“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theaters this weekend, and with it comes the sort of expectation and film industry assumptions that Hollywood has not found in months.
Read More: Why Wakanda Forever Matters to Theatre
The Marvel film not only has to follow 2018’s “Black Panther,” one of the biggest blockbusters ever but has the challenge of doing so without star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020. On the off chance that that wasn’t sufficiently all, it shows up in theaters, and Disney, the company releasing the movie, truly needs a hit.
Assuming early projections and ticket deals are any sign, it shows up that “Wakanda Forever” will be just that.
The film, which stars Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett as the grieving princess and queen of the Vibranium-powered African country of Wakanda, will likely have a record-breaking debut of around $180 million this weekend, and possibly even $200 million.
Disney, more conservatively, is projecting around $175 million, which still would be one of the biggest openings of the year.
If “Wakanda Forever” clears $158 million this weekend, which is likely, it would become the biggest November opening ever. And if it makes $200 million that would be one of the highest-grossing debuts of all time.
The film is off to a strong start, bringing in $28 million on Thursday night. That’s good news for a theater industry in need of a blockbuster.