A lavish, headline-grabbing premiere. Lightning word-of-mouth stoked by glowing reviews. Packed movie theatres with sold-out shows, long lines and fans decked out as characters from the film.

The phenomenon of 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� had the look and feel of a classic, bona fide blockbuster in route to its record-setting $201.8 million debut over the weekend, or an estimated $235 million Friday through Monday. Much has been made about the film industry害羞草研究所檚 struggles to tap into pop culture the way it once more regularly did 害羞草研究所� that TV and streaming options and a dearth of fresh ideas have diminished the power of the big screen.

But when Hollywood does manufacture a must-see theatrical event, it has increasingly been propelled by the power of inclusivity. Just as Jordan Peele害羞草研究所檚 Oscar-nominated 害羞草研究所淕et Out害羞草研究所� ($253 million worldwide on a $4.5 million production budget) and Patty Jenkins 害羞草研究所淲onder Woman害羞草研究所� ($821.1 million) did before it, 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� captured the zeitgeist by the potent combination of top-notch filmmaking (the film stands at 97 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), studio backing and an audience hungry to see itself represented on the big screen in a way it seldom has before.

At the box office, inclusion is paying 害羞草研究所� and often, it害羞草研究所檚 paying off big time.

害羞草研究所淒iversity does in fact, sell,害羞草研究所� said Darnell Hunt, a professor and director of social science at UCLA whose research has detailed the connection between diversity and bottom lines. 害羞草研究所淚n hindsight, it害羞草研究所檚 kind of a no-brainer. The American public is about 40 per cent people of colour now, and we know that people of colour over-index in terms of media consumption. The patterns we害羞草研究所檝e been seeing are only becoming more pronounced as time goes on.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� debuted with $361 million in worldwide ticket sales, setting up the $200 million film for a theatrical run that should easily eclipse $1 billion. History is assured. Just months after Jenkins helmed the biggest box-office hit directed by a woman, Ryan Coogler will set a new mark for films directed by an African American. The debut, the best ever for February, is the fifth highest of all time, not accounting for inflation.

At a time where hits are hard to come by for Hollywood, diversity in storytelling is proving to be not only a just cause, but a box-office imperative.

害羞草研究所淚f you want to succeed on the global stage, certainly in the tent-pole business, you have to have diversity in storytelling, in the characters that you put in front of the camera, in the artisans you put behind the camera 害羞草研究所� to be able to get that better, richer storytelling and to drive huge results,害羞草研究所� said Dave Hollis, distribution chief for Disney. 害羞草研究所淭he results speak for themselves.害羞草研究所�

Hollis pointed to the many factors that made 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� a hit: Coogler害羞草研究所檚 direction, the stewardship of Kevin Feige害羞草研究所檚 Marvel, the reliability of the brand. But he also noted a developing pattern for Disney 害羞草研究所� that inclusive films are both richer for their diversity and, often, richer for the bottom line.

害羞草研究所淚t feels like the right thing to do. It makes for better, richer storytelling, and we害羞草研究所檙e a business. It害羞草研究所檚 something that害羞草研究所檚 just delivered big, huge box office,害羞草研究所� said Hollis. 害羞草研究所淲hen we have leaned into and had inclusion and representation as part of the mix, it害羞草研究所檚 just really worked. When you think about 害羞草研究所楽tar Wars害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所楻ogue One,害羞草研究所� the female protagonist leading those stories. Also 害羞草研究所楳oana害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所楥oco.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所楥oco害羞草研究所� has been an absolute juggernaut.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淐oco,害羞草研究所� which is expected to win the Oscar for best animated feature next month, has gross more than $730 million worldwide. It害羞草研究所檚 the biggest budget release starring an all-Latino cast.

Rian Johnson害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪tar Wars: The Last Jedi,害羞草研究所� which has grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, did more than any previous 害羞草研究所淪tar Wars害羞草研究所� film to elevate its female characters, and featured the widely hailed breakout star Kelly Marie Tran.

By promoting diversity in its films, Disney has faced some backlash from social-media critics who deride films like 害羞草研究所淭he Last Jedi害羞草研究所� and Sony害羞草研究所檚 2015害羞草研究所檚 female-led 害羞草研究所淕hostbusters害羞草研究所� as politically correct overreach. Some fans have even gone to the extraordinary length of trying to drive down audience scores for those films.

But consider the fate of movies that haven害羞草研究所檛 tried as hard to be culturally authentic. Paramount害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淕host in the Shell,害羞草研究所� which starred Scarlett Johansson in a role originally written as a cyborg in a Japanese woman害羞草研究所檚 body, last year bombed at the box office after a backlash over Johansson害羞草研究所檚 casting.

Meanwhile, the diverse cast of Universal害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Fast and the Furious害羞草研究所� films helped make it one of the most bankable franchises in movies. Other standout hits have included 害羞草研究所淕irls Trip害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� the biggest comedy of 2017 害羞草研究所� and Sony害羞草研究所檚 unexpectedly lucrative 害羞草研究所淛umanji: Welcome to the Jungle.害羞草研究所� The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, reigned over the January box office as the no. 1 film on four weekends.

害羞草研究所淛umanji害羞草研究所� has grossed more than $904 million worldwide, including more than a half a billion dollars overseas. The old argument that films starring African-American actors don害羞草研究所檛 travel well has never had a worse two months. 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� opened with $160 million abroad, even without several markets (China, Japan, Russia) yet open.

And in Hollywood, nothing talks like money.

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶚Black Panther害羞草研究所� can be an important first step toward really dispelling the myth that has held Hollywood back for generations in terms of telling the stories that we certainly want to see in this country but I think that the rest of the world wants to see, too,害羞草研究所� said Hunt.

Studies have also shown that diverse casts attract wider audiences. Last year, talent agency CAA found that of the top 10 grossing films in 2016, 47 per cent of the opening-weekend audience was made up of people of colour, up 2 per cent from the year before. The effect was even more pronounced in the biggest hits. Seven of the 10 highest-grossing films from 2016 had opening weekend audiences more than 50 per cent white.

The audience for 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� was 65 per cent non-white, including 37 per cent black, according to comScore.

Latinos and African Americans are also more eager moviegoers, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. In the MPAA害羞草研究所檚 most recent report, it found that though Latinos make up 18 per cent of the U.S. population, they account for 23 per cent of frequent moviegoers. Though African Americans are 12 per cent of the population, they make up 15 per cent of frequent moviegoers.

害羞草研究所淚f you look at some of the bigger blockbusters from the last year, they were representative of what the audience are looking for, how they害羞草研究所檙e feeling,害羞草研究所� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. 害羞草研究所淭hese films reflect society and then society reflects back on the films. That害羞草研究所檚 when you get to these much bigger than expected debuts. It becomes more than a movie. It becomes a cultural event.害羞草研究所�

Communal movie-going may be under siege from other entertainment options. But films like 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� are making movie theatres more communal than ever.

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

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