‘Panther’ leaps into history as Feb. smash

“Black Panther” not only shattered Hollywood’s outdated notions about diversity — but also overturned the perception of February as a moviegoing wasteland, insiders said.

Paul Dergarabedian, comScore’s senior media analyst, said that Presidents’ Day weekend never had a $100 million opening before the release of “Deadpool” in 2016 racked up a four- day gross of $152 million.

But then “Black Panther” broke the record by taking in $242 million in North American receipts from Friday through Monday — 59 percent more than “Deadpool” and, as Disney announced on Tuesday, enough for its Marvel flick to rank as the secondbiggest four-day opener of all time.

Only “Star Wars: The Force Awak- ens” opened stronger, with a four-day total of $288 million. “The Force,” however, had the advantage of opening a week before Christmas in 2015.

Over the past five years, the average monthly take at the domestic box office was $914 million.

But February’s average came in 27 percent lighter, at $668 million. Just two of the Top 50 four-day opening takes were in February.

Disney noted that the $40.2 million take on Monday for “Panther” toppled the $40.1 million from “The Force Awakens.”

“It used to be the month made the movie,” Dergarabedian said of Hollywood wisdom before “Black Panther.” “But this movie is making the month.”