here is a list of opening weekend, total domestic and total worldwide sales for black movies dating back to 1971.
most of the numbers are from thenumbers.com and the movie titles link back to the movie’s profile on the site. i added a few additional movies and filled in missing data where possible from boxofficemojo.com.
given this info, what is your prediction for the opening weekend of think like a man?
i will say this, despite my loathing for the theme and continued discussion of the topic, they’ve done a hell of a job promoting this movie. they’ve expertly tapped into the viral and social nature of the topic and stayed top of mind on relevant blogs and black radio. even krisirisi radio talked about it! 🙂 they’ve also leveraged the popular wave kevin hart is riding right now. i haven’t seen promo from any of the other actors, and just about everybody is in this movie for at least 5 minutes.
they also did an excellent job with product integration in the last episode of basketball wives before the movie was released. giving the hooligans ladies a sneak peak of the film was a great way to reach the target audience.
there’s also a billboard in times square. i only noticed it because i happened to look up. i guess that was for the tourists who actually pay attention to those things.
listen to the latest episode of sisterchat where nikkiyo and i discuss relationships with relationship coach keith dent of strive 2 succeed coaching services (blog & website).
| Release Date | Title | Opening Weekend | Domestic Box Office | Worldwide Box Office |
| 1/1/1971 | Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song | $15,200,000 | $15,200,000 | |
| 9/7/1984 | The Brother From Another Planet | $3,677,209 | ||
| 12/18/1985 | The Color Purple | $1,710,333 | $93,589,701 | $93,589,701 |
| 12/18/1987 | Eddie Murphy Raw | $9,077,324 | $50,504,655 | $50,504,655 |
| 6/29/1988 | Coming to America | $21,404,420 | $128,152,301 | $288,800,000 |
| 12/14/1988 | I’m Gonna Git You Sucka | $13,030,057 | $13,030,057 | |
| 6/30/1989 | Do the Right Thing | $3,563,535 | $26,004,026 | $26,004,026 |
| 11/17/1989 | Harlem Nights | $16,096,808 | $60,857,262 | $95,857,262 |
| 7/12/1991 | Boyz n the Hood | $10,023,462 | $56,190,094 | $56,190,094 |
| 1/17/1992 | Juice | $8,085,715 | $20,146,800 | $20,146,800 |
| 7/1/1992 | Boomerang | $13,640,706 | $70,052,444 | $131,052,444 |
| 11/18/1992 | Malcolm X | $9,871,125 | $48,169,910 | $48,169,910 |
| 5/26/1993 | Menace II Society | $3,839,638 | $27,731,527 | $27,731,527 |
| 6/9/1993 | What’s Love Got to Do With It | $1,222,718 | $39,100,956 | $39,100,956 |
| 8/19/1994 | Fresh | $8,094,616 | $8,094,616 | |
| 1/11/1995 | Higher Learning | $13,276,662 | $38,023,585 | $38,023,585 |
| 4/7/1995 | Bad Boys | $15,523,358 | $65,647,413 | $141,247,413 |
| 4/26/1995 | Friday | $6,589,341 | $27,467,564 | $27,936,778 |
| 10/4/1995 | Dead Presidents | $7,943,778 | $24,120,194 | $24,120,194 |
| 12/22/1995 | Waiting to Exhale | $14,126,927 | $66,947,948 | $66,947,948 |
| 1/12/1996 | Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | $9,632,409 | $19,674,813 | $19,674,813 |
| 1/26/1996 | Once Upon a Time… When We Were Colored | $75,675 | $2,291,255 | $2,291,255 |
| 4/3/1996 | A Thin Line Between Love & Hate | $9,310,414 | $34,873,513 | $34,873,513 |
| 7/24/1996 | A Time to Kill | $14,823,159 | $108,766,007 | $152,266,007 |
| 11/6/1996 | Set It Off | $8,812,105 | $36,049,108 | $36,049,108 |
| 2/26/1997 | Booty Call | $6,429,364 | $20,066,917 | $20,066,917 |
| 8/27/1997 | Hoodlum | $8,162,768 | $23,489,997 | $23,489,997 |
| 9/26/1997 | Soul Food | $11,197,897 | $43,492,389 | $43,492,389 |
| 5/1/1998 | He Got Game | $7,610,663 | $21,567,853 | $21,567,853 |
| 8/14/1998 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | $11,318,919 | $37,672,944 | $37,672,944 |
| 4/16/1999 | Life | $20,414,775 | $64,062,587 | $73,521,587 |
| 10/22/1999 | The Best Man | $9,031,660 | $34,102,780 | $34,572,780 |
| 1/12/2000 | Next Friday | $16,918,226 | $57,176,582 | $59,675,307 |
| 6/2/2000 | Big Momma’s House | $25,661,041 | $117,559,438 | $173,559,438 |
| 8/18/2000 | The Original Kings of Comedy | $11,053,832 | $38,168,022 | $38,236,338 |
| 10/6/2000 | Bamboozled | $190,720 | $2,274,979 | $2,463,650 |
| 4/11/2001 | Kingdom Come | $7,562,284 | $23,247,539 | $23,393,939 |
| 12/25/2001 | Ali | $14,710,892 | $58,183,966 | $87,683,966 |
| 5/31/2002 | Undercover Brother | $12,037,685 | $38,230,435 | $38,230,435 |
| 9/13/2002 | Barbershop | $20,627,433 | $75,781,642 | $77,081,642 |
| 10/11/2002 | Brown Sugar | $10,738,882 | $27,362,712 | $28,315,272 |
| 11/22/2002 | Friday After Next | $13,010,767 | $33,253,609 | $33,526,835 |
| 12/19/2002 | Antwone Fisher | $210,013 | $21,078,145 | $23,367,586 |
| 7/18/2003 | Bad Boys II | $46,522,560 | $138,540,870 | $272,940,870 |
| 2/6/2004 | Barbershop 2: Back in Business | $24,241,612 | $65,070,412 | $65,842,412 |
| 4/7/2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | $9,375,307 | $31,203,964 | $31,462,753 |
| 9/3/2004 | The Cookout | $5,000,900 | $11,540,112 | $11,540,112 |
| 10/1/2004 | Woman Thou Art Loosed | $2,325,474 | $6,879,730 | $6,879,730 |
| 10/29/2004 | Ray | $20,039,730 | $75,305,995 | $125,305,995 |
| 1/21/2005 | Are We There Yet? | $18,575,214 | $82,674,398 | $97,918,663 |
| 2/25/2005 | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | $21,905,089 | $50,406,346 | $50,425,450 |
| 3/30/2005 | Beauty Shop | $12,801,465 | $36,351,350 | $38,351,350 |
| 7/22/2005 | Hustle & Flow | $8,017,808 | $22,202,809 | $23,563,727 |
| 1/27/2006 | Big Momma’s House 2 | $27,736,056 | $70,165,972 | $137,047,376 |
| 2/24/2006 | Madea’s Family Reunion | $30,030,661 | $63,257,940 | $63,308,879 |
| 4/7/2006 | Phat Girlz | $3,109,924 | $7,061,128 | $7,301,080 |
| 6/27/2006 | Why Did I Get Married? | $21,353,789 | $55,204,525 | $55,862,886 |
| 7/14/2006 | Little Man | $21,613,176 | $58,636,047 | $101,636,047 |
| 12/15/2006 | Dreamgirls | $378,950 | $103,365,956 | $154,965,956 |
| 1/5/2007 | Freedom Writers | $9,405,582 | $36,605,602 | $43,090,741 |
| 1/12/2007 | Stomp the Yard | $21,833,312 | $61,356,221 | $76,356,221 |
| 2/6/2007 | Eddie Murphy Delirious | |||
| 2/14/2007 | Daddy’s Little Girls | $11,210,754 | $31,366,978 | $31,517,059 |
| 4/4/2007 | Are We Done Yet? | $14,262,724 | $49,662,533 | $58,388,068 |
| 7/27/2007 | Who’s Your Caddy? | $2,756,661 | $5,694,308 | $5,694,308 |
| 11/21/2007 | This Christmas | $17,958,183 | $49,121,934 | $49,778,552 |
| 2/8/2008 | Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | $16,207,730 | $42,436,517 | $43,607,627 |
| 3/4/2008 | Johnson Family Dinner | $0 | $0 | |
| 9/26/2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | $3,477,996 | $7,916,887 | $9,110,458 |
| 1/30/2009 | Medicine for Melancholy | $12,625 | $111,551 | $111,551 |
| 9/11/2009 | I Can Do Bad All By Myself | $23,446,785 | $51,733,921 | $51,733,921 |
| 1/1/2010 | Kings of the Evening | $802 | $98,926 | $98,926 |
| 4/2/2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | $29,289,537 | $60,095,852 | |
| 6/4/2010 | Speed-Dating | $3,394 | $3,394 | $3,394 |
| 8/20/2010 | Lottery Ticket | $10,652,297 | $24,719,879 | $24,719,879 |
| 10/15/2010 | N-Secure | $1,166,406 | $2,595,644 | $2,595,644 |
| 11/5/2010 | For Colored Girls | $19,497,324 | $37,729,698 | $37,729,698 |
| 12/10/2010 | Frankie and Alice | $7,768 | $10,671 | $10,671 |
| 1/14/2011 | The Heart Specialist | $473,062 | $1,103,037 | $1,103,037 |
| 2/18/2011 | Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son | $16,300,803 | $37,915,414 | $83,915,414 |
| 4/22/2011 | Madea’s Big Happy Family | $25,068,677 | $53,345,287 | $53,345,287 |
| 5/6/2011 | Jumping the Broom | $15,215,487 | $37,295,394 | $37,715,394 |
| 5/20/2011 | 35 and Ticking | $29,775 | $113,804 | $113,804 |
| 7/29/2011 | The Interrupters | $236,957 | $236,957 | |
| 8/10/2011 | The Help | $26,044,590 | $169,582,987 | $205,282,987 |
| 8/12/2011 | CornerStore | $12,743 | $40,508 | $40,508 |
| 8/26/2011 | Politics of Love | $0 | $0 | |
| 9/9/2011 | Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain | $1,908,420 | $7,706,436 | $7,712,436 |
| 9/9/2011 | The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 | $17,316 | $273,749 | $273,749 |
| 12/28/2011 | Pariah | $48,579 | $401,305 | $401,305 |
| 1/13/2012 | Joyful Noise | $11,225,190 | $13,802,308 | $13,802,308 |
| 1/20/2012 | Red Tails | $18,782,154 | $49,804,481 | $0 |