Ryan Coogler has been moved to tears by the reaction to ‘Black Panther’.
The 31-year-old director’s Marvel movie brought in a staggering $242 million on its opening weekend, breaking the record for the biggest standalone superhero launch of all time, and he has written a letter to thank fans for their support, admitting he and the rest of the team working on the film had no idea how successful it would be.
In a letter shared on Marvel Studios’ Instagram page, he wrote: "I am struggling to find the words to express my gratitude at this moment, but I will try.
"Filmmaking is a team sport. And our team was made up [of] amazing people from all over the world who believed in this story.
"Never in a million years did we imagine that you all would come out this strong.
"It still humbles me to think that people care enough to spend their money and time watching out film – But to see people of all backgrounds wearing clothing that celebrates their heritage, taking pictures next to our posters with their friends and family, and sometimes dancing in the lobbies of theaters – often moved me and my wife to tears."
And Ryan – who is married to Zinzi Evans – went on to thank those who had supported the movie before its release and had shared the film with their friends and family.
He continued: "For the people who bought out theatre, who posted on social about how lit the film would be, bragged about our awesome cast, picked out outfits to wear, and who stood in line in theaters all over the world – all before even using the film…
"To the press who wrote about the film for those who hadn’t yet seen it, and encouraged audiences to come out…
"And to the young ones, who came out with their parents, with their mentors, with their friends…
"Thank you for giving our team of filmmakers the greatest gift: The opportunity to share this film, that we poured our hearts and souls into, with you."
Ryan Coogler blown away by Black Panther reaction
