Black Panther’s box office tracking numbers have significantly improved, setting a course for a more impressive debut than Spider-Man: Homecoming’s.
Last month’s initial projections for the Marvel Cinematic’s first black superhero movie suggested that its opening weekend in North America would gross around $90 million. With numbers like that, Black Panther would have a more impressive debut than Doctor Strange ($85.1 million). They would also put the movie’s debut just slightly lower than that of Justice League ($93.8 million).
The more recent Box Office Pro tracking numbers suggest that Black Panther’s domestic opening weekend will easily beat that of the latest DC Films venture. It would also bring in more than the MCU's first Spider-Man installment. The Jon Watts flick grossed $117 million, but at this point, it looks as though Ryan Coogler’s upcoming movie might command as much as $120 million.
We recently learned that the movie’s online ticket pre-sale surpassed Captain America: Civil War’s, moving the greatest number of tickets in a 24-hour period in Fandango’s history. Tickets for the opening night sold out so fast that even lead actress Lupita Nyong'o was unable to purchase any! Box Office Pro made the following statement:
Black Panther’s initial pre-sales blew past mid-range expectations earlier this week. While caution remains prudent as fans rush to grab tickets for the hotly anticipated Marvel film, the film's current sales activity – combined with a surge of social media momentum – now has it definitively tracking closer to our high-end expectations.
Black Panther will roll into theaters in about five weeks, and it’s possible that its debut may out-perform Thor: Ragnarok’s ($122.7 million). While the numbers could fall, Marvel Studios' last-minute promotional push and critical reaction will certainly have a positive impact.
Speaking of the promotional push, the studio recently released a new featurette that spotlights the Dora Milaje, which is Wakanda's all-female squad of elite warriors. Check it out below!
Black Panther is set to arrive in theaters on February 16, 2018. Its expansive cast roster includes Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, and Forest Whitaker.
