How ’Black Panther’ points to a more enlightened Hollywood future

Experts at a Zócalo/UCLA discussion say the mega-hit will inspire more inclusion if the industry internalizes its many lessons. Joe Mathews/Zócalo Public Square - The global success of, and acclaim for, the film ""Black Panther"" reflect greater inclusiveness and openness to different stories within Hollywood — and could inspire even more changes within the industry. That was the cautiously optimistic conclusion of a panel — including scholars, a novelist, a film critic and a film executive — at a Zócalo/UCLA event, "Will "Black Panther" Really Change Hollywood?" held at the ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles. Conversation started with observations about "Black Panther," which is already the number one superhero movie of all time, with domestic box office receipts of $633 million, and another $600 million brought in overseas. But the panel soon became a wide-ranging discussion of African-American representation in American popular culture — from blaxploitation films to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video to recent films like "Hidden Figures" and "Get Out." Event moderator Claudia Puig, a National Public Radio film critic and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, noted that some commentators have compared the impact of "Black Panther" impact to President Barack Obama's election, and even Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. "Black Panther" executive producer Nate Moore pooh-poohed such notions — but said that he and director Ryan Coogler had talked throughout production about how the film could open doors for more films that feature largely black casts and tell stories about black people.