‘Black Panther’ sequel becomes the 2nd biggest debut of the year with $330 million globally 

Marvel Studios’ latest movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” premiered this weekend, bringing in an estimated $330 million in ticket sales globally. 

The opening weekend for the sequel to the 2018 Oscar-nominated film “Black Panther” marked the highest total ever for a film opening in November, breaking the record of $158.1 million for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” in 2013 by pulling in $180 million in domestic markets over the weekend.

Outside of the U.S., “Wakanda Forever” made an estimated $150 million from Wednesday to Sunday, ranking as the top-grossing Hollywood film in all markets, according to Reuters. 

The success at the box office on the opening weekend made the Walt Disney Co. movie the second biggest opening of the year behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

Additionally, the film ranked as the Number 13 movie debut of all time in theaters in Canada and the U.S., helping boost ticket sales at movie theaters, which have been struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels. Ticket sales are currently 33% below the numbers sold in 2019. 

"One of the top 15 openings of all time tells me the box office is pretty healthy when there is something audiences what to see," said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. "Marvel time and time again offers something audiences want to see."

Films have praised “Wakanda Forever,” which scored an 84% positive rating from movie critics and a 95% positive score from audiences on the Rotten Tomatoes website. 

“Wakanda Forever” was eagerly anticipated by audiences after the success of the first Black Panther film, which opened to $202 million in 2018. However, the film was heavily rewritten after the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, who played Black Panther. “Wakanda Forever” became about the death of Black Panther and the kingdom he left behind.