Movies

Sequel Scores $180 Million Opening – The Hollywood Reporter

November 13, 2022

by Ryan Coogler Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is on the prowl.

The superhero sequel opened to a whopping $180 million at the domestic box office to stalk the biggest November opening of all time and the second-biggest launch of 2022 so far behind the picture of its Marvel Studios colleagues Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($187.4 million). And he easily snatched the weekend crown from DC’s superhero picture black adamnow in its fourth weekend.

Overseas, the Marvel and Disney tentpole debuted at $150 million to a global start of $330 million (that’s as much as DC black adam won in its first three weeks). Europe was strong overall, led by the UK ($15m) and followed by France ($13.7m). Among all markets, Mexico ranked third with $12.8 million, followed by South Korea ($8.9 million) and Brazil ($7.1 million). wakanda forever also opened marked the highest opening ever in Nigeria, where the film’s African premiere was held.

Whereas wakanda forever did not match Coogler’s $202 million domestic debut Black Panther in 2018, it’s still doing terrific business and ranks 13th on the all-time list of domestic launches (Disney and Marvel releases now account for all but one of 13), according to Comscore. The arrival of the marquee suite couldn’t have been more welcome after a tough fall for theater owners.

On the way to the weekend, wakanda forever was set to debut in the $175 million range. November’s biggest opening so far has belonged to Hunger Games – Catching Fire ($158 million).

black panther 2playing in 4,396 theaters nationwide, earned $84 million on Friday alone, one of the biggest opening days ever and nearly tied with fellow Marvel Studios title Avengers: Age of Ultron for #9 on the list, not adjusted for inflation. Friday’s haul included $28 million in Thursday night previews. (Friday was Veterans Day.)

Coogler’s film received an A CinemaScore from audiences and strong releases on PostTrak. A difference: the first Black Panther earned a coveted A+. It aired to an ethnically diverse audience, led by Black moviegoers (34%) and followed by Caucasians (31%), Latinos (21%) and Asians/Others (14%), according to PostTrak. It was also played more evenly in terms of gender than most superhero movies, with women making up 45% of the audience.

In 2018, Black Panther was the first Hollywood studio hub to feature a predominantly black cast and transformed into a cultural phenomenon on its way to earning over $1.34 billion at the global box office.

The sequel endured tragedy when Chadwick Boseman, who played the lead role of T’Challa/Black Panther in the 2018 film, died of colon cancer in August 2020. Wakanda forever’The cast includes Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba and Martin Freeman, plus Marvel newcomer Tenoch Huerta as Namor and Dominique Thorne as hero Riri Williams. .

wakanda forever opened less than 11% behind the 2018 film.

“It’s an exceptional result. The first film was such a cultural milestone that its performance would have been difficult to follow even under normal circumstances,” says box office analyst Shawn Robbins. “This performance of a sequel nearly five years later is a testament to the trust the public has in Ryan Coogler, Marvel and the entire creative team to continue the story in a respectful way following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. is a chance for everyone to say goodbye to him together as the franchise moves forward with his legacy at the heart of it.

Among the superhero movies released in the pandemic era, Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Coming Home opened at $260.1 million in December 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness followed in May with $187.4 million, while Thor: Love and Thunder scored $144.2 million in July. In March 2022, DC and Warner Bros.’ The Batman flew in at $134 million when it launched. More recently, DC black adamstarring Dwayne Johnson in his first live-action superhero role, opened to a more moderate $67 million domestically.

This weekend’s other high-profile opening is the semi-autobiographical tale by Oscar nominee Steven Spielberg The Fabelmanswhich gets a slow platform release, much like a specialty movie, in order to build word of mouth.

The Universal and Amblin Entertainment film, which opens in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, earned a solid localization average of $40,000, one of the best of the year behind Everything everywhere all at once and The Banshees of Inisherin. Fabelmans received an A CinemaScore and has a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“With The FabelmansSteven Spielberg has crafted one of his most personal stories to date, an incredible universal coming-of-age story that clearly resonated with audiences this weekend,” said Jim Orr, President of theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures.

Back in the top 10 black adam – as expected – took a big hit as Black Panther open. Dwayne Johnson’s pic took second place with $8.6 million for a national total of $151.1 million. Overseas, it netted $200 million to finish Sunday with a worldwide total of $352.2 million.

Universal’s romantic comedy ticket to paradise continued to hold up well, dropping just 29% to $6.1 million for a cumulative domestic $56.5 million and $150 million worldwide.

Sony’s family photo Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile fell just 5% to $3.2 million for a muted national tally of $40.8 million and $75.6 million worldwide.

Paramount’s hit horror entry Smile completed the top five in North America with $2.3 million while it reached $210 million worldwide.

Among the Oscar contenders, Banshees ranked #7 with $1.7 million from 960 sites for a national total of $5.6 million.

MGM and UAR Untilarrived at No. 9, saw its domestic total hit $8 million over the weekend.

Nov. 12 p.m., 10:30 a.m. Updated with revised international numbers.

Nov. 1 p.m., 8:20 a.m. Updated with Saturday numbers.