T’challa give me strength. It was easy to predict that Black Panther would be huge from its amazing cast and presale tickets sales. It was the reactions the film received on opening weekend that were unprecedented. On premiere weekend audiences dawned dashikis Coming to America cosplay, and at one point there was a processional all for Black Panther. While the initial hype of opening weekend has subsided we’re still talking about Black Panther. Like references to the “Sunken Place”, Donald Glover, and that episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (you know the one) Black Panther is here to stay.
1. Money Moves
Black Panther did numbers at the box office. On opening weekend the film killed it at the box office with $202 million and a #1 rating, according to Box Office Mojo. The film broke so many records: Biggest February opening weekend, biggest non-sequel opening weekend, biggest solo superhero launch of all time, biggest long holiday opening weekend, biggest-grossing movie (in North America) directed by a black filmmaker, (YES Ryan Coogler) and the Forbes list goes on.
2. Longevity
Currently, Black Panther is still in theaters and has grossed $1.3 billion worldwide! That’s three months after its initial release and after its already made it to DVD and Black Panther is STILL in theaters. Although the film’s run in theaters is sure to come to an end soon this movie has made Black Panther a force. The film drew attention to Hollywood’s absence of lead roles for women and people of color. The film is an example that the stories told by black people can hold weight and can be successful and as a result has many executives looking for a way to make money off of their own Black Panther.
3. Black Twitter
Black twitter is a great place and the same people behind #BlackHogwarts, #IfSlaveryWasAChoice and every sunken place joke will continue to bring you Wakanda jokes and gifs every day. A Wakanda gif a day keeps the doctor away, right?
4. The grandmother effect
Okay, so it’s not really an effect but my grandmother really did like this movie. She’s redacted years old and she thinks that Black Panther is “decent”. When she first told me how she felt about the film I was disappointed that she didn’t like the film as much I as thought she would. But from listening to her enthusiastically tell her friends to see the film I now know that she meant “DECENT!”, in the fun way.