Africans can’t get enough of the first Marvel superhero movie with a predominantly black cast.
Black Panther has received rave reviews from critics and cinema goers who have flocked to its’s premieres in Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa among others.
SOUTH AFRICA HOSTS BLACK PANTHER STARS
Some of the cast actually flew down to South Africa for the premiere, with Kenyan born actress Lupita Nyong’o, tweeting that ‘the excitement is spellbinding’.
NIGERIANS CELEBRATE
In Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, film fans, Nollywood stars and comics mingled at the screening of the movie.
Most people were dressed in traditional Nigerian robes and gowns, with some opting to wear specially made attire in keeping with the film’s futuristic take on African garments.
“Black Panther is a film that celebrates black excellence. Bringing it to Nigeria is especially exciting,” said Bolaji Kekere-Ekun, a 33-year-old filmmaker.
“The people who made the film were very specific about the references they used in relationship to Africa. They are pulling from the best fashion and art,” he said.
WAKANDA
Black panther is set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda. It tells the story of the new king, T‘Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who is challenged by rival factions.
The fictional African country is depicted as a verdant land with stunning waterfalls where spacecraft designed like tribal masks soar over a modern metropolis.
Directed by black director Ryan Coogler and featuring actors including Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong‘o and Forest Whittaker, the film has received widespread critical acclaim after years of criticism about the under-representation of black people in Hollywood.
UGANDANS CLAIM WAKANDA
Ugandans who have two actors with roots in the East African country featured in Black Panther, Daniel Kaluuya and Florence Kasumba, have been showing why Wakanda is actually Uganda.
Source: Africanews
