Having pulled in a hugely impressive $921 million worldwide in the three weeks since its release, Marvel’s box office behemoth Black Panther makes its way over to China this Friday, and according to estimates the Ryan Coogler-directed superhero blockbuster is on course for a $60 million opening weekend.
According to Deadline, advance ticket sales for Black Panther are running 30% ahead of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which opened to $71 million last year. Black Panther isn’t expected to go that high, but will likely surpass Doctor Strange ($47 million), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 ($54 million) and Thor: Ragnarok ($57 million). Captain America: Civil War – which first introduced Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa – debuted with $99 million.
Regardless, it’s only a matter of days before Black Panther becomes the first billion-dollar grossing movie of 2018, and the fifth Marvel Studios movie to hit that milestone.
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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 Linda.
