Shang-Chi Sets New Labor Day Box Office Record With $90 Million Opening

New reports for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' box office numbers find the film setting a Labor Day weekend record with $90 million. The Marvel Cinematic Universe film stars Simu Liu as the titular hero as he tries to start a normal life but finds it upended when his father's clandestine Ten Rings criminal organization reemerges in the world. Alongside Liu, the cast for the film includes Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Michelle Yeoh and Ben Kingsley.

The release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has been the subject of curiosity by industry professionals and fans alike since it was announced that it would be an exclusive theatrical release rather than a hybrid Disney+/theatrical debut as with fellow MCU title Black Widow and Disney's Jungle Cruise. Early predictions for the film had it on track to set records for even pre-pandemic times with an estimated $45-50 million in its opening weekend and projections it would lead the box office for three weeks at the very least. With the film now receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and already having shattered one record, it appears Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn't stopping anytime soon.

As the holiday weekend comes to a close, final box office numbers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (via Variety) are coming in to reveal an even higher debut for the film of $90 million in its first four days of release. This sees the film setting a new record for the Labor Day weekend, which was previously held by Rob Zombie's Halloween remake in 2007 that opened at $30.6 million and was cleared by the MCU film in its first three days of release. It also puts the film as the second-biggest opening weekend of year, falling behind fellow MCU title Black Widow at $80 million and ahead of F9: The Fast Saga's $70 million and A Quiet Place Part II's $48 million.

Joj Jon hugs Shang-Chi and Katy in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Going into its opening weekend, fan anticipation for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was certainly high as audiences were eager for the next chapter in the MCU. More importantly, however, was the anticipation for the franchise's first Asian superhero and predominantly Asian-led production, a step forward in Marvel's diversity efforts on the heels of Black Panther's success, and that excitement looks to be paying off of for the studio. There was certainly some concerns leading up to its release of where the numbers would fall as Delta variant spikes have led to a number of shutdowns across the country, but these fears have been safely put to bed by its record-setting debut.

With said variant causing a number of new quarantines and theaters shutting down, it seems likely this is the reason why Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings fell behind fellow MCU film Black Widow for the biggest opening weekend of the year. That being said, there isn't much of a gap between the two debuts at just $4.5 million, marking for a promising start for the exclusively theatrical title and with an audience approval score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes in comparison to Black Widow's 91 percent, it seems very likely these numbers will continue in the coming weeks. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now in theaters.

More: The Ten Rings Origin & MCU Future Importance Explained

Source: Variety