Black Panther

Question 1

Who was Black panther directed by?

Answer 1

Ryan Coogler

Question 2

when was Black panther released?

Answer 2

February 2018

Question 3

what is the main plot of the film?

Answer 3

It shows us the fictional African nation of Wakanda which has avoided European colonisation and achieved technological superiority through the use of the mineral ‘vibranium’.

Question 4

who was the film produced by?

Answer 4

Marvel studios, a famous comic book brand which is also a subsidiary of the Walt Disney company

Question 5

how much did the film gross worldwide?

Answer 5

well over $1 billion
48% in non-European countries

Question 6

what did Black panther break records for?

Answer 6

the highest opening weekend in the USA

Question 7

what was Black panther one of the only of?

Answer 7

superhero film to be nominated for a ‘Best picture’ academy award

Question 8

what did Black panther win three Oscars for?

Answer 8

costume, production design, and original soundtrack

Question 9

what is the historical context of Africa from the 15th-20th century?

Answer 9

-From the 15th-20th century European powers such as Britain colonised African countries and exploited the continent for both resources and slave labour- African’s were branded as ‘savages’ and ‘animalistic’

Question 10

what is the historical context of Africa from the 20th century onwards?

Answer 10

African Americans attempted to establish a new sense of cultural identity such as the Harlem renaissance- a cultural movement during the 1920s which attempted to redefine a back cultural identity- it became a MECCA for cultural affirmation

Question 11

what was the harlem renaissance?

Answer 11

a cultural movement during the 1920s which attempted to define black cultural identity- it became a MECCA for cultural affirmation

Question 12

what are the similarities between the harlem renaissance and black panther?

Answer 12

Just like Harlem, Wakanda is seen to symbolise a MECCA for cultural affirmation for African-Americans

Question 13

what was the black panther party?

Answer 13

a political activist group established initially to provide armed monitoring of the police behaviour and prevent police brutality in the US

Question 14

what is the cultural context behind black panther?

Answer 14

-science fiction and superhero blockbusters have been traditionally dominated by white, male characters (lacking diverse representations) - during the 90s actors like Will smith and Wesley snipes did break ground playing black characters, but superhero films still rarely featured African American characters as the protagonist, and were just side kick characters (e.g the Falcon in the Captain America films)

Question 15

what has black cinema traditionally consisted of?

Answer 15

issues based social realism or have been art house/prestige pictures (e.g moonlight 2016)

Question 16

what is one of the only few movies which features an African American character as the protagonist?

Answer 16

Blade (1998)

Question 17

what hashtag was released about the Oscar’s and what was it about?

Answer 17

oscarsowhite in 2016- this drew attention to the lack of diversity in the films nominated

Question 18

what do US and European movies typically portray Africa as?

Answer 18

as a underpriviliged, developing continent, focusing on civil wars, famine and terrorism- very few films from Africa also reach western mainstream.

Question 19

what is the political context behind Black panther?

Answer 19

-Before the film was made, America had it’s first African American president, Barack Obama who created many initiatives that aided minority and women’s groups: from universal healthcare, to college and entrepreneurship access funds for the under-priviliged. However, Donald trump, the president at the time of the film’s release has vowed to reverse many of Barack Obama’s initiatives

Question 20

what was a marketing technique used for Black panther?

Answer 20

-Disney, their distributor adopted a ‘360-degree customer experience’ to their marketing- their aim was to turn their film into a cultural event across a variety of media and platforms raising it’s profile from being ‘another superhero’ movie into something more politically resonant

Question 21

Where were black panther teaser trailers shown?

Answer 21

they were shown between NBA games

Question 22

who did Black panther collaborate with?

Answer 22

a company named Lexus, the collaboration was called ‘Long live the king’ and was shown during the super bowl

Question 23

how did Black panther use crowdfunding?

Answer 23

they used crowd funding projects to buy under priviliged children a ticket to watch the movie

Question 24

during what month was Black panther released?

Answer 24

During Black history month

Question 25

what did the production and designers interview about after the film’s release?

Answer 25

they gave detailed interviews about how the costumes, makeup and hair celebrates African culture

Question 26

what happened during New york fashion week?

Answer 26

There was a ‘welcome to wakanda’ catwalk show at New York fashion week which featured in numerous fashion magazines- and on opening weekend 44% of ticket buyers were female

Question 27

what is the BBFC?

Answer 27

an independent, non governmental body that classifies film and video releases in the UK- however, the local council can overrule these decisions

Question 28

what did the BBFC rate the black panther movie?

Answer 28

an 18, however many local councils overruled this claiming it was a 15.

Question 29

when the theatrical release was released what age certificate did it gain?

Answer 29

a 12a certificate- despite the fact that the movie features little romantic drama, and no sex or nudity. the film is fairly violent, but the combat is fantastical (hard to imitate) and there is a strong moral code to most of the conflict

Question 30

what was the age rating for black panther in the US?

Answer 30

PG 13

Question 31

when was the teaser trailer released and how many views did it get?

Answer 31

The teaser trailer was released by Disney in June 2017 during the NBA finals, and within 24 hours in had been viewed 89 million times on youtube.

Question 32

what was the most tweeted about film in 2018?

Answer 32

Black panther- it received more than 5 million tweets globally and in mid march 2018, it became the most tweeted about film ever with 35 million tweets

Question 33

what does the film challenge about African stereotypes?

Answer 33

it subverts the stereotypes shrouded by post colonial thinking prompting the reality that Technology can thrive within African

Question 34

what stars does the movie feature?

Answer 34

it incorporates some of the most talented and esteemed African American/black actors:

-Chadwick Boseman
-Michael B.Jordan
-Forest Whitaker

Question 35

why has Black panther been such a global success?

Answer 35

due to it being the first superhero film to focus upon the black community, combined with a setting outside of the stereotypically safe, American city setting- Black panther is a film that resonates with Black cinema, celebrating black culture, lifestyles, potential and traditions

Question 36

Black panther was the first ever superhero film to be nominated for…

Answer 36

An oscar- despite the fact that the Oscars were accused in 2016 of whitewashing the industry, only rewarding white actors, white directors and white writers