‘Black Widow’ set to push back ‘Space Jam 2’ at box office

Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” could reduce the cinema’s potential revenue as a paid attraction on Disney +, but it is still expected to hit the $ 100 million mark before this weekend. And it is also expected to retain the No.1 against the debut of Warner Bros. ‘”Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

The live action / animation film is screened by studios and trackers to earn around $ 20 million in its opening weekend. Like all Warner Bros. ‘ 2021 films, it will be released in theaters and on HBO Max at no extra cost.

“Space Jam” is ostensibly a film for family audiences, but it remains to be seen whether children and their parents will become the core demographic, or if it will be further driven by the millennial nostalgia for the original “Space Jam”, released. 25 years ago. . Animated films like “Luca” and “The Boss Baby: Family Business” have become major players in Hollywood’s hybrid dating experience, in part because a home date option can appeal to families at home. looking for a cheaper way to watch new movies.

“Black Widow,” meanwhile, is expected to experience a drop of about 65% from its $ 80 million opening after the pandemic, which would put it at around $ 28 million. As of Tuesday, the film has grossed $ 95.1 million, adding $ 7.1 million yesterday to Tuesday’s highest total after the pandemic.

Sony’s horror film “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions,” which is slated to open for $ 7-8 million, also opens this weekend. For comparison, the first “Escape Room” opened at $ 18 million in January 2019 and grossed $ 155 million worldwide against a budget of $ 9 million. The sequel has an announced budget of $ 15 million.

With two of the biggest movies on the summer calendar now out, the second half of July will likely see more modest numbers in slot # 1, but a slight increase in gross receipts. None of the films remaining on this month’s roster, which includes Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” and Paramount’s “Snake Eyes”, are currently slated to open over $ 40 million. But more consistent releases are expected to boost weekend revenue as theaters wait for the next big release, Warner Bros. ‘ “The Suicide Squad”, which will arrive in early August.

“Space Jam: A New Legacy” sees LeBron James teaming up with the Looney Tunes in a basketball battle against a sneaky computer program (Don Cheadle) that is holding James’ son hostage. Malcolm D. Lee directed the film, which has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 35%.

“Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” sees the survivors of the previous film (Taylor Russell and Logan Miller) attempt to expose an evil society that places people in lethal escape rooms for the entertainment of the rich, only to then be trapped in an evil society. new series of rooms with other survivors. Adam Robitel returns as the director of the film, which has a 50% RT score.