Shang-Chi Set to Nearly Triple Labor Day Box Office Record

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is set to demolish the previous Labor Day opening weekend record at the box office. It isn't surprising that the film will set a new record since Labor Day hasn't traditionally been the ideal target for a blockbuster opening, with potential moviegoers instead taking in the last gasp of summer weather. But it's been a strange time for the box office, as the Delta variant and low vaccination rates extend the COVID-19 pandemic. But Shang-Chi seems set to beat expectations three-fold. Analysts project the film will earn $70.8 million over its first three days and $86 million over the full holiday weekend after garnering $29.6 million on its first day at the box office.

That total would put Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on par with F9's three-day opening earlier in the summer. It will also come close to tripling the Labor Day opening record set by Rob Zombie's Halloween when it opened to $30.5 million in 2007.

Shang-Chi has done well with critics. It earned a 92% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and 98% positive rating from fans on the site. It also scored a A rating from CinemaScore. ComicBook.com's Jamie Jirak gave the film a 4.5-out-of-5 review:

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best origin stories to date, filled with stunningly choreographed action, unexpected laughs, and a whole lot of heart," she writes. "Even if you're unfamiliar with the Shang-Chi comics, this film is worth seeing on the big screen. And be sure to stick around for both the mid-credits and post-credits scenes, which are guaranteed to please any Marvel fan. With the addition of Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Meng'er Zhang, the future of the MCU is looking bright."

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. The martial arts master must confront the past he thought he left behind when it draws him into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also stars Awkwafina as Shang-Chi's friend Katy, Michelle Yeoh as Ying Nan, and Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu, Shang-Chi's father. Other cast members include Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Ronny Chieng, Zach Cherry, and Dallas Liu.

Destin Daniel Cretton directed Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. Cretton and Callaham came up with the story. Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz produced the film, with Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Charles Newirth as executive producers. The story is by Dave Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton. Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin created the character Shang-Chi for Marvel Comics in 1973.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.