The Black Panther Press Junket has been hands down the best event that I have ever covered or done.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Actors Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker, director Ryan Coogler, President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, and moderator Nischelle Turner attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
With all press events come press conferences! We were able to be front and center with the cast and producer/writer and more! The press conference started with introducing everyone to the crowd! Nischelle Turner -Emmy winning Entertainment Tonight Host moderated the press conference! I am going to share with you my favorite questions!
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Actors Lupita Nyong'o (L) and Michael B. Jordan attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: Lupita, when they were introducing you all last night before the screening started, you did like this little dance, like of excitement, and I felt like she can barely contain herself, she’s so excited. What was going through your mind, and how were you feeling when you knew the lights were about to go down, and we were about to experience Black Panther?
Lupita: "I mean, I’d been waiting a long time for this. And I was just so, so, so excited, because this was a movie that we all felt a lot of ownership of, and that we thoroughly enjoyed making. And you know, when you make a movie like this of this scale, so much happens between the time you perform it and the time you see it, you know - all the computer graphics stuff. Wakanda was built in, you know, in a room with Ryan and the incredible design team, you know. And so to see it alive, to see it almost like three dimensional was what I was looking forward to. And of course, to see it with everyone."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Actor Chadwick Boseman attends the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: Chadwick, I asked you this last night, and it was something that surprised me, I didn’t know. I said to you - when you got the call to play Black Panther in Civil War, did you know what was going to happen? And you said, ‘Oh, yeah, I knew.’ You just didn’t know.
Chadwick: "Okay, I had to make sure because the initial phone call from Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Nate Moore and the Russo Brothers was one where they essentially said, ‘We want to bring your character into the Marvel Comic Universe - as a stand-alone, but this is the best way to introduce him in Civil War.’ So I was aware of it. And I think when I was shooting Civil War, I was not aware that other people weren’t aware that this was going to happen, because it was so - such at the forefront of my mind, you know, and when we did the introduction at El Capitan. So - I’m sorry that you didn’t know that. But at the same time, I love the fact that it’s a surprise to people."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige attends the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: Kevin, why Chadwick for Black Panther?
Answer: "I think you hear people say this all the time when you’re in a setting like this. But he was the only choice."
"We were - it may not have been this fast, but in my memory, we were sitting around a table, we were coming up with the story for Civil War - Nate Moore, our executive producer, thought - suggested bringing in Black Panther, because we were looking for sort of a third party who wouldn’t necessarily side with Cap or side with Ironman. And almost instantly, we all said Chadwick. And in my memory, although maybe it was the next day, we got him on a speaker phone right then"
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Director Ryan Coogler attends the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: This movie has been trying to be made for so long. I don’t believe in coincidences, so even though I know some people would have seen it gotten made a lot time ago, this was the time for this movie to be made, with this cast, with this director - right here. I mean, you did something special, Ryan. I know you were really nervous and excited, but once you saw it last night and you heard the response from the audience, what did you think? What did you think?
Answer: "Oh, man, I felt - I just felt incredibly blessed, you know, to have had the opportunity to make the film this way, to make the film with this studio, you know, working with Kevin and his team - Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, and Nate Moore, who Chadwick was just talking about - has been like - which is an incredible opportunity. And it’s not something I ever imagined, you know, would happen. And it’s good to work with some of my, like my - you know, my mentor, and these people who I’ve watched, you know, for my whole life, and some friends that I’ve made through this process. I mean, it was - you know, it was incredible, when I had like 50 of my family members there, all from the Bay area; they were like, talking at the screen."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Actor Forest Whitaker attends the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Nischelle: I told you this last night, but it was five years ago, right about now, that I met you when you came to Sundance, and you were doing Fruitvale Station. You were talking about Fruitvale Station. No one knew who you were. I remember, you, Forest, Michael B. Jordon - all of you all, and it was like - Forest, I think you - I even remember you saying, ‘Like, this man is the truth. Like, just wait ‘til you see what he’s going to be able to do.
Answer:": Yeah, I mean, I knew it from the moment that I met him. I mean, when he started to express himself, and I could feel, like, the center of, you know, of what he wanted to communicate to the world, and how he wanted to touch the world, and it really was a really powerful thing to see. And then I think when he started to talk to me about his ideas - at that time, he was in school, I remember thinking, you know, this person, if he’s given the right space, he’s going to, you know, do something that can change, you know, our lives in some way. And I thought that Fruitvale was that thing. That was the thing that he suggested, one of the projects he had, and really believed in it. And I was fortunate enough that he felt comfortable with us, like, producing that for him, and working with him on it. It’s - for me, it’s - I’m just blown away, you know, just watching his growth, every time, to see him really - how he’s able to just manifest so much importance, and you know, in socially relevant moments, inside of things that we want to sit and watch. And so it’s been quite a powerful experience for me last night to watch that."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Actors Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, and Chadwick Boseman attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Yeah - Michael, I see you nodding your head. And I feel like this movie had so much intention
.
Answer: "Last night was the first time I saw the film. And I think I had a little bit of that - you know, I was - I call Ryan - you know, the night before - or the day before - day of. And I was like, ‘Man, I’m anxious; I’m nervous, man. I don’t know, you know, kind of like what to expect.’ And he says, ‘Look, man, just look at it and try to be a fan. Just watch it, you know what I’m saying, and try to enjoy it.’ I was like - and in the back of my head I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s never gonna happen.’[LAUGHTER] ‘But I’m gonna try.’ And when I sat down with my family, you know, and this family, and you know, and then - and the audience, and I had that same type of reaction. It was like, man, this is what it feels like. There’s like, there’s nothing that I could have - I couldn’t describe that feeling before actually sitting down and watching that film. And seeing yourself on screen - not me personally, but people who looked like you know, empowered, and having those, you know, socially relevant themes, but in a movie that you want to sit down and watch, and you can enjoy, that Marvel does so well. So I think it was a really good balance, and everybody won; everybody did amazing, amazing jobs in performances. And it was an incredible film last night."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Actor Angela Bassett attends the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: Giving props to the ladies of Wakanda. But how proud of you all were - to see yourselves up, being so powerful, and so beautiful, and so regal on that screen?
Angela Basset: "Extraordinarily so. And so pleased that this story, you know, written by Ryan, and Joe Robert Cole, and Marvel, that it supported that. You know, it - you know, in African culture, you know, they feel as if there is no king without a queen."
"And I think in this story, it highlights the queen, you know, the warrior, you know, the general - the young sister, you know. So I was so proud to have my daughter, and my son there last night, because in their faces, and in their spirit - and they were feeling themselves."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Actors Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong'o attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
DANAI GURIRA: "Yeah, okay, I’ll talk. Yeah, when Ryan sat me down and talked to me about his vision, and the story, and the characters, and the women, I was just floored, you know, because you don’t actually get to hear that often. You know, you don’t actually get to hear that often. You know, you don’t actually get sat down and hear that type of a vision. And then it embodied with us being on the continent, women from the continent, but very developed, very complex. It was amazing. I mean, it was just like, this is going to - like, this is something else - like, I just want to watch it. I get to be in it?"
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: (L-R) Actors Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, and Danai Gurira attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question for Letitia: She wanted to know what your favorite weapon or gadget was, because she thought that was so cool.
Answer: "I think T’Challa’s suit’s quite beautiful. And - but I think the gauntlets is pretty dope, because her personal little thing."
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 30: Actors Martin Freeman (L) and Andy Serkis attend the Marvel Studios' BLACK PANTHER Global Junket Press Conference on January 30, 2018 at Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Question: "Hi, my name is [PH] Dovetta with Black Girl Nerds. I’m going to throw a question to Bilbo and Gollum. I saw him hiding over there. I just wanted to ask you’re in this incredible experience with all of the African talent, African descendants talent, actors behind the cameras, crew, how did that or will it do you think affect your world view and your view as artists from, you know, your culture?"
Answer: ANDY SERKIS: "Actually we were just talking about that earlier on and it was very funny ‘cause you reminded me of a story of Ryan saying to us before we were about to do our scene. Ryan came up to us and said, you know, I’ve never actually directed two white actors before. And probably not, probably ever, it was hilarious, it was kind of hilarious, but at the same time it was just like fuck that’s tragic, you know.LAUGH] It was kind of insane and kind of like weird, but it really was, I mean it was an incredible experience working with Ryan. He is one of the most brilliant, you know, wonderful, warm, humble, incredibly clever, articulate visionary directors and just to be part of this was just, well for me, I mean I don’t know what you thought of it."
Question "Hi everyone, my name is [PH] Arie Adams. I’m from Love, Peace and Tiny Feet. Congratulations on a wonderful, wonderful movie and I can say as a Liberian, the first generation of Liberian American, I felt that pride seeing this movie ‘cause it’s definitely not the Africa I grew up seeing on TV. My question is for you Chadwick. I read that it was especially important for you to have Black Panther speak in an African accent. Can you elaborate on that a little bit as far as your thoughts are for this and why it was so important?
Answer: "That’s a lot. I will try to be as quick as possible. You know I think as actors this is separate from the movie, but there is, when you’re trained you’re trained very often from a European perspective. What is considered great or classical is very often British and it’s certain writers and I happen to come from a background that does not believe that, you know. I went to Oxford to study, but I went to Howard and we were taught to respect our writers and our classics just as much and believe that it takes the same skill level and same technique and sometimes techniques that are a little bit different to pull that off. And so I think you have to be, you have to tell the stories and be true to yourself as an artist. And in this there’s no reason, you know, for it because there was a time period where people were asking me questions about whether or not an audience could sit through a movie with a lead character who spoke with that accent, you know. And it was not Kevin by the way, so just making sure you know that. People outside Marvel as well and so I became adamant about the fact that that is not true. That the intonations and melodies inside an African accent are just as classical as a British one or a European one and that all of the emotions and aspects of a character can be shown and expressions can be shown through that accent and we have to take this opportunity to show that and he just wouldn’t, if he had never been conquered, if his ancestors had never been conquered and he’s never been conquered and Wakanda is what it is, he doesn’t have to go to Oxford to study. He doesn’t have to go to Cambridge or Yale or any place to study. He actually got his education at home and he would not then assimilate a language that is the colonizer’s language in order to speak to his people. So he had to speak with an African accent."
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I hope you enjoyed reading as much I did being there! Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER opens in theaters everywhere on February 16th!
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