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Screenshot of the title character in Marvel's upcoming film, 'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings'
Screenshot of the title character in Marvel's upcoming film, 'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings'
Source: Marvel Studios/Youtube

Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Projected to Set Pre-Pandemic Box Office Record: Report

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings opens this Friday, September 3rd.

Days out from an official arrival, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings appears to be primed for a big week at the ticket stand. In fact, it could be a record-breaking outing for the latest addition to Marvel's ever-expanding cinematic universe.

According to a report from Deadline, the first Marvel film led by an Asian American superhero is projected to set the record for highest-grossing Labor Day weekend opening to date with an estimated $90-$100 million in global box office sales and $45-$50 in the US alone. The previous record was set well before the pandemic by Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween in 2007, which brought in $30.6 million on a typically quiet weekend for the film industry. Should it hit the mark, Shang-Chi's success could force studios to reevaluate their stance on releasing projects over Labor Day weekend. Viewed as summer's last stand, studios have historically avoided the three-day season-closer as a prospective calendar date for larger titles.

That said, Shang-Chi has several factors working against it. For one, that pesky Delta variant is shaking the confidence of would-be theater-goers. And unlike Black Widow, Marvel has set a theater-exclusive release for Shang-Chi. But the reviews for the film have been nothing short of stellar thus far, which could help push the needle in the film's favor this weekend. Early takes on the film have praised Shang-Chi's action sequences and welcomed a new MCU origin story. It's currently sitting at 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn't always a solid barometer for quality, but it certainly won't hurt the film's prospects of setting the Labor Day weekend record.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is out this Friday, September 3rd, with preview screenings beginning Thursday night in select theaters. Watch the latest trailer for the film below and catch it on the silver screen this weekend.