The long-awaited “Black Panther” movie was smashing records long before its release, and it’s premiere weekend is expected to be no different. Beatrice Verhoeven, film reporter at The Wrap, says that while the film was originally expected to bring in a little under $150 million over the President’s Day holiday, there’s now no telling what it can do. “I think tracking is all over the place because word of mouth is blowing up,” she told Cheddar. “We’re seeing now $175 million...I’ve seen some people on Twitter say $200 million.” Tickets for “Black Panther” were available for presale on January 10 and brought in more orders in the first 24 hours than any other Marvel movie. That momentum continued into its preview night, with the movie raking in $25.2 million Thursday, ahead of estimates for $22 to $24 million, and narrowly edging out “Captain America: Civil War,” which made $25 million in May 2016. It’s now got the second biggest preview-night haul for Marvel, behind only “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which brought in $27.6 million in May 2015. Verhoeven says the number is particularly significant for a February release, having doubled the number of the previous record-holder “Deadpool.” “May is the start of the summer blockbuster season,” she said. “So you’ll have the big tentpole movies open from May to the middle of August. That’s when the big blockbusters used to come, so ‘Deadpool’ was an anomaly.”

Share:
More In Culture
Gene Simmons on End of the Road World Tour
After over 50 years of record-breaking global tours, it is the end of the road for one of rock and roll's most influential bands, Kiss. The legendary Gene Simmons spoke with Cheddar News to reflect on his career and how Kiss became a staple of American culture.
Gingerbread House Inspiration
Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri, owners of Bea's Bakery, joined Cheddar News to show people how to take the creation of gingerbread houses to the next level.
Wendy's Frosty Key Tag Promotion
Wendy's announced it's bringing back its Frosty key tags for promotion, which gives customers a whole year's worth of Frosties for just $3, with proceeds going to children in foster care.
On The Scene: The Museum of Broadway
Julie Boardman, co-founder of The Museum of Broadway, joined Cheddar News to discuss the history of theater in New York City, showed some of the gallery exhibits and gave a behind-the-scenes tour of how some of the shows are produced.
Roc Nation and Social Justice Reform
Dania Diaz, managing director of Roc Nation and one of the founding members of its United Justice Coalition, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the organization helps to address violence in Black and Brown communities and what they expect to talk about at an upcoming summit.
Load More