The box office came alive again with the long-awaited release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
The box-office collection of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been marvelous till now and still ruling the theaters.
The Marvel sequel earned $180 million in ticket sales from more than 4,396 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to The Walt Disney Co. estimates. on Sunday, making it the second-biggest opening of the year behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” .” Overseas, it brought in another $150 million from 50 territories, bringing its worldwide total to $330 million.
“Wakanda Forever” has been eagerly awaited by audiences and exhibitors alike, who have endured a slow period at the box office since the end of the summer movie season and fewer big-budget blockbusters in the pipeline. The film got off to a mighty start, slightly stronger than even the first film, with an opening day of $84 million, including $28 million from Thursday previews.
“Some may have been hoping for $200 million like the first movie, but this is solid,” said Paul Dergarabedian, chief media analyst at Comscore. “This is the type of movie theaters really need to attract audiences.”
The first film opened in February 2018 to $202 million and has grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of all time and a cultural phenomenon. A sequel was inevitable and development began soon after with the return of director Ryan Coogler, but everything changed after the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020. “Wakanda Forever” instead became about the death of Boseman’s King T’Challa/Black Panther and the grieving kingdom that left behind. The returning cast includes Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Danai Gurira, who will take on a new foe in Tenoch Huerta’s Namor. The film would also face more complications, including an injury to Wright and some setbacks related to COVID-19. All told, it reportedly cost $250 million to make, not including marketing and promotion.
In his review, the film’s screenwriter Jake Coyle wrote that “Wakanda Forever” is too long, a little clumsy and somewhat mystified towards the climax on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic. But Coogler’s fluid command of mixing intimacy with spectacle remains engaging. “
It currently holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and as usual with comic book movies, the audience score is even higher.
Superhero movies have done well during the pandemic, but none have yet reached the heights of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which opened with $260.1 million in December 2021. Other big openings include “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($187.4 million in May), “Thor: Love and Thunder” ($144.2 million in July) and “The Batman” ($134 million in March ).
“Wakanda Forever” is the first film to open more than $100 million since “Thor” in July, which has been difficult for exhibitors already struggling with a calendar that has about 30% fewer wide releases than a normal year.
Leftovers filled the rest of the top five, as no film dared to launch nationally against the Marvel monster. DC superhero “Black Adam” took second place with $8.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $151.1 million. “Ticket to Paradise” placed third with $6.1 million in its fourth weekend. The Julia Roberts and George Clooney romantic comedy grossed nearly $150 million worldwide. “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” and “Smile” rounded out the top five with $3.2 million and $2.3 million, respectively.
Some awards hopefuls have struggled with their extensions of late, but Searchlight Pictures’ “The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, looks to be the exception. The Martin McDonagh film expanded to 960 theaters in its fourth weekend and landed in seventh place with $1.7 million, bringing its total to $5.8 million.
“It’s been a very interesting post-summer period for theaters, with some gems like ‘Ticket to Paradise’ and ‘Smile,'” Dergarabedian said. “But cinemas cannot survive on non-blockbuster films. The industry needs more of them.”
After “Black Panther,” the next blockbuster on the schedule is “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which arrives on December 16.
The weekend was not complete without other important news. Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical drama “The Fabelmans” opened in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles for $160,000. Universal and Amblin will release the film in additional theaters in the coming weeks to build excitement around the likely Oscar contender. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano play the parents of Spielberg’s stand-in Sammy Fabelman, who falls in love with movies and filmmaking as his parents’ marriage falls apart.
“It’s going to be an interesting holiday season,” Dergarabedian said. “I think a lot of dramas and indie films will have their time to shine over the next few months.”
Estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final domestic numbers will be released on Monday.
- “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $180 million.
- “Black Adam,” $8.6 million.
- “Ticket to Paradise,” $6.1 million.
- “Lyle, Lyle, the Crocodile,” $3.2 million.
- “Smile,” $2.3 million.
- “The Devil’s Prey,” $2 million.
- “The Banshees of Inisherin,” $1.7 million.
- “One Piece Film Red,” $1.4 million.
- “Do,” $618,000.
- “Yashoda”, $380,000.