Black Panther
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About
Black Panther is an American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and based on the comic book of the same name.
History
Comic Book
The character Black Panther first appeared in issue 52 of the comic book Fantastic Four (shown below, left) on July 10th, 1966.[3] Written by Stan Lee and designed and drawn by Jack Kirby, Black Panther is the alter-ego of King T'Challa of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. After spending the next decade appearing in other titles, such as Avengers and Daredevil, the character received its on series on January 10th, 1977.[4]
Film Adaptation
For nearly 20 years, actor Wesley Snipes was tied to a Black Panther film, which he would produce and star in. The first iteration was announced in 1992, but after several months of inaction, the film was canceled. Stan Lee has claimed that the film stalled due to issues with the script. When Snipes attempted to get the film off the ground, following his success on the Blade franchise, Blade writer and director David S. Goyer said that the film would probably not happen due to Snipes' deep connection to Blade.[5]
On October 28th, 2014, Marvel Studios' president of production Kevin Feige announced a Black Panther film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starring Chadwick Boseman.[6]
A little over one year later, on Janauary 11th, 2016, Creed-director Ryan Coogler was announced as director of the upcoming film.[7] Black Panther first appeared on screen in the film Captain America: Civil War on May 6th, 2016.
About one year later, on June 7th, 2017, the first teaser trailer for Black Panther was released (shown below). Within seven months of its release, the video had received more 35 million views on YouTube. [8] The official trailer, released on October 16th, received more than 15 million views in four months.[9]
Reception
On January 10th, 2018, tickets for Black Panther went on sale. The film quickly became the best-selling Marvel Cinematic Universe title in the first 24-hours of presales.[10] That evening, one of the film's stars Lupita Nyong'o tweeted[11] that she had been unable to procure tickets to the film. She posted a video with the caption "@THR says @theblackpanther is @MarvelStudios best-selling movie in terms of presales after JUST 24 HOURS! Don’t I know it: I even tried!!!! #Throwback to a video I made last night." The post (shown below) received more than 1,400 retweets and 4,100 likes in less than one month.
THR</a> says <a href="https://twitter.com/theblackpanther?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">theblackpanther isMarvelStudios</a> best-selling movie in terms of presales after JUST 24 HOURS! Don’t I know it: I even tried!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Throwback?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Throwback</a> to a video I made last night. <a href="https://t.co/aoJcdaqfhi">pic.twitter.com/aoJcdaqfhi</a></p>— Lupita Nyong'o (Lupita_Nyongo) January 10, 2018
On January 29th, 2018, early reviews of the film began appearing on Twitter and were overwhelmingly positive. That day, Twitter[12] user @DeonWLTX tweeted, "'Black Panther' first reactions: It's 'astonishing,' 'iconic' and 'will save blockbusters' – USA TODAY's Brian Truitt hails the first superhero movie to star a black character 'simply awesome' and a 'top 5 all-time Marvel movie, easy.'" The post (shown below, left) received more than 2,100 retweets and 4,000 likes in 24 hours.
The following day, comedian Kumail Nanjiani tweeted,[13] "Black Panther. So very good. I cheered and laughed and pumped my fist. I’ve never seen a super hero movie like it. Everybody involved with it deserves a medal and a high five." The post (shown below, center) received more than 3,100 retweets and 30,000 likes in 12 hours. Twitter user @JoeBelBruno tweeted,[14] "I like rarely weigh in on movies. But, I loved Black Panther. And the guy sitting next to me -- Laurence Fishburne -- kept saying 'Oh, Shit. Oh, SHIT.' Now that’s a review." The tweet (shown below, right) received more than 2,600 retweets and 7,700 likes in 24 hours.
That day, Twitter[15][16][17] published several Moments pages about the film's premiere and the reaction to the movie.
On February 15th, Black Panther was released in the United States. The film was a box office success, grossing more than $218 million in the U.S. and $387 million worldwide.[18]
The film received "Universal Acclaim based on 54 critics" and a score of 87/1000 on the review aggregate Metacritic.[19] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes [20] declared Black Panther "Certified Fresh" with a score of 97% out of 305 reviews. In their "critics consensus," Rotten Tomatoes writes, "Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories -- and introducing some of its most fully realized characters."
Audiences reacted positively to the film, which received an A+ on the website CinemaScore.[23] On Twitter, people posted about their enjoyment of the film (shown below).
On February 20th, Marvel's official Twitter[30] account published a letter penned by director Ryan Coogler. The letter expresses his gratitude to those who went to see the film and the pride he feels seeing the positive response. The tweet (shown below) received more than 3,200 retweets and 11,000 likes in three days.
I am struggling to find the words to express my gratitude at this moment, but I will try. Filmmaking is a team sport. And our team was made up [of] amazing people from all over the world who believed in this story. Deep down we all hoped that people would come to see a film about a fictional country on the continent of Africa, made up of a cast of people of African descent.
Never in a million years did we imagine that you all would come out this strong. It still humbles me to think that people care enough to spend their money and time watching our film. But to see people of all backgrounds wearing clothing that celebrates their heritage, taking pictures next to our posters with their friends and family, and sometimes dancing in the lobbies of theaters often moved me and my wife to tears.
For the people who bought out theaters, who posted on social about how lit the film would be, bragged about our awesome cast, picked out outfits to wear, and who stood in line in theaters all over the world, all before even seeing the film…
To the press who wrote about the film for folks who hadn’t yet seen it, and encouraged audiences to come out…
And to the young ones, who came out with their parents, with their mentors, and with their friends…
Thank you for giving our team of filmmakers the greatest gift: The opportunity to share this film, that we poured our hearts and souls into, with you.
Sincerely,
Ryan Coogler
P.S. Wakanda Forever
On March 20th, 2018, the official Twitter Movies]36] account announced that Black Panther is the most-tweeted about movie of all time. They wrote, "It's official. #BlackPanther has become the most Tweeted-about movie of all time. 📈With 35 million Tweets, fans can't get enough of #Wakanda Here's the breakdown. 👇." The post (shown below) received more than 600 retweets and and 1,300 likes in 24 hours.
Over the next series of tweets, they published what the most tweeted-about emojis associated with the film and the most tweeted-about hashtags and characters. (shown below, respectively).
Academy Award Nominations
On January 22nd, 2019, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Black Panther for seven academy awards, including Best Picture.[39] The nomination makes Black Panther the first live-action superhero film to be nominated for the award, as well as the first film by Marvel Studios, and the second-most nominated superhero film ever, behind The Dark Knight. [40] Additionally, the film received nominations for Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Score, Original Song ("All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA) and Costume Design.
That day, "Black Panther" became a worldwide trending topic, and the stars of the film, as well as others from the Marvel Cinematic Universe expressed their excitement online. Black Panther-star Lupita Nyong'o tweeted, [41] "Seven #OscarNoms for #BlackPanther, including best picture!! This is our reaction the first time we saw footage from the film and we're feeling this way all over again today! Thank you @TheAcademy!" The tweet received more than 10,000 retweets and 40,000 likes in 24 hours (shown below, left).
Fellow actor Letitia Wright tweeted, [42] "History was made again this morning. 7 #OscarNominations including Best Picture! God is truly amazing. Thank you all for the love and support. Honestly we made this movie out of love and wanted to inspire the world with it. Thank you!" She received more than 1,700 retweets and 10,000 likes in 24 hours (shown below, center).
Captain America-star Chris Evans shared N'yongo's reaction and congratulated her and the rest of the cast and crew, receiving more than 10,000 retweets and 100,000 likes in 24 hours (shown below, right).[43]
Chadwick Boseman's Death
On August 28th, actor Chadwick Boseman died of cancer aged 43.[46] He was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, battling his illness as it progressed to stage four. Boseman's illness was kept secret from the public.
Fandom
On October 27th, 2014, the Twitter [1] account @TheBlackPanther, a verified account to promote the movie, was launched on the site. Within three-and-a-half years, the account had more than 475,000 followers.
The following day, a Black Panther Facebook [2] account launched. As of January 2018, the account has more than 450,000 likes and 465,000 followers.
Related Memes
"Two For One Special" Trenchcoat Prank
On February 16th, 2018, Twitter[21] user @stevelikescups posted a video (shown below) of him and a friend standing on each other's shoulders and wearing a trench coat, as though to appear like a tall man, attempting to buy tickets to the film. He captioned the video, "We tried getting the two for one special at black panther. The manager was not having it." The video received more than 178,000 retweets and 441,000 likes in four days.
We tried getting the two for one special at black panther. The manager was not having it. pic.twitter.com/Ktqsuh7s3m
— Pillsbury (@stevelikescups) February 16, 2018
The following day, @stevelikescaps tweeted[22] a full video of the prank. The post (shown below) received more than 2,700 retweets and 9,700 likes in three days.
Here's the full video hahaha #BlackPanther pic.twitter.com/SFlJ7o9b3i
— Pillsbury (@stevelikescups) February 17, 2018
Fifty Shades Freed Mix Up
On February 15th, Twitter[24] user @ChefWaites tweeted that the Atlanta, Georgia movie theater he was seeing the film at had accidentally played the wrong movie: the erotic romance Fifty Shades Freed. Following the initial tweet, he began posting videos of the film in progress. That night, he tweeted, "Aiight so this happened at Atlantic Station. They played 50 shades instead of black panther." The video (shown below) received more than 3,600 retweets and 7,500 likes in five days.
Aiight so this happened at Atlantic Station. They played 50 shades instead of black panther pic.twitter.com/5WhvX270Y5
— The Chef (Steve) (@ChefWaites) February 16, 2018
This Movie Ain't For You
On February 15th, several people on Twitter began posting Black Panther by African American theater goers. However, these claims were debunked.[25] The following day, Twitter[26] user @trapafasa posted a number of these false accounts as well as proof of their invalidity. They wrote, "Fake posts are being created to make black people look bad and the sad part of it is some people will believe them #BlackPanther." The post (shown below) received more than 21,000 retweets and 21,500 likes in four days.
Shortly after these accounts went viral, people on Twitter began parodying the accounts. Twitter[27] user @pixelatedboat tweeted, "I tried to see Black Panther but I was accosted by a gang of black youths, they said 'this movie isn’t for you, whitey!' then pinned me down and carved 'Go see Peter Rabbit instead' into my forehead. The tweet (shown below, left) received more than 780 retweets and 7,100 likes in three days.
On February 18th, Twitter[28] user @sam_ash tweeted a picture of a man with blood on his face and the caption, "This is @trentylocks. He was jumped just trying to see the movie Paddington 2. "This movie ain't for you, cracker" was the last thing he heard before he was beat up by 2 small children. He didn't even make it inside of the movie theater. Smh." The post (shown below, center) received more than 160 retweets and 700 likes in two days.
That day, Twitter[29] user @Jsprings11 tweeted a frame from the television show Martin with the caption, "This is my cousin Jameer. He was on his way to see the new movie Fifty Shades Freed and a mob of white people said go watch your Black Jaguar movie blackey and jumped him. Smh." The post (shown below, right) received more than 36,000 retweets and 88,000 likes in two days.
Black Panther Spoiler But I Don't Give You Context
Black Panther Spoiler But I Don't Give You Context refers to series of social media posts in which people reveal elements of the film's plot using seemingly unrelated images. The earliest known usage of the trend was posted on February 16th, 2018 by Twitter[31] user @hayleyvatwell. The post features a shot from the end of the 1980 horror film The Shining and the caption "black panther spoiler but i don’t give you context." The post (shown below, left) received more than 10 retweets and 30 likes.
Over the next few days, more people began using the format to deliver film spoilers (examples below, center and right, respectively).
On February 21st, Twitter[32] published a Moments page about the trend. Additionally, several media outlets cover the popularity of the meme, including Comic Book Resources,[33] Mashable,[34] The Daily Dot[35] and more.
Is This Your King?
On March 20th, 2018, Twitter[37] user @TheyWant_Nolan tweeted a screenshot from the film of the Black Panther character Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) with his shirt off screaming "Is this your king?" They caption the post, "Is this your spring?!?!?" The post (shown below) received more than 20,000 retweets and 41,400 likes in two days.
Following the post, people on Twitter began using the image and the phrasal template "Is This Your X?" Twitter[38] user @VizyLarence tweeted "Bills: Is this your paycheck." The post (shown below, left) received more than 24,000 retweets and 36,000 likes in 24 hours. Over the next several hours, more users shared variations of the meme (examples below, center and right)
USDA Trading Partner Wakanda
On December 18th, 2019, Twitter user @frnsys[44] posted their discovery that the USDA listed "Wakanda" as a trading partner on its website (shown below).
The discovery led to jokes on Twitter related to the film, including tweets from users @andrewhunterm and @sinderbraum which gained over 2,400 and 330 retweets, respectively (shown below). The event was also covered by Twitter Events.[45] The USDA removed Wakanda after the discovery.
Search Interest
External References
[1] Twitter – @TheBlackPanther
[2] Facebook – BlackPantherMovie
[3] Marvel – The Arrival
[4] Marvel – Black Panther #1
[5] Wikipedia – Black Panther
[6] Business Inside – Marvel Reveals Its Future Movie Schedule Through 2019
[7] Marvel – RYAN COOGLER TO DIRECT MARVEL'S 'BLACK PANTHER'
[8] YouTube – Black Panther Teaser Trailer [HD]
[9] YouTube – Black Panther Trailer
[10] Deadline – ‘Black Panther’ Poised To Pounce On B.O.: Advance Ticket Sales Beating ‘Captain America: Civil War’
[11] Twitter – @Lupita_Nyongo's Tweet
[12] Twitter – @DeonWLTX's Tweet
[13] Twitter – @kumailn's Tweet
[14] Twitter – @JoeBelBruno's Tweet
[15] Twitter – 'A cultural phenomenon': The first Black Panther reviews are in
[16] Twitter – Black Panther actors wore royal attire to the film premiere
[17] Twitter – The Black Panther premiere was the place to be
[18] The New York Times – With $218 Million Haul, ‘Black Panther’ Smashes Box Office Records
[19] Metacritic – Black Panther
[20] Rotten Tomatoes – Black Panther
[21] Twitter – @stevelikescups' Tweet
[22] Twitter – @stevelikescups' Tweet
[23] MovieWeb – Black Panther Avoids Hate Group to Land A+ CinemaScore
[24] Twitter – @ChefWaites' Tweet
[25] BuzzFeed – Beware Of False Claims Of Assaults At "Black Panther" Screenings
[26] Twitter – @trapafasa's Tweet
[27] Twitter – @pixelatedboat's Tweet
[28] Twitter – @sam_ash's Tweet
[29] Twitter – @Jsprings11's Tweet
[30] Twitter – @Marvel's Tweet
[31] Twitter – @hayleyvatwell's Tweet
[32] Twitter – Black Panther 'spoilers without the context' 😂
[33] ComicBook.com – 'Black Panther' "Spoilers Without Context" Meme Goes Viral
[34] Mashable – Shuri would be so proud of all of your 'Black Panther'
fn35 The Daily Dot – Black Panther Memes Show Out of Context Spoilers
[36] Twitter – @TwitterMovies's Tweet
[37] Twitter – @TheyWant_Nolan's Tweet
[38] Twitter – @VizyLawrence's Tweet
[39] Variety – Oscar Nominations 2019: The Complete List
[40] The Daily Dot – ‘Black Panther’ nabs 7 Oscar nominations, including best picture
[41] Twitter – @Lupita_Nyongo's Tweet
[42] Twitter – @letitiawright's Tweet
[43] Twitter – @ChrisEvans's Tweet
[45] Twitter Events – USDA removes Wakanda from its list of US free trade partners
[46] Twitter – @chadwickboseman
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