Here’s something you might not know. One unlikely movie has been holding the record for the biggest Labor Day weekend box office gross for the past 14 years. Namely, Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake. Despite polarizing fans, the movie, which came out in September 2007, earned $30,591,759 domestically in its opening two days. It ultimately brought in $58 million domestically and $80 million worldwide, proving that the franchise still had legs.
But now Halloween‘s hold has finally been broken. This weekend saw the debut of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and, as pointed out by Bloody Disgusting, its opening gross completely blows Zombie’s film’s figures out of the water. As of this Sunday, Shang-Chi has racked up $71.4 million, and that’s expected to rise to $83.5 million once the four-day holiday period is over.
Not only has the Simu Liu vehicle managed to do what no other movie has done for nearly 15 years – even Christopher Nolan’s Tenet didn’t manage to – it has nearly tripled the previous record. And it’s pulled it off while the industry is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, too. Nicely played, Marvel.
It’s ironic that Halloween‘s record should finally be broken now, as Michael Myers is about to return to the silver screen in just a few weeks’ time. The second of Blumhouse’s trilogy began with 2018’s installment and continues with next year’s Halloween Ends. Its predecessor earned a hugely impressive £255.6 million itself, so we’ll have to see how Kills will fare in comparison when it premieres on October 15th.
In the meantime, catch Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters now. Alternatively, if you’re a horror fan, go see the Candyman remake, which itself has had a very strong opening – making history in the process.
