widow’ played well on big screens and small screens. And it actually strengthens the case for movie theaters.”

    Dergarabedian noted that the vast majority of profits, $158.8 million, came from theaters. Around $12 million of that came from IMAX screens too.

    “Hollywood blockbusters continue to gain ground at the box office with each successive release, and that bodes very well for the many films lined up for exclusive worldwide theatrical release this fall and beyond,” said Rich Gelfond the CEO of IMAX.

    “Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson, has had a long journey to theaters. Originally slated to come out in May of 2020, the blockbuster was delayed because of the pandemic. Disney ultimately decided to release it “day and date,” meaning it came out on more than one platform at the same time. “Black Widow,” in theaters and for a $30 rental on its subscription streaming service Disney+. Although not unprecedented for pandemic movie releases, or even for Disney, which did the same for “Cruella,” it’s the first Marvel movie to attempt the hybrid strategy. And it’s by far the biggest earner to date. 

    It is unusual for studios to release grosses from streaming profits in real-time. Many never do so, and some release figures weeks after the fact. 

    “‘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+,” said Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in a statement.

    The film was liked by audiences, who gave it an A-minus CinemaScore, and critics. “Black Widow” currently boasts an 80% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Men made up some 58% of the opening weekend crowd. 

    “F9” came in second place with an estimated $10.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $140.8 million in its third weekend out in North America. Globally, it’s grossed $541.8 million. Universal also held the third and fourth place spots with the animated sequel “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” which added $8.7 million, and the horror “The Forever Purge,” with $6.7 million. “A Quiet Place Part II” rounded out the top five with $3 million.

    Currently, 81% of North American theaters are open, and most are operating at full capacity. Overall the films this weekend grossed a total of $117 million. It’s the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that a moviegoing weekend has surpassed $100 million. 

    And while it’s promising for the industry as a whole, Marvel films have always been in a box office category of their own. Overall, they’ve grossed nearly $23 billion. 

    “Marvel films are a unique monster,” Dergarabedian said. “I don’t know that you’ll see this for every release.”

  • Scarlett Johansson has ‘no plans’ to return as ‘Black Widow’

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Scarlett Johansson recently revealed that she will not be returning as Natasha Romanoff in her superhero movie ‘Black Widow’.

    People Magazine reported that Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige recently said in an interview that he is “excited to continue working with Scarlett in any way possible.” But, the actor seems to have made a decision to “not return” as the assassin-turned-Avenger.

    The 36-year-old star said in an interview that she feels “really satisfied with this film”.

    ALSO READ: Actor Scarlett Johansson opens up about her ‘Black Widow’ role

    “It feels like a great way to go out for this chapter of my Marvel identity,” she added.

    With her statement, she also made it clear that it doesn’t mean fans won’t see her around the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) at all, though she has only said goodbye to the ‘Black Widow’ character.

    “I would love to be able to continue to collaborate with Marvel in other ways because I think there’s just an incredible wealth of stories there. Re-imagining this genre is something that I find very interesting,” the two-time Academy Award nominee said.

    “I think there’s a lot of opportunities to tell these stories in different ways than audiences have come to expect,” she added.

    ALSO READ: Scarlett Johansson says Black Widow was ‘sexualised’ in the beginning

    The actor first appeared as Natasha Romanoff in 2010’s ‘Iron Man 2’, before going on to reprise her role in several other films within the MCU.

    Kicking off Phase Four of the MCU, Black Widow takes place following the events of 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and finds Natasha coming to terms with her complex past.

    ‘Black Widow’ is currently in theatres and streaming on Disney+.