Come on, Black girl magic! If you’re not familiar with filmmaker Nia DaCosta, now is the time to remember her name and face because she just went down in history due to her great work directing ‘Candyman.’ The anticipation for the thriller had been built up for so long that folks couldn’t wait to see the movie that was released this past Friday. After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people showed up and showed out at theatres this weekend all across the country and helped Nia be a part of history! According to the Washington Post, Nia is the first Black female filmmaker to have a movie debut number one at the box office!
Other Black female directors have come close to debuting a film at number one prior. Ava DuVernay, who came close to reaching number one for the 2018 film “A Wrinkle in Time,” and Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed the classic film “Love and Basketball,” which was released in 2000. Not only did Nia reach a huge milestone, but her film also brought in some serious bank! According to Variety, the sequel to the 1992 film was distributed by Universal Pictures and MGM and has surpassed the projected earnings of $15 million in ticket sales.
The film, which she also co-wrote the screenplay with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele, through Monkeypaw Productions, has currently brought in roughly $22 million in its first three days of its release. Just one day ago, Universal’s Domestic Theatrical Distribution President, Jim Orr, predicted this outcome. He told Deadline, “Nia DaCosta crafted an intense thriller that audiences responded to extraordinarily well this weekend. The debut of Candyman exceeded all industry expectations, and with the very positive audience reaction scores and a three-day holiday in our second weekend, we’re anticipating a strong theatrical run at the domestic box office.”
If you don’t think that this groundbreaking debut hasn’t caused Nia’s price to go up, think again because “Yesterday’s price is not today’s price!” If you’re a new fan of hers, you’ll be waiting a while for her next film. She was hired to direct the superhero movie “The Marvels,” which is based on Marvel Comics, featuring the characters Captain Marvel and Ms. Marve, released on November 11, 2022. With this upcoming film, Nia will be making history on that film as she is the first Black woman and the youngest director ever to direct a Marvel film.
Want updates directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 or https://my.community.com/theshaderoom
