After the massive success of a blockbuster and Oscar-winning film, a sequel brings its own pressures and challenges, but for the team behind Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverThey also had to navigate production and life after losing their beloved protagonist, their king T’Challa, the Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler spoke about the progress made following Boseman’s tragic death in 2020.
“The biggest change was deciding to have a different protagonist,” he said at Deadline’s The Contenders event in Los Angeles on Saturday. “It was a risky move. [Boseman] and the characters matched each other very well…so for us it was the best way to move forward with a story about a mother and daughter. It became very clear to us that this would be the relationship that would anchor the film. … We were really looking forward to making a superhero film about motherhood, about a black mother and a black daughter.”
Coogler was joined on stage by producer Kevin Feige and stars Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira.
“The grief was intense,” Gurira said of the trial. “Chadwick left such a great example of an anchor leader and a man of excellence and truly generous leadership.”
Bassett shared the sentiment. “We lost a little bit of our North Star, but we saw the star and how it shines and what it takes to shine,” she said.
Gurira continued with a nice look at how they continue to honor Boseman on set: “I had pictures of him in certain places and that would anchor me. Ryan had a picture of him around his neck, which would anchor me. … The culture that Chadwick cultivated in that first film was present, he was also always with us as we trained in the second film.
Walt Disney Studios Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered in Hollywood on October 26 and was released in the US on November 11. It is the second biggest opening of the year with $181 million, breaking the domestic debut record for the month of November.
Check back Monday for the panel video.
Author: Amanda Champagne Meadows
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
