After its opening weekend in theaters, Black Panther has absolutely destroyed box office records, making history in Hollywood. The movie grossed enough money to be the second-biggest Sunday in theaters, close behind Star Wars’ The Force Awakens record of $60.6 million with $60.1 million. This record is one of the many the movie achieved in its first weekend.
To name them all, Black Panther grossed $201.8 million over 3 days, making it the fifth-best 3-day opening weekend in the box office. The movie also made best February opening weekend of all time and is estimated to make over $235 million over the rest of the four-day weekend, which could land the movie more achievements. Black Panther also brought in $169 million overseas across 48 markets. These numbers are insane and it’s only a small part of them all.
Additionally, the movie made history for Ryan Coogler, the 31-year old director who landed the biggest opening by an African-American director after the film’s opening. The film also scored an A+ on CinemaScore and a 97 on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest score received by a superhero film. Both sites are pretty stubborn with reviews, so these scores are a big deal.
With all of these record comes more meaning behind the film due to its cast being entirely people of color, along with the director being African-American, too. The history it’s made so far is only the beginning, as the movie is expected to continue grossing millions over the next few weekends.
The records are not only historic for the money, but for people of color entirely. The Ringer reported that Black Panther defied the myths that movies led by people of color don’t gain traction or funds in theaters. The report included a study on films with POC to back the point. Overall, the movie is taking over Hollywood right now with no signs of slowing down. I think it’s safe to say Black Panther will be in theaters for awhile, so grab your ticket now to see what you’re missing.Â