Twitter Instigators Claim Black People Assaulting Them At 'Blank Panther' Screenings

Racist trolls have taken to Twitter to accuse black moviegoers of assaulting them at "Blank Panther" screenings.

Disney-Marvel Studios' "Black Panther," which stars Chadwick Boseman alongside the likes of Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o, was intended to be a cultural milestone for the superhero film genre. However, some tweets from seemingly racist Twitter users are attempting to perpetuate divergence by using images of assault victims and alleging that the injuries depicted surfaced from apparent attacks at "Black Panther" screenings.

"The racists are out and rearing their ugly heads with lots of fake tweets about violence at #BlackPanther screenings," James Gunn‏, director of "Guardians of the Galaxy," wrote in a tweet. "In truth, people from all walks of life have been enjoying the film together this weekend. Don't let this BS scare you away."

Many Twitter users alleged that they were beaten or attacked for "not belonging" at the film's screenings. While some paired their tweets with real images of assault, others escalated things further by using fake images from television shows like "The Walking Dead."

Twitter trolls even went as far as using an image of White House employee Rob Porter's ex-wife Colbie Holderness wearing a black eye, which is a picture that previously surfaced seven days after President Donald Trump's Inauguration in January 2017.

"Went to the #BlackPanther premier tonight and my wife was assaulted," the now-deleted tweet read, according to the New York Daily News. "Three black women approached us and one said 'This movie ain't for you white b—h' and then attacked her. Security escorted us to the parking lot and we left. We just wanted to see a movie."

The faux accounts have led some to caution moviegoers that are planning to see the flick this weekend. Questlove pleaded on Twitter for everyone to "be extra careful in the theaters this weekend" and film producer Tariq Nasheed tweeted that "these white supremacists are emboldened by this #NikolasCruz terror attack."

In response to the faked incidents, Twitter has worked towards suspending many of the accounts that posted alleged stories. The Hollywood Reporter also received confirmation from the Los Angeles Police Department, which asserted that no calls have been made in regards to apparent attacks at "Black Panther" screenings.

Despite the controversy, the racially-charged tweets aren't likely to have an impact on the film's opening weekend box office numbers. According to Variety, "Black Panther" is slated to make nearly $200 million as Disney's early predictions range between $172 million-$198 million over President's Day weekend.

"Black Panther" has earned high-praise from top critics as it boasts a 97 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, an 88 percent on Metacritic and an A+ on CinemaScore. Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post even referred to the action flick as "a film that fulfills the most rote demands of superhero spectacle, yet does so with style and subtexts that feel bracingly, joyfully groundbreaking."

"The movie has a beating heart, and a big one," Joe Morgenstern, a critic for the Wall Street Journal, wrote of the film. "It's not just sincere, but that rarest of birds in the jungle of mainstream entertainment, a heartfelt epic."

"Black Panther" soared to $75.8 million Friday, making it the eighth largest opening day on record, according to Box Office Mojo. The Disney-Marvel venture opened up alongside Lionsgate's animated flick "Early Man" and PureFlix's "Samson," which both earned below the million-dollar mark Friday.

Poor debuts for "Early Man" and "Samson" could also be attributed to last weekend's entries "Fifty Shades Freed" and "Peter Rabbit," which appear to have taken slots behind "Black Panther" this weekend in box office earnings.