Shang-Chi packs a punch at the box office on opening weekend

Fists of Finance: New Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings grossed $ 90 million at the U.S. box office in its first four days, setting a Labor Day weekend record, according to Variety. The previous record for Labor Day weekend, usually slow for movie openings, was $ 30.6 million for the 2007 Halloween edition.

The martial arts-inspired Shang-Chi hit theaters just two months after the Marvel movie Black Widow, which holds the pandemic era record of $ 80.3 million for a three-day tally in the U.S. market (Shang-Chi’s three-day total was $ 75.5 million, Variety noted) . Unlike Black Widow, which arrived in theaters and online simultaneously, Shang-Chi is only debuting in theaters and won’t air on Disney Plus until October.

Disney said Shang-Chi was the third-highest September opening ever, behind It and It: Chapter Two. The new Marvel movie also grossed $ 56.2 million in its first three days in international markets, including the UK and Hong Kong (but not the rest of China).

Shang-Chi features the leading Asian role of Marvel and draws on the rich history of Asian cinema, from martial arts movies to gangster movies to romance, and in particular the lush visual and emotional style of the wuxia epics. . “Shang-Chi’s greatest strength is his power to surprise,” writes CNET’s Rich Trenholm in his review.

This year’s Labor Day weekend in theaters is expected to surpass 2019’s overall box office by 12% according to Deadline.