Since hitting screens in Mid February the Black Panther film has taken over the world. From America to Zambia “Wakanda Forever” can be heard in the voices of millions of marvel movie goers. The first time you see Black Panther must be at a black theater or a showing with black people. Whether in the Caribbean, a NYC borough, or a theater in Seoul with the brothas and sistas of South Korea facebook group a movie with a bunch of black folks is an experience all its own.
Of course, I couldn’t stop with just one showing. I saw it next in 4D. Amazing! Yet, the most immersive viewing happend the third time watching on Screen X where the left and right wall of the theater also turn into screens during action scenes or scenes with grand sweeping vistas. Screen X truly immerses you into the film. It’s almost as if you’re flying into the city when T’Challa’s craft flies back into the Kingdom. You’ll feel surrounded by the Dora Milaje when they break into formation.
Black Panther’s ongoing popularity doesn’t seem to be stopping. The film just became the thirty-third movie ever to make over a billion dollars. Given all the previous Hollywood misinformation about black films not having legs to compete overseas or even at the domestic box office Black Panther now stands in defiance of such thinking. The desire for representation has finally, hopefully, been revealed as a path to not only financial gains but also cultural relevancy. Black Panther has become more than movie and transformed into a touchstone for black people throughout the world. I call this the Black Panther Effect.
Examples abound of the Black Panther Effect. For instance, take the group of enterprising folk who decided to register movie goers to vote at local screenings of Black Panther with #WakandaTheVote! Then there’s the countless philanthropists, actors, actresses, business leaders, churches, activists and companies buying out theaters so that disadvantaged students could see Black Panther for free with the #blackpantherchallenge. The Black Panther Forever salute from the film is being taken up by black athletes around the world as a sign of triumph.
Hopefully, the dominance of Black Panther at the box office will usher in a wave of black films directed by and starring black folks from not only the United States but throughout the diaspora. Until then, I’ll be at the Screen X waiting for A Wrinkle in Time to hit the screen!
