Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soars in African box office

As expected Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios’ superhero blockbuster, has been having impressive openings across global cinemas.

Across all territories, the follow-up to Ryan Coogler’s 2018 hit Black Panther proved a draw for cinema-going audiences with just under 300, 000 attendances being reported.

But the openings seem more impressive across Africa where it shattered box office records in the opening weekend of November 11-13, 2022.

In Nigeria, where the movie had its African premiere, it had the highest opening in history in the country. That weekend remains the biggest industry opening weekend of all time with a box office tally of ₦240 million; just the weekend alone.

With an impressive record in West Africa, the movie also did well in East and Southern Africa cinemas where it delivered the biggest opening weekends of 2022 as well.

In East Africa the film earned Kes 25 million, earning the titles of both the biggest opening weekend box office of 2022 and the biggest post-pandemic opening to date. In Southern Africa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brought in R16.5 million respectively, becoming the biggest opening weekend box office of 2022.

2018’s Black Panther remains the number 1 film of all time in both East and West Africa, and the number 2 film of all time in Southern Africa.

Read also: Here are 3 Nigerian movies competing for Oscars 2023

The filmmakers and cast from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever recently flocked to Lagos to celebrate the film’s release, making history as the first official African Marvel Studios premiere in Nigeria. Director Ryan Coogler, along with Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta Mejía and local musicians featured in the film joined dignitaries and guests at the black carpet premiere event on Sunday, November 6, 2022. Johannesburg also hosted the South African Premiere of the film on Wednesday, November 9, and welcomed Connie Chiume (Mining Tribe Elder “Zawavari”), Dr Ernest Khalema (Language and Cultural Consultant on the film) and local artists from the soundtrack on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

In Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor, ruler of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore is now playing in cinemas everywhere.