Black Panther Overview

1. Why is Black Panther defined as a mainstream film?

Is the film a part of an ongoing franchise with links to other media products and therefore a large pre-existing audience?

The film Black Panther exists as a part of the Marvel Universe, so it's part of a well known ongoing franchise that most, if not all, people already know exists, so the film will already be popular with people who know that franchise as they have a good reputation. This means that the film will be able to be marketed a lot easier with the Marvel branding behind it, as people will pay more attention towards the product because it already has a large pre-existing audience. 

Narrative Structure: Is the film linear and does it have a clear and upbeat ending? any room for a sequel?

The film film follows a linear structure throughout, and ends on a clear and upbeat ending, as this is how most mainstream films end if they're are planning on making a sequel to it. This ending to the film doesn't necessarily mean that there will be a sequel, however the film makers have made it so that if the film makes enough money they can make a sequel to it.

What themes are present in the film?

There are quite a few themes that are included in the film including the misrepresentation of Africa in Western Culture, woman in technology and the military and the disconnect between modern Africans and and African Americans.

Who produced and financed the film? What was the budget for the production?
The film was produced and financed by Marvel Studies and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2018 and was given a budget of $200 million (£147,020,000). The marketing budget for this film was $160 million (£117,632,000) on top of the production budget.

How large scale was the distribution?

There was quite a large scale distribution effort for the Black Panther film, not only because they had the money to distribute it but also because they needed to make the money back that they budgeted on the film. The films distributors (Walt Disney) decided to adopt a '360 degree consumer experience', making sure that Black Panther would be advertise everywhere in order to make the public think about the film and remember it. Furthermore the film was made more into a 'cultural event' rather than just another Marvel film, in order to make it seem more politically resonant compared to previous films. The teaser trailer for this film was released in 2017, and within 24 hours had amassed over 89 million views on YouTube, and just before the release of the film Black Panther was the most tweeted film of 2018 with more that 5million tweets globally. By mid-march 2018 it became the most tweeted film ever with 35 million tweets. 

How financially successful was it?

Black Panther was very financially successful for Marvel Studios, as it made $1.347 billion dollars, making it one of the top 5 most successful Marvel films ever produced, making them a huge profit since the budget for the film was $200 million. 

How does Black Panther fit into the Marvel Franchise and Universe?

• Black Panther doesn't really fit into the Marvel Universe, as it's viewed as more of a stand alone film compared to other Marvel films.
• You don't have to view and of the other Marvel films in order to watch Black Panther, as there isn't any mentions of other Marvel superhero's or superhero films.

What makes it different to other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

• It's the first time that history has mattered in a Marvel Film, as the history aids the films progression - starts with an animated prologue that features a pocket history of tribal staff, regal succession, the slave trade and world war
• The film focuses on cultural expression black nationalism as well as the mains story 
• The setting - most of the other Marvel films have been set in the USA, the setting for Black Panther is very scenic and is set in a fictitious African country
• Includes many strong female characters - continues the trend of strong women in Marvel movies after Wonder Woman, there are no Damsel in Distress in the entire movie, in fact there is a whole team of strong female bodyguards in the film 
• Costumes - Very over the top costumes were created the film in order to highlight the African heritage and culture, these costumes look very different compared to other films
• Diversity - people of colour are being used for the centerpiece of the film, which is different compared to other Marvel Films

What made the Film successful?

• Pre-existing fanbase: As Black Panther is part of the pre-existing Marvel fanbase the film would already have people to watch it, as anyone who is a marvel fan or has watched a previous Marvel film would want to watch it. Also the fact it's part of the Marvel Franchise means that people will be immediately drawn to Black Panther.
• Cultural Context: It was the first mainstream marvel film to introduce a mostly black casting for the movie, with the main characters being black. 
• Range of audiences: The different genres that are used throughout the movie bring in different audiences to view the film, as they have many different target markets that they can appeal to.