'Black Panther' Breaks Box Office Records Over Three-Day Debut

Black Panther had the fifth biggest opening of all time this weekend during its three-day debut. Marvel’s first film directed by an African American brought in about $192 million. The opening for the film starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan blew away the record for the largest opening for an African-American director, which previously belonged to F. Gary Gray and The Fate of the Furious, which brought in $98 million last April. Disney thinks that Black Panther will bring in $218 million domestically for the four day holiday weekend. Around the world, the film made $361 million. Black Panther also beat the record for an opening in February, which belonged to Deadpool, which made $132 million when it opened in 2016. This marks the second biggest opening for a Marvel Studios film, behind The Avengers, which open in 2012. It is the studio’s 18th straight number one opening. The record-breaking weekend is an important watershed moment for Hollywood, writes CNN. Black Panther is reaching box office heights that have eluded other African-American titles. This success could help encourage diversity in the industry. It is also one of the best-reviewed superhero movies of all time, with an “A+” CinemaScore from audiences and a near perfect 97% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes.