‘Black Panther’ which was directed by Ryan Coogler is now the third-highest-grossing movie ever at the U.S. box office, overtaking the classic, Titani
‘Black Panther’ which was directed by Ryan Coogler is now the third-highest-grossing movie ever at the U.S. box office, overtaking the classic, Titanic. The movie continued to post strong numbers this weekend, adding $8.4 million in its eighth weekend in theaters for a cumulative domestic total of $665.3 million, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore. That was enough to pass Titanic, which finished its domestic run with $659.4 million. Only ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ ($936.7 million) and ‘Avatar’ ($760.5 million) have grossed more domestically.
After storming into cinemas across the US and Europe in February the film has repeatedly smashed through expectations and records. Global ticket sales for ‘Black Panther’ are approaching $1.3 billion, pushing the film into the worldwide top 10 for all time. ‘Black Panther’ edged ‘Frozen,’ which grossed $1.27 billion worldwide, for the No. 10 spot on the list. The film will be the first to screen in theaters in Saudi Arabia as the country’s 35-year cinema ban ends on April 18 in a new AMC theater in Riyadh, following a gala premiere.
It will be the first time a film has been screened publicly in a Saudi Arabian theater since the early 1980s, when cinemas were banned because of conservative religious standards. The ban was lifted in December by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ryan has been keeping a close eye on his creation and previously took to Twitter via the Marvel Studios account to share his heartfelt thanks with fans all across the world. He said: ‘I am struggling to find the words to express my gratitude at this moment, but I will try. Filmmaking is a team sport. And our team was made up amazing people from all over the world who believed in this story. Deep down we all hoped that people would come see a film about a fictional country on the continent of Africa, made up of a cast of African descent.
‘Never in a million years did we imagine that you all would come out this strong. It still humbles me to think that people care enough to spend their money and time watching our film — but to see people of all backgrounds wearing clothing that celebrates their heritage, taking pictures next to our posters with their friends and family, and sometimes dancing in the lobbies of theaters — often moved me and my wife to tears.
