"Black Panther" Breaks Records as Marvel's Second Biggest Pre-Opening Ever

Marvel's highly anticipated film "Black Panther" opened in Thursday previews to record-breaking numbers. The film opened to an impressive $25.2 million, coming in second to "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which made $27.6 million on Thursday preview night. The Wrap's film reporter Beatrice Verhoeven sits down with Alyssa Julya Smith in Los Angeles to talk about some of the cultural implications of the film, and how it's become a worldwide phenomenon. Vanhoeven discusses how Black Panther has signaled a shift in the industry that could lead to more and more lead roles for minorities in big budget blockbusters. She also cites Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time" as another example of this shift. Vanhoeven also talks about the fact that teachers are bringing their entire classes to see the film as it's a good depiction of underrepresented groups in film. Marvel's "Black Panther" is expected to make more than $150 million over the holiday weekend.

More In Culture

A painting of Churchill by an artist he loathed is up for auction

Churchill is said to have complained that the painting “makes me look half-witted, which I ain’t.” It was delivered to his home and never seen again.

The New Scrabble: From Word Wars to Group Hugs

A new version of Scrabble was launched last week designed to be more appealing to Gen Z. A media firestorm ensued.

A Natural Disaster Happens While You’re Traveling? Here’s What to Do

Travel pros share their tips for weathering the storm in style.

OJ Simpson, Football Star Acquitted of Murder in 'trial of the century,' Dies at 76

Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the 1994 knife slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable.

🎶I Feel the Earth Move 🎶: X Users Take to the Internet After Earthquake Strikes NYC

New York City and the surrounding area was rocked by a historic earthquake on Friday, April 5. Did you feel it?

'Wonka' Ends Year Atop Box Office, Hollywood Hits Post-Pandemic High

Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.

Load More