LOS ANGELES • Theatres scrambled to add show times. In many cities, moviegoers arrived in outfits inspired by the film.

Over the weekend, the Disney-Marvel movie Black Panther roared into cinemas as a full-blown cultural event, breaking box-office records and shattering a myth about the overseas viability of films rooted in black culture.

Global ticket sales by yesterday was expected to total an estimated US$387 million (S$508 million), according to comScore.

Black Panther instantly became the top-grossing movie in history by a black director - Ryan Coogler - and featuring a largely black cast.

The previous record-holder was Straight Outta Compton, which collected US$214 million worldwide in 2015 - over its entire run - after adjusting for inflation.

There was never any doubt that Black Panther would rock the North American box office.

Mr Kevin Feige, the prodigy who runs Marvel, and Mr Alan F. Horn, Disney's movie chairman, have delivered one juggernaut after another.

Mr Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive, approved the US$200-million production budget.

But no one quite knew how it would perform overseas. In the end, Black Panther arrived to very strong results in Britain, Belgium, Ukraine, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil.

NYTIMES