Today’s the day so many of us have been waiting for — the Black Panther premiere. The Marvel Comics title that literally put Wakanda on the map is expected to bring in around $200 million over the course of a four-day opening weekend.
Already the most tweeted about movie of the year, Black Panther isn’t just a big deal because it’s a blockbuster movie introducing a new character — it’s deeper than that. The film, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, features a predominantly Black cast, including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett and Lupita Nyong'o. More of a movement than just a movie at this point, stories have spread about teachers bringing entire classes and crowdfunding campaigns to make sure the movie is accessible to all. And on social media, theatergoers have been planning their opening-day outfits for weeks.
Reviews and buzz coming out of advance screening has been overwhelmingly positive, with both die-hard comic fans and casual viewers satisfied with the realization of the fictional world.
Listen to what the film's cast had to say at a press junket earlier this week: