Box Office: Marvel’s 'Black Widow' debuts with dazzling INR 595 crore in theaters, INR 446 crore on Disney Plus

In a statement on Sunday morning, Disney’s media and entertainment distribution chairman Kareem Daniel said "`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 Plus."

Los Angeles: Disney and Marvel’s superhero adventure ‘Black Widow’ captured a massive $80 million (approx 595 crores) in its first weekend, crushing the benchmark for the biggest opening weekend since the pandemic. In a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film opened simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus as part of the streaming service’s Premier Access offering, where subscribers can rent ‘Black Widow’ for an extra $30 (approx 223 crores). Disney reported that ‘Black Widow’ generated more than $60 million (approx 446 crores) ‘in Disney Plus Premier Access consumer spend globally,’ marking the rare occasion in which a studio discloses revenues for digital rentals. Overseas, ‘Black Widow’ collected $78 million (approx 580 crores) in its debut, boosting its global box office haul to $158 million (approx 1176 crores). Disney didn’t share viewership data for the previously released ‘Cruella’ starring Emma Stone and the animated ‘Raya and the Last Dragon,’ which also premiered simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus. It's unclear if Disney will continue to report digital rentals for the upcoming action adventure ‘Jungle Cruise,’ which opens in cinemas and on Disney Plus on July 30.