Black Panther: "first" film screened in Saudi Arabia in 35 years

Black Panther is breaking records and has already exceeded one billion dollars at the global box office. But this one is about to become a new small revolution, namely the first film released in Saudi Arabia in 35 years (bigre). 

Saudi Arabia is not known as the most libertarian country in the world, as evidenced by the pervasive artistic censorship in this state. Since 1983, cinemas had been closed outright, with public screenings of feature films banned. But last December, King Salman's Wahhabi government authorized the opening of a cinema in Riyadh, the capital of the Saudi kingdom.

It is in agreement with AMC, the American media group, that the decision was taken.And things will not be done by halves, since the room is planned for several hundred leather seats, to which will be added balconies and marble toilets … The watchword for this new room is luxury. After all, even if it means having denied cinema for decades, the first reconstructed is flashy. The room should be managed by AMC and be the first of many. 

The choice of Black Panther as the first public broadcast is not insignificant, since the work addresses themes such as openness and tolerance. The feature film is also the top-rated superhero movie on Rotten Tomatoes and it continues to make its way in theaters around the world. It should be noted that it is not Black Panther but The Secret World of Emojis that was to have the privilege of being the first film to be released in theaters in Saudi Arabia. But in the end, the animated film will have been shown in a theater. This anecdote therefore makes it possible to temper this status of "first" for Black Panther, even if the symbolism of its diffusion is probably what will remain in the memories. 

Is this the beginning of a new market for cinema? This will probably be conditioned by the success of the films broadcast in Saudi Arabia. In any case, it will always make a few more entries to put on the note of Black Panther !