Marvel’s Black Panther is rolling out into cinemas across the globe this week, and if the latest tracking for its domestic opening weekend is accurate, the Ryan Coogler-directed superhero blockbuster is on course to set a new February record at the box office.
Opening weekend estimates for Black Panther have been increasing these past few weeks as the film shattered pre-sale records at Fandango, with early estimates of $90 million raised to a four-day haul of $150 million at the end of last month.
According to the latest estimates, Black Panther is looking at a Presidents Day weekend haul of $165 million, which would see it surpass the current record holder Deadpool, which opened to $152.2 million in 2016. It would also put it just a shade behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s $166 million for the sixth biggest superhero movie opening of all time.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Black Panther here
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After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returnsohome to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
Black Panther sees Ryan Coogler (Creed) directing Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa alongside Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Forest Whitaker as Zuri, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Sterling K. Brown as N’Jobu, John Kani as King T’Chaka and Nabiyah Be as Nightshade.
