“Black Panther,” Disney-Marvel’s blockbuster starring Chadwick Boseman, is set to debut far above early forecasts with $210 million over the four-day President’s Day weekend from 4,020 North American locations.
The superhero film, set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda and featuring a nearly all-black cast, was first projected to bring in around $150.
As its wide release date drew closer, however, tracking estimates grew, and its record-breaking Thursday previews brought in $25 million, the largest Thursday night preview gross for a February opener and the second-largest preview gross for a Marvel film.
Its Friday total, including Thursday’s previews, reached almost $76 million, marking the eighth-highest opening day ever and third largest for Marvel.
The movie will set the record for the largest Presidents Day weekend opening as well, bowling over “Deadpool’s” 2016 record of $152 million. The film has also done well overseas, where it has grossed around $80 million since it began screenings Tuesday in several major markets such as the U.K., Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
The film has also set records on the theater level, with 33 AMC locations reporting that their screenings of “Black Panther” on Thursday and Friday plus advanced tickets sales alone have earned more than any other film’s Thursday through Sunday revenue. A spokesman for AMC said they expect the number of locations where “Black Panther” has set records to increase through the four-day weekend.
The film centers on Boseman as King T’Challa, ruler of Wakanda, a technologically advanced society endowed with a store of vibranim, and the conflict with Michael B. Jordan’s Eric Killmonger, who intends to take over the throne. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, and Daniel Kaluuya also star. Ryan Coogler directed the film on a $200 million budget.