In its second weekend, Black Widow is expected to beat Space Jam: A New Legacy at the box office. This summer, the theatrical marketplace has shown signs of recovery as the industry looks to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. While there's still a long way to go before grosses reach 2019 levels again, Marvel's Black Widow was the latest encouraging sign theaters have a bright future. Despite being available on Disney+ Premier Access and earning $60 million from streaming sales, Black Widow broke pandemic era box office records by grossing $80 million domestically.
As a more traditional summer movie season continues, the next big release on the docket is Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long-gestating followup to the original 1996 classic. Headlined by NBA superstar LeBron James and a bevy of other Warner Bros. properties, Space Jam: A New Legacy had the potential to be 2021's latest box office hit - especially since it appeals to kids and millennials who grew up with the previous film. However, based on the latest projections, Marvel is set to top the box office for another week.
Per The Wrap, Black Widow is estimated to earn approximately $28 million domestically during its second weekend. That's higher than the projections for Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is pegged to earn around $20 million in its debut. Horror sequel Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, this weekend's other new release, should earn between $7-8 million.
Though Space Jam: A New Legacy is looking to capitalize on nostalgia, it isn't too surprising to see it face a bit of an uphill climb at the box office. Early Space Jam: A New Legacy reviews have been largely negative, with critics panning the movie for being little more than a commercial for other WB franchises. It's also available to watch for free on HBO Max, giving interested viewers another option. While some audiences have a soft spot for the original Space Jam, the sequel isn't shaping up to be something that demands to be seen on the big screen. In contrast, Black Widow is a major studio tentpole designed to be seen in theaters. Black Widow was also well-received, being Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
It will be interesting to see how Space Jam: A New Legacy fares on streaming. WB has seen success on that platform this year, with titles such as Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat breaking HBO Max viewership records during their respective debuts. It seems likely Space Jam: A New Legacy will find an audience in homes, even if it doesn't set any new all-time marks. As for Black Widow, it continues to be an encouraging sign for theaters, recently passing the $100 million threshold in record time. Obviously, its second weekend is poised to be a steep decline from its debut, but remaining on top of the charts for two straight weeks is a positive development.
Source: The Wrap
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