Fully expecting its release this coming week, Disney/Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever proceeded with its promotional tour with a historic premiere in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday evening. This was a significant event — and the first time a Marvel film has held a premiere locally — with an enormous group of talent, movie producers and press on hand for the black carpet rollout. The sequel of the $1.348B netting grossing original played across various screens at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX Lekki.
In attendance on Sunday were director Ryan Coogler and stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Winston Duke and Michaela Coel. Producer Nate Moore was additionally close by alongside soundtrack artists and producers.
The team has been making the rounds, including a world premiere for LA and with an European debut at Cineworld Leicester Square in London last week. The Nigeria premiere was held in association with the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and FilmOne Entertainment, and celebrated the movie’s African heritage.
Chioma Ude, founder of AFRIFF (which runs from November 6-12 and where Coogler will give a masterclass on Monday), recently considered the significance of the African premiere being hosted in Nigeria and its association with the festival. “We are excited and proud to be a part of the premiere of this milestone film here in Africa. This is huge for the continent of Africa as it symbolizes to us further bridging of the gaps between the global film industries,” she said.
The first Black Panther stays the No. 1 film in both East and West Africa. It had its premiere on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2018.
Wakanda Forever is distributed in English West African domains by FilmOne Entertainment whose co-founders, Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa, said, “Being instrumental to the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in West Africa is a proud achievement and a milestone for us and the entire FilmOne team, it will be celebrated for a long time.”
Wakanda Forever opens in Nigeria on November 11, in step with the U.S. International release starts November 9 in France among others with global rollout going on as the weekend progressed.
