After finishing in first place with an opening of $22.4 million, filmmaker Nia DaCosta made history by becoming the first Black female director to debut a film in the number one spot at the domestic box office with the release of this weekend’s Candyman.
That’s not the only milestone that Candyman conquered this weekend. The film marks the second-highest-grossing 3-day domestic weekend for a Black female director with Ava DuVernay taking the top spot for the opening of A Wrinkle In Time which debuted with $33.1 million. DuVernay became the first and only Black female director to direct a film that cleared $100 million from a major Hollywood studio.
DaCosta got her start with the debut feature Little Woods which came out of Sundance. The film was a great critical success, securing a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it directly led to her getting the helming position on Candyman.
DaCosta is currently helming her biggest feature to date as she’s already in production on the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. She is now the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Studios film and the movie is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2022. This is certainly a weekend to start popping champagne for Ms. Nia DaCosta.
Did YOU check out Candyman this weekend?