Director Ryan Coogler is on the rise.
Following the back-to-back success of Fruitvale Station and Creed – two hard-hitting dramas featuring Michael B. Jordan (Fantastic Four), who’s now collaborated with Coogler a third time in order to play the villainous Erik Killmonger – the filmmaker has taken the plunge into Hollywood’s thriving comic book movie scene. And it looks like his first venture in the genre will be one to remember.
That’s right, Black Panther has generated a metric ton of buzz ahead of its theatrical debut next month and just this week, we caught wind of the film’s box office projections – a $100M-$120M four-day weekend in North America, placing it just behind Thor: Ragnarok. Not bad, eh?
Marvel’s first mainstream black superhero movie has all the makings of a sure-fire hit, then, and now, the studio has released a brand new TV spot to heighten the anticipation even more. Shown tonight during the Grammy awards, it’s another electrifying look at the spinoff, featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars,” which is the first song off Lamar’s curated Black Panther-inspired album. Those looking for fresh footage may leave a bit disappointed, but this promo is undoubtedly a tantalizing tease of what’s to come.
With Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa at its core and an entire nation (read: Wakanda) ready to be explored, Black Panther also features an A-list cast comprised of the aforementioned Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and The Last Jedi duo Andy Serkis and Lupita Nyong’o, the latter of whom seemingly signed on to star as Nakia without so much as reading the script.
Hail to the king: Marvel’s Black Panther will cordially invite us all into the lush, thriving world of Wakanda on February 16th – four days after the film’s premiere across the pond – and we can hardly wait.
