By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
“Black Panther” this weekend shattered both box office records and the myth about the overseas viability of movies rooted in black culture. The film brought in an estimated $218 million and is ranked as the biggest February opening weekend ever, the biggest solo superhero launch, the biggest holiday opening, the biggest Friday-Monday launch and the biggest non-sequel launch of all time.
Overseas, the Disney/Marvel film raked in a stunning $168.7 million in 48 markets through Sunday which put the film at a global debut of $370.5 million with the actuals on domestic coming in higher. Including Monday’s domestic estimate, the worldwide take rises above $400 million.
“Black Panther” instantly became the top-grossing film in history by a black director, Ryan Coogler and featuring a largely black cast. The previous record holder was “Straight Outta Compton,” which took in $214 million worldwide in 2015- over its entire run- after adjusting for inflation.
The film received a rare A-plus grade from ticket buyers in CinemaScore exit polls. Black viewers came out in numbers, making up about 37 percent of the domestic turnout, according to PostTrak, fueled by large numbers of church and school groups and not to mention pent-up demand for a superhero film led by black actors.
“The concept of an African story, with actors of African descent at the forefront, combined with the scale of modern franchise filmmaking, is something that hasn’t really been seen before,” Ryan Coogler told the Hollywood Reporter. “You feel like you’re getting the opportunity of seeing something fresh, being a part of something new, which I think all audiences want to experience regardless of whether they are of African descent or not.”
Michael B. Jordan, who plays villain Erik Killmonger in the film, responded to the blockbuster hit in a video posted to social media.
“So, I wake up to crazy news, right? Woo! See what happens when we support each other? Ain’t nothing we can’t do!”
“Black Panther” is even receiving praise from former First Lady, Michelle Obama.
“Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen. I loved this movie and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories,” Obama tweeted.
With a nearly all black cast, black director and Kendrick Lamar curated soundtrack that features an array of black artists, Black Panther is the first blockbuster of this caliber to boldly celebrate black culture. It also features a world where women are the strongest warriors, brilliant scientists and clearheaded moral compasses rather than relegating them to damsels in distress or comic relief.
“Diversity does in fact, sell,” said Darnell Hunt, a professor and director of social science at UCLA whose research has detailed the connection between diversity and bottom lines. “In hindsight, it’s kind of a no-brainer. The American public is about 40 percent of people of color now, and we know that people of color over-index in terms of media consumption. The patterns we’ve been seeing are only becoming more pronounced as time goes on.”
As the New York Times put it, “Black Panther” is “steeped very specifically and purposefully in its blackness.” Jamie Broadnax, founder of the online community Black Girl Nerds, told the Times that the film marks the “first time in a very long time that we’re seeing a film with centered black people, where we have a lot of agency” and noted that characters “are rulers of a kingdom, inventors and creators of advanced technology.”
Additionally, Broadnax pointed out that the film doesn’t dwell on the “usual topics of acclaimed movies about the black experience,” like “black pain, and black suffering and black poverty.”
“Black Panther” is not the only film to prove that diversity in film and television is profitable. Universal Pictures, “Girls Trip” brought in $31.2 million at the North American box office over its opening weekend on July 21 to July 23 making it one of the highest-grossing openings for a live-action comedy. “Girls Trip” also broke the summer’s streak of underperforming R-rated comedies such as “Rough Night” and “The House.”
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, “Get Out,” was one of the highest grossing films of 2017 making over $250 million worldwide. It was made with a budget of only $4.5 million.
Not only was “Get Out” a box office hit, but it snagged four Oscar nominations at this year’s Academy Awards for best picture; Daniel Kaluuya for best actor; best director and best original screenplay.
The success of “Black Panther” and other movies fronted by minorities proves that black movies can be box office dynamite is narrative both valuable and long overdue.
huffingtonpost.com; abcnews.go.com contributed to this post
