'Black Panther' draws excited, costumed crowds on opening night

NEW YORK (WABC) -- For those first in line, going to see "Black Panther" was cause for celebration -- not just another night at the movies, but a true cultural experience. No wonder #WakandaCameToSlay" is trending on Twitter.

His arrival generated a record five million tweets, and the buzz about "Black Panther," set in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, made it clear that this was more significant than just the opening of another movie.

"I think there is a thirst for it," star Chadwick Boseman said at the film's New York City premiere. "There is a thirst to see these characters and these images."

Is that Hollywood hype? Hardly, say those who came to the first showings.

"I grew up on a lot of heroes, and none of them looked like me," one patron said. "I love those heroes, but can imagine being a kid and seeing characters that look like me. I'd be pretty hyped."

Fan respect came in the form of costumes.

"I just made something for the occasion, because I've never had an opportunity for this before," one dressed-up moviegoer said. "I've never gone to a theater to see a film like this before, so I just needed to go all out."

Another man wore a pattern seen in the film, explaining it's from a tribe in South Africa and featured very prominently in the film.

Another guy added a few flourishes and a hoodie to his garment explaining.

"It represents the pride of the people," he said. "You know, the African people."

"Black Panther" is set to debut with the highest take ever for a movie opening on President's Day Weekend, and the estimates of how much it'll make have been revised upwards in recent days to $170 million. That's a surprise to New Jersey's own Michael B. Jordan, the pride of Newark, who plays the villain "Killmonger" in the movie.

"This important film is truly like no other," he said.

The picture has become more than a movie and could be a tipping point in the long battle to bring more diversity to the big screen.