Marvel Studios’ award-winning $1.3 billion grossing movie, “Wakanda Forever,” the sequel to “Black Panther,” had a premiere locally (Nigeria) — with a large group of talent, filmmakers and press on hand for the black carpet rollout.
Film’s director, Ryan Coogler, and several leading actors attended the event in Lagos. The film follows the death in 2020 of Chadwick Boseman, who played King T’Challa — the Black Panther — in the original movie, released in 2018.
The 2018 film became one of the highest grossing films in Africa, “with audiences responding favourably to the kingdom of Wakanda, which represented an amalgam of African countries and cultures and an ideology of an Africa many would like to see”.
Lupita Nyong’o, who played Wakandan spy Nakia, told CNN she hopes global audiences will connect with the diversity showcased in the movie. “There is power in a diverse human experience,” she said. “I think it’s always good to be able to relate to people who do not look like you and to see your humanity in them. Our diversity is our strength as human beings.”
The film’s score and soundtrack also celebrated the cultures championed in the movie, featuring a mix of Latin American and African artists such as Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy, Ghana’s Amaarae, UK artist Stormzy, whose mother is Ghanaian, and Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who co-wrote the lead single “Lift me up,” sung by Rihanna. The soundtrack was recorded in Nigeria, Mexico and London.
Also in attendance were actors Winston Duke, who plays M’baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe, Letitia Wright, who plays tech-whiz Princess Shuri, and Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
