20/20 Presents Black Panther: In Search of Wakanda (2022) Movie Script
(upbeat music playing)
ROBIN: Tonight,
just one week before the opening
of the most anticipated movie of the year,
the stars of Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever are here
Yes!
Wakanda Forever!
ROBIN: to celebrate and honor
the brilliance of Chadwick Boseman
and to pay tribute
to the legacy of a king.
When Chadwick passed away, I was broken.
ROBIN: The powerful interview
with his wife,
Simone Ledward Boseman.
He was a leader and he was a king.
(dramatic music playing)
ROBIN: Also, we take you
inside Wakanda.
We are home.
ROBIN: Hidden in Africa,
a fictional world of science
and technology,
with very real traditions,
culture and challenges
and show you how that world expanded
to include a fictional new underwater city
based on the traditions
of Mexican culture.
(singing Akekho Umama Ofana Naye)
ROBIN: Feel the iconic rhythms
and music of Wakanda,
how hit artists blended today's sounds
with sounds of old.
RIHANNA: Lift me up
ROBIN: And here tonight
Oh, man, maybe we bit off
more than we can chew.
ROBIN: for the first time anywhere,
see an exclusive not yet released scene
of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
(rock music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
ROBIN: In recent years,
a simple two-word phrase and gesture
has taken on a life of its own.
MAN: Wakanda Forever!
Wakanda Forever!
Wakanda Forever.
ROBIN: Sweeping the nation.
Nobody wants to shake my hands anymore.
Everybody just does this.
Seeing people gravitate,
celebrate is beautiful.
-Action!
-Wakanda Forever!
LUPITA: The salute was being done on set.
I was like, "Oh, that's really fly.
That's catchy. That's good."
FREDERICK: It's a statement, right?
You know, it--
I can't even really explain it.
Like, you saw NBA players doing it.
The Saturday Night Live skit.
you know, like, showing people,
like, doing it all over the place.
-Hail Wakanda.
-Hail Wakanda.
FREDERICK: And it was--it was hilarious.
It's a brilliant stamp
that easily gets transferred to real life.
It is right over left.
-Wakanda Forever.
-Wakanda Forever.
(tense music playing)
ROBIN: Black Panther
was more than just a superhero movie
-(drums thudding)
-(ululates)
ROBIN: it was a cultural phenomenon.
But making it wasn't always easy,
as Director Ryan Coogler revealed
when we sat down together.
It was the hardest thing
I'd ever done professionally.
Makin' the first Panther,
it felt like I had been off
more than I can chew.
"Imposter syndrome" some people call it.
"I'm not ready yet.
It's too big, it's too much."
But my collaborators all
would constantly let me know
that they trusted me.
ROBIN: When the movie was about
to be released in 2018,
the anticipation was palpable.
-CROWD: Lupita! Lupita!
-MAN: Can I get one please?
ROBIN: It set a pre-ticket sales record
and we saw the start
of the Black Panther Challenge online.
The Black Panther Challenge is actually
the largest GoFundMe in history.
I thought about,
let's see if I could figure out a way
to help some children see the film.
ROBIN: His idea unleashed waves of joy
across classrooms.
(all singing foreign language)
ROBIN: It raised millions
with 70,000 children
watching the film for free.
We're inviting all of you guys
to come see Black Panther for free.
(cheering)
FREDERICK: I think that this film
is a global catalyst
for the imagination of young people.
They can literally be anything,
because they see it.
It is life-changing.
This never are gets old.
NNEDI: That moment where
they go through that forcefield
and then you see it open up,
like, was exhilarating.
I had never seen a love letter
to the Black community like that
on a screen in this capacity.
ROBIN: It became one
of the top-grossing movies of all time,
earning more than $1.3 billion worldwide.
(indistinct chatter)
It's the first comic-film nominated
for best picture for the Oscars.
JAMIL: To see this tale
from about a made-up superhero
in a made-up country,
but based wholly in African
and African-American realities,
to see the Academy recognize that
wasn't necessarily a step forward for us,
it was a step forward for them.
(applause)
And the Oscar goes to
Black Panther.
ROBIN: It did end up winning
three Academy Awards for its score,
costume and production design.
The casts also taking home
a Screen Actors Guild Award.
But this massive blockbuster
actually had humble origins.
It started with a comic book
that was never expected
to amount to anything.
Marvel comics was expanding.
And they decided put the Black Panther
in Jungle Action.
And they didnt think
it was gonna survive.
JAMIL: The character was created
by Stan Lee
and Jack Herby in 1966.
And of course that's the same year
that the Black Power movement emerges.
(crowd cheering)
JAMIL: Civil rights movement,
you have the emergence of demands
not simply for Black freedom
but for Black power.
All power to the people!
ALL (applauding): All power to the people.
I'm sure Jack and Stan were aware
of the Black Panther party.
But I don't know
how much that influenced the character.
I know that there's was a concern there.
JAMIL: They changed the name of the comic
to Black Leopard
for a brief time before reverting.
So I think there may have been
initially some reticence,
you know, about being associated
with the Black Panthers
and the concept of Black Power.
But ultimately that is what
the comic is about.
DON: I tried to make Wakanda
a very separate unique place.
And trying to keep
the White people out of there
was-- became a major fight.
Uh, I just wouldn't do it.
T'Challa doesnt need anybody
to come in and help him.
He'll take care of his own problems,
thank you very much.
As a fan of the character in publishing,
what always struck me
about Black Panther is
he's not an incredibly emotive person
even on the page,
but there's a power to him,
there's a gravity.
ROBIN: Producer Nate Moore's idea
was to introduce King T'Challa
or Black Panther
on the big screen in 2016's
Captain America: Civil War
played by Chadwick Boseman.
He shows up. Boom!
And I know now in hindsight,
he thought it was a cameo.
But we were interested in doing
a stand-alone movie.
FREDERICK: You see the scene.
And bullets are bouncing off
of the Black Panther.
People lost it.
In a world where we are protesting
for no bullets to be aimed
at a Black person,
to see them bounce off
from a police helicopter,
that's something special.
JAMIL: It's not surprising to see that
the public would demand
more of that character.
RHODEY: Your Highness.
ROBIN: The public got what they wanted
and so much more.
The movie and its ripple effects
were felt across the globe,
as I saw in my visit to Ghana.
Talking with Danai Gurira
who grew up in Africa
and is a fierceWakandan warrior
in the movie.
Why do you feel it had such an impact?
It really is that moment
where the world is ready for something
they might not be aware they're ready for.
The world was ready
to really take in Africa
in a whole new way.
In a way that shows our specificity,
our excellence,
our diversity, our coolness, you know.
You have college courses
being taught about Black Panther
and the themes within the film.
It's brilliant.
Sometimes you're allowed to tell stories
only within a certain box,
but with Panther,
we blew the lid off of that box.
Is this what you wanted?
FREDERICK: It opened the door
for Shang-Chi to exist.
It opened a door, in my opinion,
for the success of Crazy Rich Asians.
It opened the door for The Woman King.
With Black Panther, it is a phenomenon
in every way: the box office,
culturally, critically.
Did you feel pressure,
expectations for the second one?
Of course, of course.
Um, I felt humbled to be asked
back to do another one, you know.
It's not a guarantee.
But I knew I wanted to do it.
And I have to say the way that
you were able to introduce
a new world, new characters.
I started started to have that
familiar feeling of, like, "Oh man,
man, maybe we bit off more
than we can chew," you know,
like when we were--
we were developing Talokan.
ROBIN: Not only did he help create
the underwater nation of Talokan
for the film Wakanda Forever,
Ryan also brought in
a cast of international actors.
When I was a kid in Mexico,
I never dreamed of something like this.
Namor is the ruler of Talokan.
This character is based
on indigenous cultures,
Mesoamerican cultures,
especially Mayan cultures.
One of the biggest messages
in this movie is that
it's time to heal the breaks in the heart
and embrace who we are.
This movie changed my own story.
You know, when I start this movie,
I didn't even speak English.
And it's beautiful, this Talokan world.
Actually, we heard
an indigenous language.
As a Mexican woman with this face
to see myself for the first time
in a big screen is like wonderful.
This is probably one
of the most diverse casts
that we've seen with this kind of budget.
TEMS: Ere, little darling
don't shed no tear
There's something truly universal
about this story.
As we allow this story
to touch our hearts.
FREDERICK:
I watched the teaser the first time.
I missed Chadwick Boseman immediately.
When Chadwick passed away, I was broken.
And so we all are being invited
to experience the story,
and seek the hope we all need.
And hopefully in the process,
we've paid tribute to Chadwick,
and we've furthered his legacy.
What do you feel his legacy will be?
It can't be defined to a sentence
soundbite, or--or--or a film.
(crying)
Forgive me.
No apology necessary.
He had these giant hands, like, uh
(chuckles, sniffles)
massive.
And--and--
and that's what I think about with him,
is--is his--is his reach
like, across history.
You know, pullin' us up,
pullin' us backwards
for--for what we should know.
And, um--and pullin' us forward.
That's--that's what I think his legacy is.
Thank you. Thank you.
-Thank you.
-ROBIN: Thank you.
My momma used to say,
"I feel him on his heavenly balcony,
going, 'Thank you, carry on, carry on.'"
Thank you.
(dramatic music playing)
You know, we had already introduced
audiences to the world
of Wakanda cinematically.
And we wanted to--
to get deeper into Wakanda,
get deeper into the characters.
But at the same time, give audiences
that same feelin' of bein' introduced
to something new, to a new place.
KELLEY: In this new film,
I think we get more Wakanda.
I mean, we definitely see all
of the science tech advances
that every other country, you know,
in the world wants to get their hands on.
But we also see the people.
I really became more detailed and focused
on their traditions, their culture.
What are some of the things
that they are challenged with?
Wakanda Forever represents
this nation of Afrofuturism
that really centers
the continent of Africa
in the tech space.
Afrofuturism is taking an idea
or the thing that happened
and reimagining the sci-fi fiction
behind what would have happened.
You see these young, Black, tech geniuses,
that really are, like, the smartest people
on the planet, in this film.
And that's something
we've never seen before
in any movie, period.
The STEM, everyone talks about how women
are not bright when it comes to that.
And at the forefront, Shuri is there.
Can you tell folks
what's--what's new technology
-Oh, technology wise, what's new?
-Yeah, the new inventions and things.
You'll see new vehicles,
you'll see, um, new applied sciences.
You'll see a lotta,
uh, robotic engineering,
rocket engineering, nanotechnology.
I mean, you'll see it all.
Bullet wounds don't just
magically heal overnight.
(chuckles) They do here.
But not by magic, by technology.
NNEDI: Shuri in the comics,
she has a lot of really mystical powers,
and then the Shuri in the film
is a genius engineer who creates
all of these different technologies
for her brother,
but she has her own aspirations too.
Shuri's way of dealing
with what she's going through,
is to bury herself into new technology.
She's always thinking of ways
to protect not only her nation,
but those who have to go to fight
on behalf of her nation.
There's futurism
but there's also a respect
of honoring the past,
so there's a moment
when she has to just take Shuri,
let go all of the technology
and we have to just sit
and deal with the experience of life.
Shuri in the--in the first film
was a mentee
of her--of her older brother.
And in this film, she gets to play mentor
to another young scientist,
and that relationship that--
seein' those two characters
kinda bounce ideas off of each other
was, uh, really a blast to direct,
and I'm lookin' forward
to people seein' it.
Wakanda planted a seed
of what is possible.
We can't go back in time.
However, we can pull from it
some of the strength.
NNEDI: Things don't get done
until you can imagine them first.
That is the role of storytellers.
That is the role of science fiction.
It's about envisioning a future
with us in it.
RUTH: We are thinking about
how we can move
the African diaspora into the future,
with technology, with science,
with culture with art,
and Afrofuture combines all of that.
We wanted it
to be as tangible and real
and evolved as possible,
but still be familiar, right.
We don't want it to be, you know,
100 years in the future
and nobody understands what's going on.
Black Panther helped
to elevate Afrofuturism
and have us talking about it
in louder ways
than probably we were before.
After this movie, Wakanda Forever,
there'll be two discussions coming out.
You're gonna have
the continuing discussion of Afrofuturism.
But then you will see
the work of other authors
that have talked about
Chicano-Chicanafuturism.
There is Latino futurism.
We were being influenced by that.
Seeing two different groups
of brown people on screen
in Wakanda Forever is
colossal.
ROBIN: Across the globe we are seeing
the next generation of storytellers
and visual artists using technology
to tell their stories
in a way we've never seen before.
It feels great to know
that people have looked at Wakanda
and taken inspiration to create
and innovate and discover.
DAVID: Using technology, using software,
using all these new media,
allows more artists
to develop, and opens the door
to various forms of art
that, especially from Africa
and from the diaspora,
are not represented enough.
MICHELLE: As an artist
I'm always trying to look
into different ways of telling stories.
You know, the VR technology
is kind of like a step forward
into, um, the future.
ROBIN: This big screen inspiration
now leading the way
for the next generation of creators.
It was definitely, uh,
like a stepping stone for me.
Like maybe one day I could be someone
who's creating things as big as that.
It reminds me of how else people--
these are the only thing
we blessed with, the hands.
We need to use them
to create possible futures,
to create our own realities,
to create everything that we imagine.
LETITIA: I always want to inspire
through my work.
For it to touch people's hearts
means that we did something right.
ROBIN: Did you ever imagine
that you would create
this world that resonates
with so many people?
It's beyond my wildest imagination.
I feel like I was blessed to be able
to be in the right place
at the right time,
um, to have the ability--
to have the job
of adapting Wakanda to the screen.
Never dreamt
that I would ever be a part
of something like this.
And I knew the first time
I turned on the Skype
and looked at Ryan's face and we talked,
"This is gonna change everything."
(upbeat music playing)
ROBIN: Before Black Panther
was even released in 2018,
the fashion in the film
sparked an obsession
all over social media.
The woman who lit the flame?
Creator and legendary costume designer,
Ruth E. Carter.
(chanting)
JAMIL: The scene where T'Challa
is first going to face a challenge,
you're seeing all of the different tribes
of Wakanda
on the side of this mountain,
it still gives me chills
just thinking about it.
I, M'baku,
leader of the Jabari, wish to--
I accept your challenge.
TANISH: She really is the blueprint
for a lot of other
Black costume designers.
-MAN: Right here, babe.
-(cameras clicking)
ROBIN: For over 30 years,
Carter has designed costumes
for such films as Selma
MAN: What happens when a man stands up,
says, "Enough is enough"?
ROBIN: Amistad
MAN: I will call into the past
and beg my ancestors
to come and help me.
ROBIN: and Malcolm X.
This is who you are.
Beautiful.
Your beautiful black selves
with pride and dignity.
Ruth E. Carter.
(laughs)
Were you familiar with her work
from an early age?
Of course. Oh, yeah.
I grew up--I grew up watching--yeah.
I grew up watching her work.
RUTH: Black Panther
was a full-circle moment
because making those costumes
required that I pull in
everything I have ever done.
(chanting)
ROBIN: Carter worked closely
with Coogler to develop the costumes
and it all started with a blanket.
All of our research trips
informed us a lot.
My initial trip,
I was in South Africa, in Lesotho.
RUTH: When he returned,
he remembered these beautiful blankets
that were the indicator of their tribe
and they had been with them
for hundreds of years.
Border Tribe.
RUTH: And then we printed Vibranium
on one side,
so that they could be used as shields.
ROBIN:
The visual style Carter developed
mixes and celebrates traditional
and contemporary African design.
TANISHA: She literally scoured the earth
for the garments in this film.
She went to various parts
of the African continent
to work with some
of the most skilled craftspeople
and also to educate herself
on the various ethnic groups
across the African continent.
ROBIN: Marvel had a design
for T'challa's Black Panther suit
but Carter put a unique stamp on it.
One of the things that was important to me
was that he have symbols on his suit
that would connect him to Africa.
You see that triangle
in so much of the art of Africa
throughout the continent.
And the Oscar goes to
ROBIN: For her groundbreaking work,
Carter became the first
African-American costume designer
to win an Oscar.
Wow.
This has been a long time coming.
Marvel may have created
the first Black superhero,
but through costume design
we turned him into an African king.
(cheers and applause)
ROBIN: In Wakanda Forever,
we'll see some familiar costumes
but this time, Carter's work
is even bigger and bolder.
She really can make you,
like, click into place
with the costume she puts you in.
She's a storyteller first.
Take her to the River Province
to prepare her for the ceremony.
RUTH: The Dora Milaje,
their costume honors
many regions of Africa.
This is Dora Milaje, right here.
There's a harness which is inspired
by the Turkana tribe.
Neck rings and arm rings
inspired by the Ndebele.
Leather inspired
by the Himba tribe of Mali.
ROBIN: Queen Ramonda appears
in a series of spectacular
3D printed crowns.
RUTH: She wears this isicholo.
Here is Ramonda's hat from Wakanda.
That is the South African
married woman's hat.
They're so resplendent,
so regal that they--
they really helped me
grasp onto the character.
The headdress is 3D-printed,
very, very, expensive. (laughs)
ROBIN: Carter also faced
her greatest challenge yet,
creating costumes
for the underwater world of Talokan.
The Talokanil is
a imagined world of people
who left the Mayan civilization
and created one in the ocean.
The production, they hired some advisors.
These guys are scholars.
They are Mayans.
They directed us to the pottery
that the Mayans painted,
the hieroglyphics.
TENOCH: They took so long
to create this costume
because they have to know exactly
what was the meaning of each element.
For example, in the helmet,
you know, is the feather serpent.
These costumes change
the story for our people.
-it's so amazing for the representation.
-Amazing.
We also went to historians and experts
that could tell us about
the evolution underwater.
We used fish bones and we used fish fins.
The lionfish fins that Namora wears
are very large.
The headpiece is--it's a lot.
You can't swim with the headpiece.
It was heavy.
So we have different versions
if I have to move too much
under the water.
ROBIN:
With stories like these emerging,
the anticipation only grows
to see Carter's wearable art
on screen again
and to answer the question
Who is gonna be donning
that majestic, symbolic,
important piece of costume
that Chadwick did?
You know, I don't wanna give it away
before folks see it,
but what I will say is, um,
the person who ends up putting on,
earns it through the film
and, you know, uh, I hope people enjoy it.
Well, speaking of music,
it's like a separate character
-RYAN: Uh-huh.
- in the film.
-RYAN: Yeah.
-And Ludwig
RYAN: We met in school at USC
and I heard him score something for, like,
one of my classmates
and it--it blew my mind.
ROBIN: Composer Ludwig Gransson,
the mind behind Black Panther's Grammy
and Oscar-winning score.
Its synergy of hip-hop
and traditional African beats,
bringing Wakanda to life
The only way to do that
would be to go to Africa
and work with artists
and instrumentalists from the continent.
ROBIN: Senegal would be
Gransson's first stop.
There, he connected with singer
and guitarist Baaba Maal,
who would invite him to watch his tour.
I think it was a good thing to do
because by following my band
and how the people organize
the concerts that start sometime
at two o'clock in the--the night.
It's very ceremonial.
The women put their jewelries,
their nice clothes, indigos,
all the colors.
The energy's crazy.
And he comes out
in his traditional clothing
and starts singing this--this opening hymn
and I had, you know,
goosebumps all over my body.
ROBIN: Maal's trumpeting vocals
which can be heard
from villages miles away
introduce the hidden kingdom
on the song "Wakanda".
(singing in Fula)
OKOYE: Sister Nakia,
my prince
we are home.
LUDWIG: Baaba Maal is singing about
an elephant that's died
and the elephant being
a synonym for a king.
When a big elephant die,
it's always a young elephant
who will come to lead all the others.
A new king will be chosen,
which is the young T'Challa.
This never gets old.
(epic music playing)
ROBIN: These drumming "Sounds of the King"
played by tama master Massamba Diop.
One of the most fascinating instruments
to me was the talking drum.
It's a drum that sounds like a voice
that you can actually talk with.
That was the first type of telephone.
And when we came back
and come to the studio in Dakar
and to bring all the musicians,
I remember when we was
recording the talking drums
with different microphones,
Ludwig was right there in the middle.
We have many Senegalese people
all around the world.
When they went to see Black Panther,
they all say, "Wow, this is our culture.
This is what we know."
ROBIN: Gransson's next stop
would be the International Library
of African Music
so we had our cameras follow
his footsteps.
LUDWIG: It was the biggest collection
of recorded African music in the world.
So I went there to be able to listen to
as many different recordings as I could.
And a lot of that music
doesn't exist anymore.
ROBIN: The library organized
a musical performance
by South African healers
to simulate Gransson's exposure
to traditional African performances
that communicate a story.
As they are dancing,
they are breaking
the foundations of those prisons.
Their ancestors will be free.
The first song that the Amagqirha sang
is Akekho Umama Ofana Naye,
which means "There's no mother like her."
(singing Akekho Umama Ofana Naye)
BAABA: African music,
you have to understand it,
like something that calls people
to collaborate,
this is what makes African music
always in a movement.
(drum beating)
(all chanting)
(speaks Xhosa)
(all speak speaks Xhosa)
MIKE: "All The Stars"
is the first song that I think about
when I think about Black Panther.
ROBIN: Afrofuturism takes center stage
in Kendrick Lamar's chart-topping album
that he curated
for the movie's soundtrack.
That first Black Panther soundtrack
went number one on the Billboard Top 200.
Probably because of Kendrick Lamar.
MIKE: Kendrick sits on the cusp
of so many intersectionalities
of different stylings of hip hop,
from hip hop music
to world music to Afrobeats.
There's something beautiful about
what's happening with Afrobeats right now,
you saw people dancing
here in the United States to Afrobeats
and you saw people dancing in South Africa
to Afrobeats outside of a movie theater.
(crowd cheering)
ROBIN: So how could they follow
Black Panther's iconic sound
in Wakanda Forever?
We didn't wanna try to reinvent the wheel,
you know, we didn't wanna try to recapture
lightning in a bottle on this one.
So we went into it being more open
to having lots of artists
and representation
from all over the world.
We had African and Afrobeats
and Afro pop represent Wakanda,
and so we needed that Mesoamerican side
of music to represent Talokan.
So it was an incredible journey
for me to be able to go to Mexico.
Some of the artists I worked with
there includes Alemn,
Snow Tha Product,
Vivir, and Mare.
But we still were, holding out hope
that we could find like--like--
a marquee artist as thematically relevant
as Kendrick was to the first film.
-And who was that? Who was that?
-(laughing)
-Who the--who was just a mother.
-Uh-huh.
What was it like to write with Rihanna?
-It was incredible.
-WOMAN: Rihanna!
NATE: Ryan knew this movie thematically
is very much about motherhood,
and mothers and daughters
and that relationship.
And Rihanna's very publicly a new mother.
Listen, if anybody is going to get RiRi
to give us some more music,
I guess it's Black Panther. (laughing)
RIHANNA: Lift me up
Hold me down
It was Rihanna's admiration
for the world of Wakanda
that inspired her to even want to see
a cut of the film.
And we she did, she was excited
to get back into the studio.
And her collaboration with Tems,
this amazing Nigerian-born artist as well
and Ryan has a writing credit
on "Lift Me Up".
We have to experience--
we're going to Lagos
and--where we meet with Tems,
and she recorded No Woman No Cry for us
that we used in the trailer.
TEMS: No woman no cry
What's so special about this is that
we recorded over four continents.
Over 2500 hours in the studio
over 40 different vocalists and artists,
a hundred-piece orchestra,
two completely different cultures.
SINGER: And when I wake up
WHOOPI:
How do you define the legacy of a King?
LETITIA: He is a King.
He is regal and a leader.
And T'challa is fortunate
and blessed to have Chadwick Boseman
represent him as a character,
because Chadwick Boseman
was everything and more
to showcase T'challa to the world.
He had no excuses when hard work
was there to be done,
no excuses.
When you looked at him,
you want to stand up straight.
You want to show up earlier,
work longer and harder and you refuse
to have any excuses yourself.
KEVIN: Chadwick
was the only actor we discussed.
He was the only actor we discussed
because of almost everything
we'd seen him in.
42.
NATE: His portrayal of Jackie Robinson
was so powerful because of the restraint.
That is something T'challa
kind of exhibits.
Right? There's a dignity to him.
King T'challa
the Black Panther.
LUPITA: He had just a spiritual practice
that made him more than just an actor.
He was very much involved
in the advancement of humanity.
And he sought to do
that through the roles he played.
Mr. Brock, I'm just a ballplayer.
No, no, no. You tell that
to all the little colored boys
playing baseball in Florida today.
To them, you a hero.
ROBIN: Actor Chadwick Boseman
being a real life hero
to children's at St. Jude's Hospital
struggling with cancer.
-Hi. How are you?
-Good.
I love your movie.
WHOOPI: In this Sirius XM interview,
Bozeman gets emotional
about terminal patients
he was communicating with.
Their parents say they're trying to hold
on till this movie comes.
Just to experience those two
little boys' anticipation of this movie.
And when I found out that they--
Yeah. It is--it is--it means a lot.
WHOOPI: But he was privately battling
the same disease.
We turn now to the tributes
pouring in after the death
of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman
at just 43 years old.
New details about Chadwick Boseman's
private battle with colon cancer.
He got that diagnosis.
It was being treated,
all while filming several movies.
WHOOPI: Bozeman's widow Simone
is carrying his torch
and now publicly speaking
for the first time.
Let me start by saying
how good it is to see you.
It's good to see you too.
Carrying this on,
I'm sure cannot be easy.
It has been the most challenging two years
I've ever had in my life.
We don't have any children
and we were really faced
-with this question of legacy.
-WHOOPI: Right.
We sat down.
He said, "You know,
I was thinking about a foundation."
And he said, "For the arts.
Will you do that for me?"
-"Of course, I will do anything for you."
-Yeah.
And you know, and very,
very shortly after that he transitioned.
WHOOPI: Bozeman's alma mater
Howard University
named the college of fine arts after him.
It was such a full circle moment
because he was able
to go back to Howard for
the commencement speech in 2018
and at that time they announced
the college was going to be reestablished.
WHOOPI: Bozeman would tell graduates
about adversity he faced
early in his career.
Playing a role with Black stereotypes.
I was conflicted because
this role seemed to be wrapped up
in assumptions about us as Black folk.
Howard instilled in me
a certain amount of pride.
And for my taste, this role didn't live
up to those standards.
He was playing a character that, you know,
didn't really have very much
of a back story.
-Uh-hmm.
-One of the questions was,
"Where's my father? Where's my mother?"
And his experience
with those producers was that, "Oh, well,
obviously your mom's addicted to drugs
and obviously your father abandoned you."
When I questioned that method
of portrayal,
a different path opened up for me,
the path to my destiny.
If he were not that person,
the person that would stand up
for what he believed in,
he would not have been right
for the role of T'challa.
He wouldn't have been right
to carry that mantle.
Did you ever think
you would fall for an actor?
No. It was nowhere in my purview,
you know.
I, I grew up in a small town
in the Bay Area.
And I just wanted to work on concerts.
I was working
at the Hollywood Bowl, and we did
-a James Brown tribute concert
-Right.
and he came on
as a special guest, and we met there.
It was shortly after he did Get On Up.
Hey!
(screeching)
I still kind of can't believe it.
Wait a minute. What do you mean--you--
what can't you believe?
It just I can't believe that--
I can't believe that I was so lucky
that I got to love this person,
and I also got them to love me too.
Sure, he was an actor,
but he was an artist.
He was an artist
and he was a leader and he was a king.
That he chose me to be
by his side for that is just--
he's an ancestor now
and he is--and he is never leaving me.
No, not ever, Queen.
Never Queen.
You are now queen and leader.
Simone worked with Howard to establish
the Chadwick A. Boseman
Memorial Scholarship,
which covers four years
of tuition for Black artists
at the fine arts school.
You said you didn't have any kids,
but you know you have millions
-of kids around the world.
-Yeah.
The legacy that you are sharing
by doing this
is huge,
because it's not just little boys,
but all these little girls who now
don't necessarily have to be princesses.
They can be warriors.
Being a Boseman scholar
is an honor and also granting me
opportunities to be in spaces
that I--that I wouldn't have been in.
It reminds me every day
the things that I need to do to be able
to walk in his footsteps
and replicate his excellence.
SHAWN: The whole entire reason I came
to Howard was because of Chadwick Boseman.
I want to be an actor and an artist,
and Chadwick Boseman's legacy
has paved the way for me
in the sense that he opened doors.
He was so connected to God.
Knowing that he had a job to do,
-he had to do his job
-Yeah.
and nothing
was more important than that.
Purpose is an essential element of you.
It is the reason you are on the planet
at this particular time in history.
Remember the struggles along the way
are only meant to shape you
for your purpose.
Stand up. You are a king.
I know that when people
fall in love with that character,
they're falling in love with Chad.
WHOOPI: That love echoing in theaters
around the world
for what would be his last time suiting up
as T'challa
in 2019's Avengers: Endgame
(audience cheering and applauding)
MAN: Yes, baby!
WHOOPI: to the hero
who never needed recognition,
to the king who didn't want a crown
Who
Who are you?
WHOOPI: to the man
who modeled "Wakanda Forever,"
please know your legacy will live
on forever.
ROBIN: Our thanks to Whoopi Goldberg.
The Chadwick Boseman Foundation
for the arts is raising money
for causes that empower people
of the African diaspora.
Finally tonight,
as promised for the first time anywhere,
our exclusive look
at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,
opening November 11th.
We are under attack.
(people exclaiming)
Here.
(screams)
(speaks Xhosa)
-(man mumbles)
-Are you all right?
Griot, activate the Sunbird.
Shuri, where are you?
Making my way to the city right now.
-Stand down. That is an order!
-Mother, I'm with Aneka.
We can provide air support.
RAMONDA:
Aneka, do not let her leave the lab.
Mother, y-y-you're breaking up.
-We can't hear you.
-RAMONDA: Shuri!
Love you. Bye.
You just hung up on the Queen.
I just hung up on my mom.
There's a difference. Come on, let's go!
ROBIN: Tonight,
just one week before the opening
of the most anticipated movie of the year,
the stars of Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever are here
Yes!
Wakanda Forever!
ROBIN: to celebrate and honor
the brilliance of Chadwick Boseman
and to pay tribute
to the legacy of a king.
When Chadwick passed away, I was broken.
ROBIN: The powerful interview
with his wife,
Simone Ledward Boseman.
He was a leader and he was a king.
(dramatic music playing)
ROBIN: Also, we take you
inside Wakanda.
We are home.
ROBIN: Hidden in Africa,
a fictional world of science
and technology,
with very real traditions,
culture and challenges
and show you how that world expanded
to include a fictional new underwater city
based on the traditions
of Mexican culture.
(singing Akekho Umama Ofana Naye)
ROBIN: Feel the iconic rhythms
and music of Wakanda,
how hit artists blended today's sounds
with sounds of old.
RIHANNA: Lift me up
ROBIN: And here tonight
Oh, man, maybe we bit off
more than we can chew.
ROBIN: for the first time anywhere,
see an exclusive not yet released scene
of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
(rock music playing)
(indistinct chatter)
ROBIN: In recent years,
a simple two-word phrase and gesture
has taken on a life of its own.
MAN: Wakanda Forever!
Wakanda Forever!
Wakanda Forever.
ROBIN: Sweeping the nation.
Nobody wants to shake my hands anymore.
Everybody just does this.
Seeing people gravitate,
celebrate is beautiful.
-Action!
-Wakanda Forever!
LUPITA: The salute was being done on set.
I was like, "Oh, that's really fly.
That's catchy. That's good."
FREDERICK: It's a statement, right?
You know, it--
I can't even really explain it.
Like, you saw NBA players doing it.
The Saturday Night Live skit.
you know, like, showing people,
like, doing it all over the place.
-Hail Wakanda.
-Hail Wakanda.
FREDERICK: And it was--it was hilarious.
It's a brilliant stamp
that easily gets transferred to real life.
It is right over left.
-Wakanda Forever.
-Wakanda Forever.
(tense music playing)
ROBIN: Black Panther
was more than just a superhero movie
-(drums thudding)
-(ululates)
ROBIN: it was a cultural phenomenon.
But making it wasn't always easy,
as Director Ryan Coogler revealed
when we sat down together.
It was the hardest thing
I'd ever done professionally.
Makin' the first Panther,
it felt like I had been off
more than I can chew.
"Imposter syndrome" some people call it.
"I'm not ready yet.
It's too big, it's too much."
But my collaborators all
would constantly let me know
that they trusted me.
ROBIN: When the movie was about
to be released in 2018,
the anticipation was palpable.
-CROWD: Lupita! Lupita!
-MAN: Can I get one please?
ROBIN: It set a pre-ticket sales record
and we saw the start
of the Black Panther Challenge online.
The Black Panther Challenge is actually
the largest GoFundMe in history.
I thought about,
let's see if I could figure out a way
to help some children see the film.
ROBIN: His idea unleashed waves of joy
across classrooms.
(all singing foreign language)
ROBIN: It raised millions
with 70,000 children
watching the film for free.
We're inviting all of you guys
to come see Black Panther for free.
(cheering)
FREDERICK: I think that this film
is a global catalyst
for the imagination of young people.
They can literally be anything,
because they see it.
It is life-changing.
This never are gets old.
NNEDI: That moment where
they go through that forcefield
and then you see it open up,
like, was exhilarating.
I had never seen a love letter
to the Black community like that
on a screen in this capacity.
ROBIN: It became one
of the top-grossing movies of all time,
earning more than $1.3 billion worldwide.
(indistinct chatter)
It's the first comic-film nominated
for best picture for the Oscars.
JAMIL: To see this tale
from about a made-up superhero
in a made-up country,
but based wholly in African
and African-American realities,
to see the Academy recognize that
wasn't necessarily a step forward for us,
it was a step forward for them.
(applause)
And the Oscar goes to
Black Panther.
ROBIN: It did end up winning
three Academy Awards for its score,
costume and production design.
The casts also taking home
a Screen Actors Guild Award.
But this massive blockbuster
actually had humble origins.
It started with a comic book
that was never expected
to amount to anything.
Marvel comics was expanding.
And they decided put the Black Panther
in Jungle Action.
And they didnt think
it was gonna survive.
JAMIL: The character was created
by Stan Lee
and Jack Herby in 1966.
And of course that's the same year
that the Black Power movement emerges.
(crowd cheering)
JAMIL: Civil rights movement,
you have the emergence of demands
not simply for Black freedom
but for Black power.
All power to the people!
ALL (applauding): All power to the people.
I'm sure Jack and Stan were aware
of the Black Panther party.
But I don't know
how much that influenced the character.
I know that there's was a concern there.
JAMIL: They changed the name of the comic
to Black Leopard
for a brief time before reverting.
So I think there may have been
initially some reticence,
you know, about being associated
with the Black Panthers
and the concept of Black Power.
But ultimately that is what
the comic is about.
DON: I tried to make Wakanda
a very separate unique place.
And trying to keep
the White people out of there
was-- became a major fight.
Uh, I just wouldn't do it.
T'Challa doesnt need anybody
to come in and help him.
He'll take care of his own problems,
thank you very much.
As a fan of the character in publishing,
what always struck me
about Black Panther is
he's not an incredibly emotive person
even on the page,
but there's a power to him,
there's a gravity.
ROBIN: Producer Nate Moore's idea
was to introduce King T'Challa
or Black Panther
on the big screen in 2016's
Captain America: Civil War
played by Chadwick Boseman.
He shows up. Boom!
And I know now in hindsight,
he thought it was a cameo.
But we were interested in doing
a stand-alone movie.
FREDERICK: You see the scene.
And bullets are bouncing off
of the Black Panther.
People lost it.
In a world where we are protesting
for no bullets to be aimed
at a Black person,
to see them bounce off
from a police helicopter,
that's something special.
JAMIL: It's not surprising to see that
the public would demand
more of that character.
RHODEY: Your Highness.
ROBIN: The public got what they wanted
and so much more.
The movie and its ripple effects
were felt across the globe,
as I saw in my visit to Ghana.
Talking with Danai Gurira
who grew up in Africa
and is a fierceWakandan warrior
in the movie.
Why do you feel it had such an impact?
It really is that moment
where the world is ready for something
they might not be aware they're ready for.
The world was ready
to really take in Africa
in a whole new way.
In a way that shows our specificity,
our excellence,
our diversity, our coolness, you know.
You have college courses
being taught about Black Panther
and the themes within the film.
It's brilliant.
Sometimes you're allowed to tell stories
only within a certain box,
but with Panther,
we blew the lid off of that box.
Is this what you wanted?
FREDERICK: It opened the door
for Shang-Chi to exist.
It opened a door, in my opinion,
for the success of Crazy Rich Asians.
It opened the door for The Woman King.
With Black Panther, it is a phenomenon
in every way: the box office,
culturally, critically.
Did you feel pressure,
expectations for the second one?
Of course, of course.
Um, I felt humbled to be asked
back to do another one, you know.
It's not a guarantee.
But I knew I wanted to do it.
And I have to say the way that
you were able to introduce
a new world, new characters.
I started started to have that
familiar feeling of, like, "Oh man,
man, maybe we bit off more
than we can chew," you know,
like when we were--
we were developing Talokan.
ROBIN: Not only did he help create
the underwater nation of Talokan
for the film Wakanda Forever,
Ryan also brought in
a cast of international actors.
When I was a kid in Mexico,
I never dreamed of something like this.
Namor is the ruler of Talokan.
This character is based
on indigenous cultures,
Mesoamerican cultures,
especially Mayan cultures.
One of the biggest messages
in this movie is that
it's time to heal the breaks in the heart
and embrace who we are.
This movie changed my own story.
You know, when I start this movie,
I didn't even speak English.
And it's beautiful, this Talokan world.
Actually, we heard
an indigenous language.
As a Mexican woman with this face
to see myself for the first time
in a big screen is like wonderful.
This is probably one
of the most diverse casts
that we've seen with this kind of budget.
TEMS: Ere, little darling
don't shed no tear
There's something truly universal
about this story.
As we allow this story
to touch our hearts.
FREDERICK:
I watched the teaser the first time.
I missed Chadwick Boseman immediately.
When Chadwick passed away, I was broken.
And so we all are being invited
to experience the story,
and seek the hope we all need.
And hopefully in the process,
we've paid tribute to Chadwick,
and we've furthered his legacy.
What do you feel his legacy will be?
It can't be defined to a sentence
soundbite, or--or--or a film.
(crying)
Forgive me.
No apology necessary.
He had these giant hands, like, uh
(chuckles, sniffles)
massive.
And--and--
and that's what I think about with him,
is--is his--is his reach
like, across history.
You know, pullin' us up,
pullin' us backwards
for--for what we should know.
And, um--and pullin' us forward.
That's--that's what I think his legacy is.
Thank you. Thank you.
-Thank you.
-ROBIN: Thank you.
My momma used to say,
"I feel him on his heavenly balcony,
going, 'Thank you, carry on, carry on.'"
Thank you.
(dramatic music playing)
You know, we had already introduced
audiences to the world
of Wakanda cinematically.
And we wanted to--
to get deeper into Wakanda,
get deeper into the characters.
But at the same time, give audiences
that same feelin' of bein' introduced
to something new, to a new place.
KELLEY: In this new film,
I think we get more Wakanda.
I mean, we definitely see all
of the science tech advances
that every other country, you know,
in the world wants to get their hands on.
But we also see the people.
I really became more detailed and focused
on their traditions, their culture.
What are some of the things
that they are challenged with?
Wakanda Forever represents
this nation of Afrofuturism
that really centers
the continent of Africa
in the tech space.
Afrofuturism is taking an idea
or the thing that happened
and reimagining the sci-fi fiction
behind what would have happened.
You see these young, Black, tech geniuses,
that really are, like, the smartest people
on the planet, in this film.
And that's something
we've never seen before
in any movie, period.
The STEM, everyone talks about how women
are not bright when it comes to that.
And at the forefront, Shuri is there.
Can you tell folks
what's--what's new technology
-Oh, technology wise, what's new?
-Yeah, the new inventions and things.
You'll see new vehicles,
you'll see, um, new applied sciences.
You'll see a lotta,
uh, robotic engineering,
rocket engineering, nanotechnology.
I mean, you'll see it all.
Bullet wounds don't just
magically heal overnight.
(chuckles) They do here.
But not by magic, by technology.
NNEDI: Shuri in the comics,
she has a lot of really mystical powers,
and then the Shuri in the film
is a genius engineer who creates
all of these different technologies
for her brother,
but she has her own aspirations too.
Shuri's way of dealing
with what she's going through,
is to bury herself into new technology.
She's always thinking of ways
to protect not only her nation,
but those who have to go to fight
on behalf of her nation.
There's futurism
but there's also a respect
of honoring the past,
so there's a moment
when she has to just take Shuri,
let go all of the technology
and we have to just sit
and deal with the experience of life.
Shuri in the--in the first film
was a mentee
of her--of her older brother.
And in this film, she gets to play mentor
to another young scientist,
and that relationship that--
seein' those two characters
kinda bounce ideas off of each other
was, uh, really a blast to direct,
and I'm lookin' forward
to people seein' it.
Wakanda planted a seed
of what is possible.
We can't go back in time.
However, we can pull from it
some of the strength.
NNEDI: Things don't get done
until you can imagine them first.
That is the role of storytellers.
That is the role of science fiction.
It's about envisioning a future
with us in it.
RUTH: We are thinking about
how we can move
the African diaspora into the future,
with technology, with science,
with culture with art,
and Afrofuture combines all of that.
We wanted it
to be as tangible and real
and evolved as possible,
but still be familiar, right.
We don't want it to be, you know,
100 years in the future
and nobody understands what's going on.
Black Panther helped
to elevate Afrofuturism
and have us talking about it
in louder ways
than probably we were before.
After this movie, Wakanda Forever,
there'll be two discussions coming out.
You're gonna have
the continuing discussion of Afrofuturism.
But then you will see
the work of other authors
that have talked about
Chicano-Chicanafuturism.
There is Latino futurism.
We were being influenced by that.
Seeing two different groups
of brown people on screen
in Wakanda Forever is
colossal.
ROBIN: Across the globe we are seeing
the next generation of storytellers
and visual artists using technology
to tell their stories
in a way we've never seen before.
It feels great to know
that people have looked at Wakanda
and taken inspiration to create
and innovate and discover.
DAVID: Using technology, using software,
using all these new media,
allows more artists
to develop, and opens the door
to various forms of art
that, especially from Africa
and from the diaspora,
are not represented enough.
MICHELLE: As an artist
I'm always trying to look
into different ways of telling stories.
You know, the VR technology
is kind of like a step forward
into, um, the future.
ROBIN: This big screen inspiration
now leading the way
for the next generation of creators.
It was definitely, uh,
like a stepping stone for me.
Like maybe one day I could be someone
who's creating things as big as that.
It reminds me of how else people--
these are the only thing
we blessed with, the hands.
We need to use them
to create possible futures,
to create our own realities,
to create everything that we imagine.
LETITIA: I always want to inspire
through my work.
For it to touch people's hearts
means that we did something right.
ROBIN: Did you ever imagine
that you would create
this world that resonates
with so many people?
It's beyond my wildest imagination.
I feel like I was blessed to be able
to be in the right place
at the right time,
um, to have the ability--
to have the job
of adapting Wakanda to the screen.
Never dreamt
that I would ever be a part
of something like this.
And I knew the first time
I turned on the Skype
and looked at Ryan's face and we talked,
"This is gonna change everything."
(upbeat music playing)
ROBIN: Before Black Panther
was even released in 2018,
the fashion in the film
sparked an obsession
all over social media.
The woman who lit the flame?
Creator and legendary costume designer,
Ruth E. Carter.
(chanting)
JAMIL: The scene where T'Challa
is first going to face a challenge,
you're seeing all of the different tribes
of Wakanda
on the side of this mountain,
it still gives me chills
just thinking about it.
I, M'baku,
leader of the Jabari, wish to--
I accept your challenge.
TANISH: She really is the blueprint
for a lot of other
Black costume designers.
-MAN: Right here, babe.
-(cameras clicking)
ROBIN: For over 30 years,
Carter has designed costumes
for such films as Selma
MAN: What happens when a man stands up,
says, "Enough is enough"?
ROBIN: Amistad
MAN: I will call into the past
and beg my ancestors
to come and help me.
ROBIN: and Malcolm X.
This is who you are.
Beautiful.
Your beautiful black selves
with pride and dignity.
Ruth E. Carter.
(laughs)
Were you familiar with her work
from an early age?
Of course. Oh, yeah.
I grew up--I grew up watching--yeah.
I grew up watching her work.
RUTH: Black Panther
was a full-circle moment
because making those costumes
required that I pull in
everything I have ever done.
(chanting)
ROBIN: Carter worked closely
with Coogler to develop the costumes
and it all started with a blanket.
All of our research trips
informed us a lot.
My initial trip,
I was in South Africa, in Lesotho.
RUTH: When he returned,
he remembered these beautiful blankets
that were the indicator of their tribe
and they had been with them
for hundreds of years.
Border Tribe.
RUTH: And then we printed Vibranium
on one side,
so that they could be used as shields.
ROBIN:
The visual style Carter developed
mixes and celebrates traditional
and contemporary African design.
TANISHA: She literally scoured the earth
for the garments in this film.
She went to various parts
of the African continent
to work with some
of the most skilled craftspeople
and also to educate herself
on the various ethnic groups
across the African continent.
ROBIN: Marvel had a design
for T'challa's Black Panther suit
but Carter put a unique stamp on it.
One of the things that was important to me
was that he have symbols on his suit
that would connect him to Africa.
You see that triangle
in so much of the art of Africa
throughout the continent.
And the Oscar goes to
ROBIN: For her groundbreaking work,
Carter became the first
African-American costume designer
to win an Oscar.
Wow.
This has been a long time coming.
Marvel may have created
the first Black superhero,
but through costume design
we turned him into an African king.
(cheers and applause)
ROBIN: In Wakanda Forever,
we'll see some familiar costumes
but this time, Carter's work
is even bigger and bolder.
She really can make you,
like, click into place
with the costume she puts you in.
She's a storyteller first.
Take her to the River Province
to prepare her for the ceremony.
RUTH: The Dora Milaje,
their costume honors
many regions of Africa.
This is Dora Milaje, right here.
There's a harness which is inspired
by the Turkana tribe.
Neck rings and arm rings
inspired by the Ndebele.
Leather inspired
by the Himba tribe of Mali.
ROBIN: Queen Ramonda appears
in a series of spectacular
3D printed crowns.
RUTH: She wears this isicholo.
Here is Ramonda's hat from Wakanda.
That is the South African
married woman's hat.
They're so resplendent,
so regal that they--
they really helped me
grasp onto the character.
The headdress is 3D-printed,
very, very, expensive. (laughs)
ROBIN: Carter also faced
her greatest challenge yet,
creating costumes
for the underwater world of Talokan.
The Talokanil is
a imagined world of people
who left the Mayan civilization
and created one in the ocean.
The production, they hired some advisors.
These guys are scholars.
They are Mayans.
They directed us to the pottery
that the Mayans painted,
the hieroglyphics.
TENOCH: They took so long
to create this costume
because they have to know exactly
what was the meaning of each element.
For example, in the helmet,
you know, is the feather serpent.
These costumes change
the story for our people.
-it's so amazing for the representation.
-Amazing.
We also went to historians and experts
that could tell us about
the evolution underwater.
We used fish bones and we used fish fins.
The lionfish fins that Namora wears
are very large.
The headpiece is--it's a lot.
You can't swim with the headpiece.
It was heavy.
So we have different versions
if I have to move too much
under the water.
ROBIN:
With stories like these emerging,
the anticipation only grows
to see Carter's wearable art
on screen again
and to answer the question
Who is gonna be donning
that majestic, symbolic,
important piece of costume
that Chadwick did?
You know, I don't wanna give it away
before folks see it,
but what I will say is, um,
the person who ends up putting on,
earns it through the film
and, you know, uh, I hope people enjoy it.
Well, speaking of music,
it's like a separate character
-RYAN: Uh-huh.
- in the film.
-RYAN: Yeah.
-And Ludwig
RYAN: We met in school at USC
and I heard him score something for, like,
one of my classmates
and it--it blew my mind.
ROBIN: Composer Ludwig Gransson,
the mind behind Black Panther's Grammy
and Oscar-winning score.
Its synergy of hip-hop
and traditional African beats,
bringing Wakanda to life
The only way to do that
would be to go to Africa
and work with artists
and instrumentalists from the continent.
ROBIN: Senegal would be
Gransson's first stop.
There, he connected with singer
and guitarist Baaba Maal,
who would invite him to watch his tour.
I think it was a good thing to do
because by following my band
and how the people organize
the concerts that start sometime
at two o'clock in the--the night.
It's very ceremonial.
The women put their jewelries,
their nice clothes, indigos,
all the colors.
The energy's crazy.
And he comes out
in his traditional clothing
and starts singing this--this opening hymn
and I had, you know,
goosebumps all over my body.
ROBIN: Maal's trumpeting vocals
which can be heard
from villages miles away
introduce the hidden kingdom
on the song "Wakanda".
(singing in Fula)
OKOYE: Sister Nakia,
my prince
we are home.
LUDWIG: Baaba Maal is singing about
an elephant that's died
and the elephant being
a synonym for a king.
When a big elephant die,
it's always a young elephant
who will come to lead all the others.
A new king will be chosen,
which is the young T'Challa.
This never gets old.
(epic music playing)
ROBIN: These drumming "Sounds of the King"
played by tama master Massamba Diop.
One of the most fascinating instruments
to me was the talking drum.
It's a drum that sounds like a voice
that you can actually talk with.
That was the first type of telephone.
And when we came back
and come to the studio in Dakar
and to bring all the musicians,
I remember when we was
recording the talking drums
with different microphones,
Ludwig was right there in the middle.
We have many Senegalese people
all around the world.
When they went to see Black Panther,
they all say, "Wow, this is our culture.
This is what we know."
ROBIN: Gransson's next stop
would be the International Library
of African Music
so we had our cameras follow
his footsteps.
LUDWIG: It was the biggest collection
of recorded African music in the world.
So I went there to be able to listen to
as many different recordings as I could.
And a lot of that music
doesn't exist anymore.
ROBIN: The library organized
a musical performance
by South African healers
to simulate Gransson's exposure
to traditional African performances
that communicate a story.
As they are dancing,
they are breaking
the foundations of those prisons.
Their ancestors will be free.
The first song that the Amagqirha sang
is Akekho Umama Ofana Naye,
which means "There's no mother like her."
(singing Akekho Umama Ofana Naye)
BAABA: African music,
you have to understand it,
like something that calls people
to collaborate,
this is what makes African music
always in a movement.
(drum beating)
(all chanting)
(speaks Xhosa)
(all speak speaks Xhosa)
MIKE: "All The Stars"
is the first song that I think about
when I think about Black Panther.
ROBIN: Afrofuturism takes center stage
in Kendrick Lamar's chart-topping album
that he curated
for the movie's soundtrack.
That first Black Panther soundtrack
went number one on the Billboard Top 200.
Probably because of Kendrick Lamar.
MIKE: Kendrick sits on the cusp
of so many intersectionalities
of different stylings of hip hop,
from hip hop music
to world music to Afrobeats.
There's something beautiful about
what's happening with Afrobeats right now,
you saw people dancing
here in the United States to Afrobeats
and you saw people dancing in South Africa
to Afrobeats outside of a movie theater.
(crowd cheering)
ROBIN: So how could they follow
Black Panther's iconic sound
in Wakanda Forever?
We didn't wanna try to reinvent the wheel,
you know, we didn't wanna try to recapture
lightning in a bottle on this one.
So we went into it being more open
to having lots of artists
and representation
from all over the world.
We had African and Afrobeats
and Afro pop represent Wakanda,
and so we needed that Mesoamerican side
of music to represent Talokan.
So it was an incredible journey
for me to be able to go to Mexico.
Some of the artists I worked with
there includes Alemn,
Snow Tha Product,
Vivir, and Mare.
But we still were, holding out hope
that we could find like--like--
a marquee artist as thematically relevant
as Kendrick was to the first film.
-And who was that? Who was that?
-(laughing)
-Who the--who was just a mother.
-Uh-huh.
What was it like to write with Rihanna?
-It was incredible.
-WOMAN: Rihanna!
NATE: Ryan knew this movie thematically
is very much about motherhood,
and mothers and daughters
and that relationship.
And Rihanna's very publicly a new mother.
Listen, if anybody is going to get RiRi
to give us some more music,
I guess it's Black Panther. (laughing)
RIHANNA: Lift me up
Hold me down
It was Rihanna's admiration
for the world of Wakanda
that inspired her to even want to see
a cut of the film.
And we she did, she was excited
to get back into the studio.
And her collaboration with Tems,
this amazing Nigerian-born artist as well
and Ryan has a writing credit
on "Lift Me Up".
We have to experience--
we're going to Lagos
and--where we meet with Tems,
and she recorded No Woman No Cry for us
that we used in the trailer.
TEMS: No woman no cry
What's so special about this is that
we recorded over four continents.
Over 2500 hours in the studio
over 40 different vocalists and artists,
a hundred-piece orchestra,
two completely different cultures.
SINGER: And when I wake up
WHOOPI:
How do you define the legacy of a King?
LETITIA: He is a King.
He is regal and a leader.
And T'challa is fortunate
and blessed to have Chadwick Boseman
represent him as a character,
because Chadwick Boseman
was everything and more
to showcase T'challa to the world.
He had no excuses when hard work
was there to be done,
no excuses.
When you looked at him,
you want to stand up straight.
You want to show up earlier,
work longer and harder and you refuse
to have any excuses yourself.
KEVIN: Chadwick
was the only actor we discussed.
He was the only actor we discussed
because of almost everything
we'd seen him in.
42.
NATE: His portrayal of Jackie Robinson
was so powerful because of the restraint.
That is something T'challa
kind of exhibits.
Right? There's a dignity to him.
King T'challa
the Black Panther.
LUPITA: He had just a spiritual practice
that made him more than just an actor.
He was very much involved
in the advancement of humanity.
And he sought to do
that through the roles he played.
Mr. Brock, I'm just a ballplayer.
No, no, no. You tell that
to all the little colored boys
playing baseball in Florida today.
To them, you a hero.
ROBIN: Actor Chadwick Boseman
being a real life hero
to children's at St. Jude's Hospital
struggling with cancer.
-Hi. How are you?
-Good.
I love your movie.
WHOOPI: In this Sirius XM interview,
Bozeman gets emotional
about terminal patients
he was communicating with.
Their parents say they're trying to hold
on till this movie comes.
Just to experience those two
little boys' anticipation of this movie.
And when I found out that they--
Yeah. It is--it is--it means a lot.
WHOOPI: But he was privately battling
the same disease.
We turn now to the tributes
pouring in after the death
of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman
at just 43 years old.
New details about Chadwick Boseman's
private battle with colon cancer.
He got that diagnosis.
It was being treated,
all while filming several movies.
WHOOPI: Bozeman's widow Simone
is carrying his torch
and now publicly speaking
for the first time.
Let me start by saying
how good it is to see you.
It's good to see you too.
Carrying this on,
I'm sure cannot be easy.
It has been the most challenging two years
I've ever had in my life.
We don't have any children
and we were really faced
-with this question of legacy.
-WHOOPI: Right.
We sat down.
He said, "You know,
I was thinking about a foundation."
And he said, "For the arts.
Will you do that for me?"
-"Of course, I will do anything for you."
-Yeah.
And you know, and very,
very shortly after that he transitioned.
WHOOPI: Bozeman's alma mater
Howard University
named the college of fine arts after him.
It was such a full circle moment
because he was able
to go back to Howard for
the commencement speech in 2018
and at that time they announced
the college was going to be reestablished.
WHOOPI: Bozeman would tell graduates
about adversity he faced
early in his career.
Playing a role with Black stereotypes.
I was conflicted because
this role seemed to be wrapped up
in assumptions about us as Black folk.
Howard instilled in me
a certain amount of pride.
And for my taste, this role didn't live
up to those standards.
He was playing a character that, you know,
didn't really have very much
of a back story.
-Uh-hmm.
-One of the questions was,
"Where's my father? Where's my mother?"
And his experience
with those producers was that, "Oh, well,
obviously your mom's addicted to drugs
and obviously your father abandoned you."
When I questioned that method
of portrayal,
a different path opened up for me,
the path to my destiny.
If he were not that person,
the person that would stand up
for what he believed in,
he would not have been right
for the role of T'challa.
He wouldn't have been right
to carry that mantle.
Did you ever think
you would fall for an actor?
No. It was nowhere in my purview,
you know.
I, I grew up in a small town
in the Bay Area.
And I just wanted to work on concerts.
I was working
at the Hollywood Bowl, and we did
-a James Brown tribute concert
-Right.
and he came on
as a special guest, and we met there.
It was shortly after he did Get On Up.
Hey!
(screeching)
I still kind of can't believe it.
Wait a minute. What do you mean--you--
what can't you believe?
It just I can't believe that--
I can't believe that I was so lucky
that I got to love this person,
and I also got them to love me too.
Sure, he was an actor,
but he was an artist.
He was an artist
and he was a leader and he was a king.
That he chose me to be
by his side for that is just--
he's an ancestor now
and he is--and he is never leaving me.
No, not ever, Queen.
Never Queen.
You are now queen and leader.
Simone worked with Howard to establish
the Chadwick A. Boseman
Memorial Scholarship,
which covers four years
of tuition for Black artists
at the fine arts school.
You said you didn't have any kids,
but you know you have millions
-of kids around the world.
-Yeah.
The legacy that you are sharing
by doing this
is huge,
because it's not just little boys,
but all these little girls who now
don't necessarily have to be princesses.
They can be warriors.
Being a Boseman scholar
is an honor and also granting me
opportunities to be in spaces
that I--that I wouldn't have been in.
It reminds me every day
the things that I need to do to be able
to walk in his footsteps
and replicate his excellence.
SHAWN: The whole entire reason I came
to Howard was because of Chadwick Boseman.
I want to be an actor and an artist,
and Chadwick Boseman's legacy
has paved the way for me
in the sense that he opened doors.
He was so connected to God.
Knowing that he had a job to do,
-he had to do his job
-Yeah.
and nothing
was more important than that.
Purpose is an essential element of you.
It is the reason you are on the planet
at this particular time in history.
Remember the struggles along the way
are only meant to shape you
for your purpose.
Stand up. You are a king.
I know that when people
fall in love with that character,
they're falling in love with Chad.
WHOOPI: That love echoing in theaters
around the world
for what would be his last time suiting up
as T'challa
in 2019's Avengers: Endgame
(audience cheering and applauding)
MAN: Yes, baby!
WHOOPI: to the hero
who never needed recognition,
to the king who didn't want a crown
Who
Who are you?
WHOOPI: to the man
who modeled "Wakanda Forever,"
please know your legacy will live
on forever.
ROBIN: Our thanks to Whoopi Goldberg.
The Chadwick Boseman Foundation
for the arts is raising money
for causes that empower people
of the African diaspora.
Finally tonight,
as promised for the first time anywhere,
our exclusive look
at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,
opening November 11th.
We are under attack.
(people exclaiming)
Here.
(screams)
(speaks Xhosa)
-(man mumbles)
-Are you all right?
Griot, activate the Sunbird.
Shuri, where are you?
Making my way to the city right now.
-Stand down. That is an order!
-Mother, I'm with Aneka.
We can provide air support.
RAMONDA:
Aneka, do not let her leave the lab.
Mother, y-y-you're breaking up.
-We can't hear you.
-RAMONDA: Shuri!
Love you. Bye.
You just hung up on the Queen.
I just hung up on my mom.
There's a difference. Come on, let's go!