Black Filmmakers Make History At The Box Office This Weekend

This weekend marks the first time when two movies directed by black filmmakers, with budgets over $100 million, hold the number one and two spots at the box office.

The Ryan Coogler-helmed “Black Panther” continues its fourth week of domination, bringing in another $41.1 million. So far, that puts its domestic total at $562 million and its global take at a whopping $1.08 billion. It’s the second highest-grossing Marvel film behind 2012′s “The Avengers.”

“A Wrinkle In Time” opens this weekend in second place with $33.3 million. The Ava DuVernay-directed film is based on Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 science fantasy and stars Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon.

While “A Wrinkle In Time” has not enjoyed the same critical praise like that of “Black Panther,” this box office success is being hailed for its significant achievement for diversity in the film industry.

“Black Panther” is co-written by Coogler and features a nearly all black cast. While during production of “A Wrinkle In Time,” DuVernay used the #MannequinChallenge to show off the diversity of the cast and crew.