Black Widow makes a ton of money on Disney+, could change movie release strategies

As pandemic restrictions lift around the world, theater owners have been relieved to see that moviegoers are flocking to cinemas once more. Black Widow, which opened this past weekend, proves that the box office is “back,” as it took in a post-pandemic best box office total of $158.8 million.

That said, perhaps even more impressive is that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Widow has so far made $60 million through people paying to watch it through Disney+ Premier Access, meaning they paid $30 to watch the film at home. As THR notes, this could be a “game changer” for the streaming wars.

Black Widow could change the movie release landscape

In the early days of the pandemic, studios caught flack from theater owners for premiering some movies on streaming services rather than saving them for when theaters reopened. As restrictions eased, many studios shifted to a hybrid at-home and in-theater same day release model.

Disney and Marvel worked hard to keep Black Widow a theater-only release, hoping that theaters would be fully reopened by the time the movie finally came out (they postponed the premiere  date several times.) And indeed, when Black Widow released on July 9, most theaters had been reopened. However, Disney decided to also make the movie available on Premier Access, and clearly it paid off.

Until now, Disney has remained mum on Premier Access hauls for movies like Cruella, Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon, but they were (surprisingly) quick to announce Black Widow’s $60 million take.

HBO Max has been releasing 2021 films from Warner Bros. on their platform since the start of the year and plans to continue through the end of it. Unlike Disney+, HBO Max does not charge an additional fee for their big premieres, so there is no data to compare.

Now, knowing that there is an eager audience willing to pay the additional fee could shift the movie landscape in the future, prompting many studios to consider dual releases so that fans aren’t “forced” to go to the theaters. This is incredibly important, particularly as concern rises over the COVID-19 Delta variant. Many people invested in high quality televisions and sound systems during the pandemic so they have movie theater-quality systems at home, so they won’t be heading to the theaters any time soon.

Black Widow’s impressive opening weekend haul may open the door to some interesting industry conversations, and with so many studios tied to streaming platforms, a shift could come sooner than anyone imagined.

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