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*Based on early forecasts, “Black Panther” is on track for a monstrous $210 million debut over the four-day President’s Day weekend from 4,020 North American locations, reports Variety.
Marvel’s latest, set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda and featuring a nearly all-black cast, was first projected to bring in between $100 and $120 million. As its wide release date drew closer, however, tracking estimates began to multiply, and its record-breaking Thursday previews brought in $25.2 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, according to comScore.
“Black Panther” will set the record for the largest Presidents Day weekend opening ever, crushing fellow superhero “Deadpool” and his 2016 record of $152 million. The film is also killing 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, according to Variety.
In the cineplex realm, the film has also set records, 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.
In second place for the President’s Day weekend is Sony’s “Peter Rabbit,” which should bring in $22 million from 3,275 domestic locations for the four-day weekend, yielding a domestic total of roughly $53 million.
The second weekend of Universal’s “Fifty Shades Freed” will nab third place with $18 million from 3,768 locations for the Friday through Monday period.
In fourth is Sony’s surprise hit “Jumanji: Welcome to Jungle,” which is expected to reel in $10 million in its ninth weekend. The film spent four weekends at no. 1 after playing second fiddle to “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” during its first two weekends in theaters. The weekend should bring its domestic total to almost $380 million.
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