Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” blew away even the most lofty expectations for its debut weekend, posting the fifth best U.S. opening of all time.
The first solo movie featuring Marvel’s African avenger has earned an estimated $192 million from Friday through Sunday, besting the likes of the Iron Man, Batman and Superman.
“Black Panther” is also on pace to earn $218 million including Presidents Day on Monday, topping the $152.2 million record for the holiday weekend set in 2016 by Twentieth Century Fox’s R-rated comic book flick “Deadpool.”
Just a week ago, the movie was tracking for a $150 million open.
“‘Black Panther’ paves the way for a new narrative with the breaking down of barriers and outdated notions of what a commercially viable, mass appeal superhero film can look like,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.
“The film’s message becomes even more powerful because it’s delivered within a hugely entertaining movie-going experience that will continue to resonate for weeks to come as the social media conversation builds and the box office dollars keep rolling in.”
Within the Marvel cinematic universe, only “Marvel’s Avengers” posted a better North American debut.
The movie is the 18th installment in Marvel’s series of interconnected superhero films, but it has injected fresh energy into the franchise.
Directed by African-American filmmaker Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” is the first Marvel film to feature a predominantly black cast, and a story steeped in African culture. It stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, the leader and protector of the fictional nation Wakanda.
The film is generating tremendous buzz on social media and doing a brisk trade in ticket pre-sales. “Black Panther” is also the best-reviewed film of all the movies released by Disney-owned Marvel, boasting a 97 percent “Fresh”score on movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
“This film represents the winds of change. Hollywood has left money on the table for decades with a shortage of event-level films appealing to more diverse crowds,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at boxoffice.com. The company initially forecast the movie would haul in $178 million over three days, and $205 million over the long weekend.
“This is the kind of shift audiences have waited a long time for,” he said.
To be sure, the U.S. box office is just one piece of the puzzle these days. Superhero movies regularly net half to two-thirds of their earnings overseas.
“Black Panther” has already earned $361 million around the world, and is performing well in key markets, according to industry tracking data.
