Violet Crown Black Panther Premiere

Madison Weikle, staff writer

It was an unusually warm Thursday night when the movie Black Panther hit theaters in Charlottesville. The local movie theater Violet Crown, located on the downtown mall across from Mudhouse Coffee, released the movie in the early evening at 7 p.m. With crowds out the door and a strong presence of cultural diversity, one might  think the festivities would last throughout the whole night.

However, when the 11 p.m. showing rolled around, the mood shifted greatly. While bars were filled and jazz music was blaring from Miller’s, hardly anyone stepped near the theater. The crowds from the 7 p.m. showing had left and the lonely building, all lit up for celebration, stood still and silent. Inside the theater was no different. The floors had been swept and the plush leather chairs faced the purple, glowing screen. A few people trickled into the theater closer to the showtime, but the seats remained mostly empty.

Violet Crown opened in October 2015 and quickly became a place of high public interest. The theater was a new movie-going experience for the Charlottesville community, offering full meals, alcohol, and free four-hour parking. Violet Crown made a name for itself. So why is the theater empty during the premiere of a highly popular movie?

The main factor of decreased success for Violet Crown is new competition. The Alamo Drafthouse, located off 5th street, provides extreme competition for Violet Crown, it offers snacks and full meals before and during the movie. Alamo also announced on their website an “opening night fan event,” stating, “Fans attending will see exclusive content, receive a collectible coin, and be given a special event only concessions offer.”

While the Alamo’s success certainly impacted the turn out of the Black Panther premiere at Violet Crown, the crowd audibly enjoyed the movie and Black Panther earned the spot of 5th biggest opening of all time bringing in $201.8 million in just three days, according to Frank Pallotta, CNN Media. The movie’s success provides inspiration for African-American children everywhere and paves the way for increased diversity in the film industry.