'Black Panther' bags first screening at new Saudi cinema
'Black Panther' will be playing at the country's first cinema in over 35 years
April 05, 2018
Marvel’s superhero movie Black Panther, one of the most popular movies to bring the people-of-colour (POC) narrative to the mainstream media, has secured the first screening at Saudi Arabia's first cinema in decades — which is to be opened later this month.
A source, familiar with the matter, informed Reuters that, officially, the highest grossing superhero movie — that surpassed 2012's The Avengers — will be played in the new theatre, which is part of AMC Entertainment Holdings' deal with Saudi Arabia to set up 40 cinemas over the coming five years.
The movie theatre, which will not be segregated by gender like most other public places in the Kingdom — is the country's first one in over 35 years and is slated to open on April 18 in Riyadh.
The Saudi government had said in 2017 it would lift the ban, in accordance with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious economic and social reform plan.
'Adjusted film product' for Middle East
"The Saudi market is very large, with the majority of the population... eager to watch their favourite films here at home," Information Minister Awwad Alawwad was quoted as saying in the statement.
International theatre chains have long eyed the kingdom as the Middle East's last untapped mass market of more than 30 million people, the majority of whom are under 25.
Plus, Saudi Arabians are avid consumers of Western media and culture, since, despite the cinema ban, they watch Hollywood films and latest television series.
The state's people currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see films and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai.
In fact, AMC CEO Adam Aron said: “Hollywood has long ago dealt with the sensitivities of the Middle East and have adjusted film product accordingly,” he said.
“Major Hollywood studios are showing films all over the Middle East right now.”
Given the opening to a huge, yet-untapped market, AMC is set to face stiff competition from other heavyweights, including Dubai-based VOX Cinemas, the leading operator in the Middle East.
On March 25, Black Panther was officially declared the highest-grossing superhero movie, successfully surpassing The Avengers, released in 2012.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film pulled in $624 million on the North American box office, roaring past The Avengers' $623.4 million.
Black Panther, which cost around $200 million, is now one of only seven movies to make more than $600 million in the US. It also became one of the most critically-acclaimed movies featuring a virtually all-black cast.
