by Catherine Irvin, Grayson Wimbish, Brendan Quinn–
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- Photo credit: junaidrao on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther dominated the box office during its premiere weekend. The film racked up $242 million domestically over President’s Day weekend, destroying prior expectations.
Along the way, Black Panther has taught Hollywood a lesson about diversity in blockbuster films. Despite premiering in February rather than the blockbuster-heavy summer months, the film enjoyed the fifth largest opening weekend in film history. It has dispelled the notion that films featuring African-American leads cannot travel overseas, grossing $169 million outside of North America.
Black Panther has added to the conversation around diversity in Hollywood; the entertainment sector has seen an influx of new voices driving the conversation. Audiences showed this weekend that they are prepared to support diversification on the silver screen.
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