Released today, Black Panther is opening to universally glowing reviews and gargantuan pre-sales. Until last week, the film had scored a fabled perfect 100 on Rotten Tomatoes (though that’s changed now), with Newsday noting the latest in Disney’s Marvel franchise “serves as an intelligent if broad debate between revolutionary rhetoric and the responsibilities of leadership”, and TIME deciding “it’s truly a movie for everyone”. Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, reviewing the film for i-D, decreed it to be “an extraordinary movie”.
The anticipation is such that Black Panther is on pace to clock up $150million in first weekend ticket sales alone. To put that in some superhero perspective, Spiderman: Homecoming took $117m in its opening weekend, while Thor managed $122m. The Ryan Cooper-helmed flick could soon sit beside Batman and Spider-Man as one of the most popular superhero films ever. Currently, it has the largest advance ticket sales of any film released in the first quarter of a year, says Fandango, beating even 2012’s Hunger Games and last year’s Beauty and the Beast. Wakanda Forever!
The film industry and Marvel fans aren’t the only ones excited about the release of this epic story set in the mythical utopia. Here’s a handy compilation of all the famouses who have taken enthusiastically to social media to proclaim their love for the vibranium land of Afrofuturistic dreams.
And, finally, Giggs, who skipped the European premiere cos he “doesn’t want to go Black Panther with bare people who don’t know what’s going on. I don’t want to watch, like, X-Men with man who doesn’t know who Cyclops is.” Fair play Hollowman.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther will be released in UK cinemas on 13 February, 2018