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After spending far too long in the doldrums, the theatrical industry is finally regaining some consistent momentum. Following on from the Fast & Furious 9 crew headlining the first Hollywood blockbuster to hit the $500 million barrier globally since 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow came along and smashed many of the pandemic-era records set by Dominic Toretto and his extended family.
Factoring in Disney Plus Premier Access sales, Black Widow gained an additional $60 million in revenue on top of an $80 million domestic bow to post a worldwide first frame well in excess of $200 million. However, Natasha Romanoff’s reign at the top is set to come to an end after just one week, with Space Jam: A New Legacy poised to seize the crown for King James and Bugs Bunny.
After bowing to $13.1 million on Friday, the sequel that’s been a quarter of a century in the making is heading towards a three-day tally of $32 million, enough to comfortably dislodge Black Widow, which is tracking towards somewhere around the $25 million mark. That means A New Legacy is set to drastically over-perform, when early estimates only had it pegged to earn $20 million or so this weekend.
Warner Bros.’ shameless self-promotional tactic will also score the fourth-biggest pandemic-era opening behind Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9 and A Quiet Place Part II, so the polarizing reactions from both fans and critics don’t appear to have put much of a dent in the movie’s chances of commercial success.
That being said, there are still no guarantees it’ll have the legs to match the $250 million brought in by the 1996 original, and that’s even with 25 years of ticket price inflation, not to mention the fact Space Jam: A New Legacy comes with a hefty $160 million price tag, but it’s a win for WB regardless.