Box Office: Marvel's 'Black Widow' debuts with dazzling Sh8.6billion in theaters

People dressed as Avengers characters attend a fan event and special screening of the film "Black Widow". (Reuters)

Disney and Marvel's superhero adventure "Black Widow" captured a massive $80 million (Sh8.6billion) in its first weekend, crushing the benchmark for the biggest opening weekend since the pandemic.

In a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film opened simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus as part of the streaming service's Premier Access offering, where subscribers can rent "Black Widow" for an extra $30. Disney reported that "Black Widow" generated more than $60 million "in Disney Plus Premier Access consumer spend globally," marking the rare occasion in which a studio discloses revenues for digital rentals. Overseas, "Black Widow" collected $78 million in its debut, boosting its global box office haul to $158 million.