Chicago: Where to see Black Panther on opening day

February 16, 2018 8:50 AM

My partner (white) and our youngest son (black) are in Chicago this morning. The 10yo really wants to see Black Panther, and it occurs to my partner that this could be an opportunity to see it a) on opening day, and b) with a black-majority audience. Where to go?

Black-majority environments aren't something our son gets to experience very often, and my partner thinks seeing Black Panther in that setting could be pretty cool for the little guy. Thoughts about where they should go?

They are in Lincoln Park, in the 2500 block of Clark St. This map image shows where they're at.

posted by Orlop to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (7 answers total)

Response by poster: I should add, they have a car, and plenty of time.
posted by Orlop at 8:51 AM on February 16, 2018

Best answer: The AMC Galewood in Austin.

It's the cheapest first run theater in the city that I've found, well kept with super friendly staff, is easy to get to, and will be showing Black Panther approx 40 times across several screens this weekend. Every time I'm there the majority of the patrons are black or Latin@. It's a good bet.
posted by phunniemee at 9:01 AM on February 16, 2018 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks, phunniemee. That's exactly the kind of tip we were looking for!
posted by Orlop at 10:18 AM on February 16, 2018

Forgive me if this is obvious, but they should check online for tickets ASAP. A lot of showings are already sold out here in Philly, and I imagine that will also be true in Chicago, especially in areas where the audience will be majority-black. I'd hate for the kid to be disappointed!
posted by dizziest at 10:20 AM on February 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

Pre-buying tickets online requires an internet connection, a credit card, and a willingness to pay an additional 40% markup in fees. It's...really not a thing here. I have never seen a show sell out before actual showtime.
posted by phunniemee at 11:06 AM on February 16, 2018

I sat in the lobby for 40 minutes before my showing of Black Panther last night at a theater that never sells out. It was the only theater with the availability to pre-purchase 8 tickets two weeks ago. I saw so many people surprised they were being turned away because every show was sold out.

That said, Black Girls Code had set up a booth in the lobby, and it was just an amazing experience.
posted by politikitty at 11:25 AM on February 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: The ratio of "you'll never get tickets" to helpful answers on this question was 3:1. Fortunately the helpful answer was exactly what we needed. The theater had available tickets for every showing, and I had no trouble getting the two of them tickets to the 2:15 show online. I sent the tickets to my partner's phone while they enjoyed a post-appointment lunch at a Korean restaurant near the doctor's office. And they were $5.03 each, so, seriously, thanks for that tip, phunimee. I am looking forward to hearing how they liked the movie.
posted by Orlop at 2:01 PM on February 16, 2018 [7 favorites]