Tag: wakanda forever

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ set to cross $350 mn in N. America, despite dull week in theatres

    By IANS

    Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is having no trouble staying above the competition at the North American Thanksgiving box office, even handily trouncing fellow Disney release ‘Strange World’, reports ‘Variety’.

    After bringing in $8.1 million on Thanksgiving, the superhero sequel exploded on Friday, adding $18.2 million more in ticket sales to its haul. ‘Wakanda Forever’ is the only resounding box office success story this season, on target to push beyond a $350-million domestic gross through Sunday.

    Overall, it’s been a fairly dire weekend for theatres. The five-day frame is projected to net $125.4 million in ticket sales across all releases, down 12 per cent from last year’s Thanksgiving weekend — which had the additional handicap of arriving during a time of heightened COVID-19 precautions. This year’s crop of films aren’t connecting as strongly as offerings last year, such as ‘Encanto’ and ‘House of Gucci’, ‘Variety’ notes.

    Case in point: Disney’s new release ‘Strange World’ netted $5.2 million on Friday, pushing its domestic total to $11.8 million. That’s a terrible kickoff for the animated film, despite the overall nod it got from critics, especially because it is opening in a prime holiday window with children out of school and weighted by an $180-million production budget to recoup.

    Theatres may, however, be receiving a stealth boost from ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, which Netflix has released in approximately 600 theatres across North America for a limited one-week run.

    Even with the streamer limiting supply and taking its first stab at marketing a major theatrical engagement, the film seems to be performing impressively, with some competition predicting a silent third-place finish for the weekend. Netflix does not report theatrical grosses, adds ‘Variety’.

    Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is having no trouble staying above the competition at the North American Thanksgiving box office, even handily trouncing fellow Disney release ‘Strange World’, reports ‘Variety’.

    After bringing in $8.1 million on Thanksgiving, the superhero sequel exploded on Friday, adding $18.2 million more in ticket sales to its haul. ‘Wakanda Forever’ is the only resounding box office success story this season, on target to push beyond a $350-million domestic gross through Sunday.

    Overall, it’s been a fairly dire weekend for theatres. The five-day frame is projected to net $125.4 million in ticket sales across all releases, down 12 per cent from last year’s Thanksgiving weekend — which had the additional handicap of arriving during a time of heightened COVID-19 precautions. This year’s crop of films aren’t connecting as strongly as offerings last year, such as ‘Encanto’ and ‘House of Gucci’, ‘Variety’ notes.

    Case in point: Disney’s new release ‘Strange World’ netted $5.2 million on Friday, pushing its domestic total to $11.8 million. That’s a terrible kickoff for the animated film, despite the overall nod it got from critics, especially because it is opening in a prime holiday window with children out of school and weighted by an $180-million production budget to recoup.

    Theatres may, however, be receiving a stealth boost from ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, which Netflix has released in approximately 600 theatres across North America for a limited one-week run.

    Even with the streamer limiting supply and taking its first stab at marketing a major theatrical engagement, the film seems to be performing impressively, with some competition predicting a silent third-place finish for the weekend. Netflix does not report theatrical grosses, adds ‘Variety’.

  • ‘Wakanda Forever will honour Chadwick Boseman’s legacy but also move forward’

    Express News Service

    Marvel producer Nate Moore looks back at the passing of Chadwick Boseman as a “tragic loss for me, both professionally and personally”. Chadwick, globally-acclaimed star of films like 42 and Get on Up, as well as King T’Challa in the MCU, died of colon cancer two years ago. His untimely demise put a spanner in the works of a Black Panther sequel. Nate, for instance, knew for certain they couldn’t recast T’Challa. He also knew that a film that does not emotionally acknowledge and honour Chadwick’s legacy would gravely shortchange millions of grieving fans.

    “Figuring out how to make a film that both honours him but also moves forward and shows people that there’s possibility beyond the tragedy was something we never had to face as a company,” Nate says in an interview with Cinema Express. The first step – as with dealing with any tragedy – was putting the old team together. Director Ryan Coogler returned, as did Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Martin Freeman and others. They were going back to Wakanda, a bereft, vulnerable, T’Challa-less Wakanda, beset by hostilities and an advancing subaqueous enemy in the form of Namor (Tenoch Heurta).

    “We were all processing this feeling of grief and loss,” adds Ryan, seated among his cast members in LA. We meet them over Zoom, and the show of strength—steered, in case it needs pointing out, by the women of Wakanda, one of the largest female-led superhero ensembles ever—is awe-inspiring. “It’s great when you don’t have to do it alone, you know? We were able to build that sense of community and also welcome new members, like Namor and his underwater kingdom of the Talokanil.”

    Warrior womenTalking of new members, Michaela Coel is in the cast. The actor and creator of the universally celebrated British shows Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Aneka, a brand-new character described in the comic books as a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s elite all-female special force. Aneka and Ayo (played by Florence Kasumba) share a romantic track in the film.

    “Michaela Coel was an unexpected addition because we felt there’s no way she would want to be in this movie,” laughs Nate. “But she loved the world of Wakanda and her spirit is just infectious. So we found a way to integrate her into the film.”

    Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye, fierce warrior and general of the Dora Milaje, talks enthusiastically about Wakanda’s action design. After four movies—Okoye also appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame—the American-Zimbabwean actor has gotten scarily efficient with her battle spear. She tells Cinema Express, “I’m still some way from mastering it but there are aspects to it that do come more naturally now. I love the weapon. It links our characters to their African heritage and their foremothers. I learned new things about it on Wakanda Forever. And yeah, it does help slice away spider webs at home!”

    The Panther-in-waiting Letitia Wright’s role as T’Challa’s tech-savvy sister was expanded to bolster the sequel. As princess Shuri, she is everyone’s guess as the next Black Panther, donning a new suit and clawing down as the protector of Wakanda. But not before she’s had a chance to work through the anger and grief of her brother’s death. “When we meet Shuri in the first film, she is this ray of sunshine,” Letitia says. “She’s so clothed and protected in royalty and love. Her family encouraged her to be a genius and be wonderfully made. So, we follow from that. What does that look like, when your heart is broken?”

    Nate, catching the maudlin drift of these interviews, assures the new film is not all doom and gloom. We can tell — not least from the soundtrack (Rihanna, Stormzy, DBN Gogo), snatches of score (Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson) and those epically cool shots of Ironheart (Dominique Throne).“What these Wakandans are experiencing is not just grief,” Nate says. “It’s also sometimes joy, sometimes humour. It’s all those complex emotions that emerge in the wake of a profound loss.” 

    Marvel producer Nate Moore looks back at the passing of Chadwick Boseman as a “tragic loss for me, both professionally and personally”. Chadwick, globally-acclaimed star of films like 42 and Get on Up, as well as King T’Challa in the MCU, died of colon cancer two years ago. His untimely demise put a spanner in the works of a Black Panther sequel. Nate, for instance, knew for certain they couldn’t recast T’Challa. He also knew that a film that does not emotionally acknowledge and honour Chadwick’s legacy would gravely shortchange millions of grieving fans.

    “Figuring out how to make a film that both honours him but also moves forward and shows people that there’s possibility beyond the tragedy was something we never had to face as a company,” Nate says in an interview with Cinema Express. The first step – as with dealing with any tragedy – was putting the old team together. Director Ryan Coogler returned, as did Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Martin Freeman and others. They were going back to Wakanda, a bereft, vulnerable, T’Challa-less Wakanda, beset by hostilities and an advancing subaqueous enemy in the form of Namor (Tenoch Heurta).

    “We were all processing this feeling of grief and loss,” adds Ryan, seated among his cast members in LA. We meet them over Zoom, and the show of strength—steered, in case it needs pointing out, by the women of Wakanda, one of the largest female-led superhero ensembles ever—is awe-inspiring. “It’s great when you don’t have to do it alone, you know? We were able to build that sense of community and also welcome new members, like Namor and his underwater kingdom of the Talokanil.”

    Warrior women
    Talking of new members, Michaela Coel is in the cast. The actor and creator of the universally celebrated British shows Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Aneka, a brand-new character described in the comic books as a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s elite all-female special force. Aneka and Ayo (played by Florence Kasumba) share a romantic track in the film.

    “Michaela Coel was an unexpected addition because we felt there’s no way she would want to be in this movie,” laughs Nate. “But she loved the world of Wakanda and her spirit is just infectious. So we found a way to integrate her into the film.”

    Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye, fierce warrior and general of the Dora Milaje, talks enthusiastically about Wakanda’s action design. After four movies—Okoye also appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame—the American-Zimbabwean actor has gotten scarily efficient with her battle spear. She tells Cinema Express, “I’m still some way from mastering it but there are aspects to it that do come more naturally now. I love the weapon. It links our characters to their African heritage and their foremothers. I learned new things about it on Wakanda Forever. And yeah, it does help slice away spider webs at home!”

    The Panther-in-waiting 
    Letitia Wright’s role as T’Challa’s tech-savvy sister was expanded to bolster the sequel. As princess Shuri, she is everyone’s guess as the next Black Panther, donning a new suit and clawing down as the protector of Wakanda. But not before she’s had a chance to work through the anger and grief of her brother’s death. “When we meet Shuri in the first film, she is this ray of sunshine,” Letitia says. “She’s so clothed and protected in royalty and love. Her family encouraged her to be a genius and be wonderfully made. So, we follow from that. What does that look like, when your heart is broken?”

    Nate, catching the maudlin drift of these interviews, assures the new film is not all doom and gloom. We can tell — not least from the soundtrack (Rihanna, Stormzy, DBN Gogo), snatches of score (Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson) and those epically cool shots of Ironheart (Dominique Throne).
    “What these Wakandans are experiencing is not just grief,” Nate says. “It’s also sometimes joy, sometimes humour. It’s all those complex emotions that emerge in the wake of a profound loss.”
     

  • Ryan Coogler on how ‘Terminator 2’ inspired ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    By Express News Service

    Ryan Coogler, the Black Panther director is known for penning meaningful and unique antagonists. With the first film, he introduced Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), whose ambitions were opposite to that of T’Challa. 

    With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler shows us Namor the Sub-Mariner (Tenoch Huerta), and how Namor may pose a threat to Wakanda, but his battles are for Talocan, his undersea realm.

    Ryan shared that the inspiration for this character came from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In an interview with Collider he said, “Actually, for me, I don’t see them as villains. These rivals are strictly antagonists. I choose to see these characters through all lenses. From Namor’s vantage point, what he does is just and necessary.”

    Wakanda Forever marks the return of Letitia Wright as Shuri, Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as the Dora Milaje’s General Okoye, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Winston Duke as M’Baku and Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross.

    In addition to Huerta’s Namor, the sequel also introduces Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams (aka Ironheart), Michaela Coel as Aneka, Mabel Cadena as Namora, Alex Livinalli as Attuma, and Lake Bell in an undisclosed role.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theatres on November 11.

    Ryan Coogler, the Black Panther director is known for penning meaningful and unique antagonists. With the first film, he introduced Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), whose ambitions were opposite to that of T’Challa. 

    With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler shows us Namor the Sub-Mariner (Tenoch Huerta), and how Namor may pose a threat to Wakanda, but his battles are for Talocan, his undersea realm.

    Ryan shared that the inspiration for this character came from Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In an interview with Collider he said, “Actually, for me, I don’t see them as villains. These rivals are strictly antagonists. I choose to see these characters through all lenses. From Namor’s vantage point, what he does is just and necessary.”

    Wakanda Forever marks the return of Letitia Wright as Shuri, Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as the Dora Milaje’s General Okoye, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Winston Duke as M’Baku and Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross.

    In addition to Huerta’s Namor, the sequel also introduces Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams (aka Ironheart), Michaela Coel as Aneka, Mabel Cadena as Namora, Alex Livinalli as Attuma, and Lake Bell in an undisclosed role.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theatres on November 11.

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ trailer garners 172 million views in 24 hours

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ trailer has got 172 million views in its first 24 hours, turning out to be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s top trailer debuts for a superhero movie.

    A source close to Marvel confirmed the viewership number to ‘Variety’.

    The ‘Wakanda Forever’ teaser’s viewership nearly doubled the 88 million views the original ‘Black Panther’ teaser garnered in 2017, reports ‘Variety’.

    The teaser also set social media ablaze, with topics relating to ‘Black Panther’ garnering over 893,000 mentions. Chadwick Boseman, Namor, Shuri, T’Challa, Ryan Coogler and Angela Bassett all became national trending topics after the teaser’s debut, and the hashtag #WakandaForever held the No. 1 trending spot for over five consecutive hours.

    By pulling in 172 million views in its first 24 hours, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ becomes one of the top trailer launches for a standalone Marvel movie following titles like the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ teaser and the ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ teaser.

    Four ‘Avengers’ trailers also pulled in bigger numbers: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ teaser, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ final trailer, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ teaser and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ final trailer.

    The teaser marked the first unveiling of the ‘Black Panther’ sequel, which marks the next feature film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The footage showcases the nation of Wakanda going to war against an army of Atlanteans, led by the fearful Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are reprising their roles from the original ‘Black Panther’, joined by series newcomer Michaela Coel, Dominique Thorne, Alex Nivilani and Mabel Cadena.

    Before the teaser was shown to the Hall H crowd at Comic-Con, director Ryan Coogler and several members of the film’s ensemble took the stage to introduce the film and discuss the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman, who led the original 2018 ‘Black Panther’ before he died in 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer.

    “It’s going to be hard to follow that up, but we’ll try,” Coogler told the crowd.

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ will hit theaters on November 11.

    LOS ANGELES: The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ trailer has got 172 million views in its first 24 hours, turning out to be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s top trailer debuts for a superhero movie.

    A source close to Marvel confirmed the viewership number to ‘Variety’.

    The ‘Wakanda Forever’ teaser’s viewership nearly doubled the 88 million views the original ‘Black Panther’ teaser garnered in 2017, reports ‘Variety’.

    The teaser also set social media ablaze, with topics relating to ‘Black Panther’ garnering over 893,000 mentions. Chadwick Boseman, Namor, Shuri, T’Challa, Ryan Coogler and Angela Bassett all became national trending topics after the teaser’s debut, and the hashtag #WakandaForever held the No. 1 trending spot for over five consecutive hours.

    By pulling in 172 million views in its first 24 hours, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ becomes one of the top trailer launches for a standalone Marvel movie following titles like the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ teaser and the ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ teaser.

    Four ‘Avengers’ trailers also pulled in bigger numbers: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ teaser, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ final trailer, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ teaser and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ final trailer.

    The teaser marked the first unveiling of the ‘Black Panther’ sequel, which marks the next feature film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The footage showcases the nation of Wakanda going to war against an army of Atlanteans, led by the fearful Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are reprising their roles from the original ‘Black Panther’, joined by series newcomer Michaela Coel, Dominique Thorne, Alex Nivilani and Mabel Cadena.

    Before the teaser was shown to the Hall H crowd at Comic-Con, director Ryan Coogler and several members of the film’s ensemble took the stage to introduce the film and discuss the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman, who led the original 2018 ‘Black Panther’ before he died in 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer.

    “It’s going to be hard to follow that up, but we’ll try,” Coogler told the crowd.

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ will hit theaters on November 11.

  • Chadwick Boseman’s ‘Black Panther’ character won’t be recast by Marvel

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Late Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa/Black Panther will never be recast by Marvel following his tragic death, the studio’s VP of Development Nate Moore has confirmed.

    Moore told The Ringer-verse Podcast: “I’m being quite honest, you will not see T’Challa in the MCU.”

    Moore revealed that he had discussed potential casting decisions with Ryan Coogler, who is returning to direct ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, but the pair ultimately decided that they “couldn’t do it” without Boseman, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    He shared: “We have to figure out how to move this franchise on without that character. Because I think we all feel so much of T’Challa in the MCU on the screen… is tied to Chadwick’s performance.

    “The challenge for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is telling a story without T’Challa.”

    Chadwick passed away at the age of 43 in August 2020 after a cancer battle and Coogler previously confirmed that he would have wanted his ‘Black Panther’ co-stars to press ahead with the story following his tragic death.

    The 35-year-old filmmaker said: “You’ve got to keep going when you lose loved ones. I know Chad wouldn’t have wanted us to stop.”

    “He was somebody who was so about the collective.’Black Panther’, that was his movie. He was hired to play that role before anybody else was even thought of, before I was hired, before any of the actresses were hired.”

    Coogler added that directing the sequel following Boseman’s death was the “hardest” task of his career.

    He said: “You have a professional life, you’ve got a personal life. Personal life, I’m going to say when you work in something that you love, those things blend, they come together.

    “I’m trying to find a work-life balance. But I’m not there yet, so this is without question the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my professional life.”

  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes on floors

    By Express News Service
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the Marvel superhero film, Black Panther, has begun filming in Atlanta. Director Ryan Coogler will be returning to write and direct the sequel.

    After the untimely demise of the lead actor Chadwick Boseman in August last year, producer Kevin Feige stated that the studio would not be recasting the character, but will be proceeding with the sequel. The plot details are also currently kept under tight wraps.

    Although Marvel Studios is yet to confirm the cast and crew of the highly-anticipated sequel, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba, and Angela Bassett are expected to reprise their roles from the original.