What would have been considered wishful thinking as recently as a couple of months ago is now reality. As Black Panther’s opening weekend nears its close, the movie has surpassed even the most recent projections by bringing in bigger bucks than Avengers: Age of Ultron even dreamed of for its own North American opening weekend. Plus, Black Panther doubled Justice League’s opening weekend take.
Of course, the weekend isn't over yet. But Disney's conservative estimates indicate that Black Panther earned $192 million in its first three days. And by the time the four-day Presidents Day weekend is past, the movie’s projected earnings should reach over $218 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, rival studios estimate a three-day total of around $195 million and a four-day total in the $222 million to $225 million range.
This bumps the second Avengers installment, which earned $191.27 million in its opening weekend, from its perch as the second-most lucrative Marvel debut – or even the biggest debut in the superhero movie genre – ever. And there’s more: Black Panther also ranks fifth on the list of biggest debut weekend and first on the list of highest-earning February releases.
The Ryan Coogler flick hasn’t even hit theaters in China (March 9), Russia (February 22), or Japan (March 1), although it has racked up impressive numbers in other international markets (to date, $169 million). That takes its global tally to $387 million, $52 million of which came from worldwide IMAX locations alone.
In addition to drawing massive crowds, Black Panther also succeeded in taking everyone’s breath away. On top of its 97 percent approval rating from the Rotten Tomatoes critics, it earned an A+ CinemaScore from audiences. It must be noted that The Avengers was the only other crowd-pleasing Marvel Cinematic Universe installment to score that high.
