Led by ‘Shang-Chi,’ Disney Films Return to Box-Office Dominance

This weekend’s box-office results justified Disney’s decision to provide theater-exclusive engagements for the remaining 2021 theatrical release schedule.

Led by a very impressive second weekend for Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” as well as strong holds for “Free Guy” and “Jungle Cruise,” the studio commanded nearly 80 percent of domestic ticket sales.“Shang-Chi” provided the bulk, taking in almost $36 million in its second weekend.

That’s down only 53 percent from its opening.

That’s even more impressive after opening on a holiday weekend with an elevated Sunday gross.It’s a high-end hold, much better than the 68 percent second-week drop for “Black Widow.” It also compared very well among pre-Covid, non-“Avengers” Marvel entries: “Captain Marvel,” which opened at double the gross of “Shang-Chi,” fell 56 percent, while “Ant-Man and the Wasp” fell 61 percent.For its first 10 days, “Shang-Chi” outperformed “Black Widow” over the same period by $9 million.

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