Black Panther made history last week when it became the first superhero movie ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Then, just this past weekend, the cast took home the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. It’s got some serious momentum. How will it keep it up?
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By letting people watch it for free! Starting this Friday, February 1, Black Panther will open at 250 AMC theaters across the U.S. Not every part of the country is covered, but there will be showings in 34 states plus DC. Screenings will continue through Thursday, February 7. You can look up if a theater near you is showing the movie here.
Now, from where I sit, Disney and Marvel are doing this for two reasons. First, it’s a celebration of Black History Month. Black Panther isn’t just the first superhero movie nominated for Best Picture, it’s the first Marvel superhero movie with a black lead and a majority black cast. There’s been a lot of discussion over the past few years about diversity in Hollywood, with some higher-ups wondering if diverse films can do well at the box office. Black Panther was the highest-grossing movie of 2018 in the U.S. and pretty much speaks for itself in that regard. It’s definitely something to be celebrated.
“To be young, gifted and black…” There is a place for us. There is a screen for us. Thank you to SAG-AFRTA for the appreciation and celebration of our work. #BlackPanther #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/j5oj7m3AOo
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) January 28, 2019
🏆 WAKANDA 🏆 FOREVER 🏆 #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/C78wf6XPMf
— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) January 28, 2019
The other reason for Disney’s generous idea is to build Oscar buzz. Of late, the Academy usually rewards smaller, artier films like Moonlight and Spotlight over big-budget crowd-pleasers like Black Panther, but it wasn’t always that way, and who’s to say it couldn’t change? Disney wants to remind the Academy of just how beloved this movie is, and if that results in a win for Best Picture, all the better.
The 91st Academy Awards will air on ABC on February 24.
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