Slowly movie theaters have been opening back up thanks to the Covid-19 vaccine. Furthermore, the pandemic has made it hard to gauge whether or not movies as we once knew them will return. So I decided to take a look at Twitter and assess the number of people going to the theaters versus the number of people using Primier Access to watch the new Marvel movie called Black Widow and make a prediction about the future of movie theaters and at-home streaming.
🆕MCU franchise in 1st day of 🇫🇷 Box office (tickets)
Avengers 302k
Homecoming 233k
CaptainMarvel 212k
DoctorStrange 197k
IronMan 186k#BlackWidow  184.770
Black Panther 178k
GOTG 170k
Thor 149k
The Incredible Hulk 116k
AntMan 102k
CaptainAmerica 82K pic.twitter.com/d7jALTmi12— Marvel Perfect Shots (@marvel_shots) July 8, 2021
During the pandemic, Disney Plus released a new streaming service called Premier Access that allows movies that would usually be exclusively in theaters to be streamed by subscribers at home. Unfortunately, this service comes with a charge of $30 on top of the subscription to Disney, which costs $8. However, with theaters opening back up, Disney plus will not continue to offer Premier Access in the same capacity.
The most recent Premier Access movie was Black Widow, and it did reasonably well.
#BlackWidow has earned $60M on Disney+ premiere access subscription for the first 3 days. pic.twitter.com/SlxrpcqLgy
— LetsOTT GLOBAL (@LetsOTT) July 11, 2021
According to LetsOTT GLOBAL on Twitter., BlackWidow earned $60M on Disney Plus’ Premier Access in its first three days.
She finally got her own movie and now, we finally got to know her story #BlackWidow pic.twitter.com/Vb3TrRzq5T
— Ren (@wandasolsen) July 9, 2021
And many Twitter users agree that it was worth the hype since we have never gotten to see an entire story dedicated to Black Widow, and many Marvel fans agree that it’s about time.
Looks like Theater/Premiere Access is a hit. Glad to see so many people got to see it in theater and those who could not still have the option to enjoy it on the first day.
— Coolifornia Adventure (@CoolDisneyland) July 11, 2021
Instead of exclusive in-theater viewing, many fans wish that at-home viewing would continue to be an offering. As many of you know, this pandemic has enlightened us to the reality that many special need individuals live every day. Because of this, some communities are suggesting that a hybrid of at-home and in-theater viewings should be available to consumers.
#BlackWidow has earned $218M+ in its worldwide opening weekend.
– $80M at domestic box office
– $78M at international box office
– $60M+ on Disney+ Premier AccessRead our review of the movie: https://t.co/4IHnhw0O0h pic.twitter.com/ryAegTMGyq
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 11, 2021
Yet, movie theaters make too much money on the hype and off of public consumption, so it is unlikely things will become hybrid. Nevertheless, the above numbers are exciting because this is the first time Disney Plus has shown this kind of transparency by releasing the numbers.
I was going to watch Black Widow on Disney+ until I saw they want me to pay $30 for Premiere Access, in addition to my subscription.
Y'all got me fkd up on a premium level.
— Jeremy Sinclair (@sinclairinat0r) July 11, 2021
Another reason Premier Access is unlikely to continue releasing movies that would usually be exclusive to theaters is because most people can not justify the extra $30 on top of their subscription when considering their budgets. It doesn’t make sense economically for most. When we go to the theaters, we pay for much more than the movie itself; we pay for the experience. While I would rather sit at home and watch the film, there is something about leaving the house that makes it easier to justify spending more money.
trust me once you have watched black widow it will be one of your favorite mcu movies. she finally got the movie she deserved and i can’t believe this is our last time seeing her she means the world to me #NatashaRomanoff #BlackWidow pic.twitter.com/8QUamvNz9g
— al SAW BLACK WIDOW (@spideysrue) July 8, 2021
I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to watch this film and want to hear from you all about whether or not you plan to see it or, if you did, what you think about it on social. Thanks for tuning in, and I will see you all next time.