Candyman becomes the 1st film directed by a Black woman to debut at No. 1 at the box office

Say her name.

The new horror sequel Candyman debuted at the top of the box office this weekend with more than $20 million, and its director, Nia DaCosta, made history in the process. DaCosta, according to IndieWire and Deadline, has become the first Black female director to ever have a film open at number one at the domestic box office.

As IndieWire notes, Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time nearly set that record in 2018, but that film actually opened in the number two position behind Black Panther. A Wrinkle In Time, though, still holds the record for biggest debut for a film directed by a Black woman with $33.1 million, according to Deadline.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Candyman serves as a follow-up to the classic 1992 horror film starring Tony Todd, exploring issues like systemic racism and police brutality while updating the franchise's lore. The film received largely positive critical reviews, and DaCosta is set to follow it up by journeying into the world of Marvel. Her next film will be The Marvels, a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, and she's set to become the first Black woman to direct a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.