Black Panther IMAX Pre-Sales Higher Than Any Other Marvel Movie

According to IMAX, advance ticket purchases for Black Panther have broken all past Marvel records.


Black Panther is already becoming a record-breaker. By the end of January, advance ticket sales for Marvel’s next movie had already outpaced every other superhero film. It’s currently tracking to gross $165 million in its opening weekend, beating Deadpool‘s February record of $150 million. It could land the film in the top 5 or 6 superhero openings of all time. There’s definitely real demand for the King of Wakanda.


In the latest news, IMAX Entertainment CEO Greg Foster has told Variety that the movie is breaking IMAX records, too. “Pre-sales are the surest way to see how momentum is going,” he explained. “The momentum is gathering steam as opposed to slowing down.” According to Foster, pre-sales typically peak around 10 days before release. With four days to go before Black Panther hits domestic theaters, he actually feels as though this film will peak the day it opens. “It’s remarkable,” Foster observed, clearly stunned.


IMAX tickets, of course, are more expensive than regular tickets. That often means viewers are a little wary, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Black Panther. Director Ryan Coogler filmed scenes with IMAX cameras, ensuring parts of the movie will be best experienced on the larger screens.


Trailers have teased beautiful panoramas unlike anything seen in the MCU to date, while superhero films have often used IMAX cameras to create spellbinding fight sequences. Christopher Nolan was actually one of the pioneers of the technology when he filmed The Dark Knight. Nolan used then-cumbersome IMAX cameras to film all the action sequences, and received popular and critical acclaim. He now uses IMAX cameras for all his films.


Excitingly, it seems Black Panther‘s appeal transcends state boundaries. Although the film deals with real-world political issues, there’s interest in both Democrat and Republican states. “There are no borders on this,” Foster noted. “The momentum is continuing on both coasts and in the middle; in red states and in blue states. In giant cities and smaller suburbs.”


Early reviews have suggested Black Panther will be one of the best Marvel movies to date. So, it was hardly a surprise when the film debuted with a “Fresh” rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. It’s clear viewers are going to turn up in record numbers to watch the latest Marvel movie, and hopefully the audience will give this movie the same reaction it’s seen from critics.