Candyman defied expectations in its opening weekend. Making over $20 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, the Nia DaCosta film is exceeding what many expected.
Due to COVID-19, many films have operated on a dual release schedule that allows viewers to either go to theaters or stream from home. Candyman is only available in theaters and despite rising COVID-19 cases and Hurricane Ida, moviegoers flocked to the theater to help Candyman and DaCosta shatter records.
Candyman's remarkable opening weekend makes history for DaCosta, as she is now the first Black woman to direct a movie that claims the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office over the weekend. This triumph also makes DaCosta's work on Candyman the second-highest-grossing Black female director over a three-day domestic box office weekend. The record is held by Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle In Time, which debuted at No. 2 and grossed $33.1M in March of 2018. DuVernay was kept out of the No. 1 spot by Black Panther's fourth weekend, which grossed $40.8M.
DaCosta co-wrote the sequel to the 1992 Candyman with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele, who has been known to terrify audiences with his own films. DaCosta made her directorial debut in 2018 with Little Woods. She will also direct the Captain Marvel sequel entitled The Marvels for Marvel Studios, making her the first Black woman to direct a film in the MCU. In the Marvel project, DaCosta will collaborate with Candyman's Teyonah Parris, who plays Monica Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvels is expected to be released in November of 2022.
While DaCosta will be the first Black woman to direct a Marvel film, there are a few women who have come before her. In 2019, Marvel made history with Anna Boden, who co-directed Captain Marvel. This made Boden the first woman to direct a Marvel Studios film.
Marvel continued this with Black Widow director Cate Shortland. Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao made history as the first Asian woman to direct a Marvel Studios film. Zhao's Eternals is set to premiere on November 5, 2021.
Candyman is in theaters now.
Source: Deadline