Black Panther smashed projections with a record-breaking $235 million four-day total, making it the
fifth largest domestic opening weekend of all time despite debuting in February, which
is usually one of the slowest months of the year.
So how did it manage to crush expectations and take over the cultural consciousness?
Here's a look at how Black Panther blew everyone away at the box office.
Royal reviews
Most films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have garnered positive reviews, but Black
Panther took it to the next level, enjoying widespread critical acclaim.
How widespread?
The film currently holds a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best reviewed superhero
film of all time, above even The Dark Knight.
Building buzz
Months before its release, Black Panther started building incredible word of mouth.
The movie's teaser trailer scored 89 million views in the first 24 hours after its highly-promoted
debut during Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals, making it one of the most viewed trailers
ever for any Disney film.
That buzz immediately spilled over onto social media, with the movie generating more mentions
on Twitter than the NBA game during which it debuted.
This continued throughout the lead-up to the film, and helped the movie earn second place
on Fandango's survey of the most anticipated films of 2018 — after only Marvel's Avengers:
Infinity War.
Black Panther has since become the most-tweeted about movie of 2018 — a distinction it achieved
even before it hit theaters.
Excited audiences
Black Panther continued to build on that buzz when it hit theaters, earning an A+ CinemaScore
from opening night viewers — only the second Marvel movie to do so, after The Avengers.
And many fans lined up to see Black Panther multiple times, as Fandango reported that
the movie had a "significantly higher" number of repeat viewers than any other film during
its opening weekend.
Dave Hollis, Disney's President of Theatrical Distribution, said
"It's not like anything we've ever experienced before, it has taken on its own life.
The way people are talking about the experience is that, 'I saw it on Thursday, but I'm coming
back on Saturday, and might be back on Tuesday.'"
The #BlackPantherChallenge
The excitement moved off social media as well.
Grassroots events have popped up across the United States surrounding the film, with activists
using the movie as a way to bring their communities together.
Philanthropist Frederick Joseph launched the #BlackPantherChallenge to raise $40,000 to
help kids in Harlem see the film, but the challenge has since spiraled out even further,
resulting in over $600,000 raised by a number of campaigns from celebrities and regular
people alike.
The challenge brought more positive buzz and excitement to the film, while bringing the
moviegoing community together in support of a good cause.
"Just being able to like let these kids know that anything is possible.
You're capable of doing anything if you put your mind to something you can achieve it."
Big screen representation
Much of the buzz surrounding Black Panther is thanks to its predominantly black cast,
something rarely seen in big-screen blockbusters.
Black Panther marks the first time a black superhero is leading a movie in the modern
MCU, and it's also an important milestone behind the camera, with Ryan Coogler becoming
the first black director of a Marvel movie.
This was reflected in the movie's audience — according to The Hollywood Reporter, 37
percent of the opening weekend audience for the movie was African-American, compared to
an average of 15 percent for other superhero films.
Disney's Dave Hollis said,
"Our goal is to make movies that reflect the diversity of our world because those are the
stories that resonate everywhere.
To have the ability to show other people's experience is part of the beauty of movies,
but it also allows for rich storytelling, and for the people whose experiences are up
on the screen, especially if they have not been showcased a ton."
[...]
"The meaningful nature of being able to see yourself represented, those things really
matter to everyone, but in this case it matters even more to communities of color.
Representation matters and the times we've leaned into it, we've had massive results."
#WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe
Black Panther has a special place in the hearts of many viewers, and they took to social media
with the hashtag #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe to express their enthusiasm about the movie.
The hashtag was created by Kayla Sutton, the director of online marketing for Black Girl
Nerds, and was inspired by her 8-year-old son.
One Twitter user wrote,
"It means that my kids and young black kids everywhere will see themselves as heroes capable
of leading their own narratives."
...while another said that the movie meant
"Everything.
I cried when it was announced.
I cried at the visuals.
I cried at the #SDCC Marvel booth.
I cried in joy.
Their blackness is mine.
My blackness is theirs.
Black Panther is a love letter, a celebration, and a victory march for the diaspora."
The outpouring on social media helped to build even more buzz for the movie, and helped solidify
its place as a cultural milestone.
Strong female characters
Black Panther also received a lot of praise for its strong female characters, led by Lupita
Nyong'o's Nakia, Danai Gurira's Okoye, Letitia Wright's Shuri, and Angela Bassett's Ramonda.
As was the case with the 2017 box office hit Wonder Woman, female audiences turned out
in full force to support these powerful ladies — 45 percent of the opening weekend viewers
were women, compared to 35 to 40 percent for most superhero movies.
The movie's badass women also got a lot of attention on social media, with one tweet
calling Shuri "the Disney Princess I've been waiting my whole life for."
No major challengers
Most Marvel movies don't face huge competition, as other studios avoid scheduling movies opposite
Marvel's many blockbuster juggernauts.
And Black Panther was no exception, as it faced almost no competition from minor new
releases Early Man and Samson.
And the forecast looks good as well, as the next major new release isn't until March 9,
when Disney drops its next big blockbuster - A Wrinkle in Time, which also features a
black director and black lead.
Looks like Black Panther isn't just king of Wakanda - he's king of the box office too.
Long live the king!
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