In what is shaping up to be a major coup for Urban Hollywood, early estimates show ‘Think Like A Man’ to be on course to exceed all expectations. By a marked margin, too.

Indeed, according to Deadline, the Kevin Hart led comedy is set to generate a whopping $30 million in its opening weekend – after raking in $12 million on its first day in theaters yesterday.

An impressive feat in itself, the significance of the movie’s performance is truly realised when assessing a number of key points.

For, the Screen Gems/Sony Pictures flick is aimed squarely at the African-American/ 13-49 category (one of the most neglected commercially). What’s more, it’s only playing in 2,017 locations. And yet despite this, the film has outpaced Sony’s initial $17 million estimate and already recouped its reported production cost of $13 million.

***************

In serving as a pleasant deviation from the Blaxploitation movies that essentially cannibalized Black Hollywood, ”Like A Man’ easily stands as one of the most important theatrical releases in years.

A light-hearted Urban comedy for some, the reality is that its success – under a major distributor – opens the doors for other major film houses to invest in Black cinema – and in a big way. The commercial vitality of Steve Harvey‘s book-turned-movie carries with it the potent message that “Urban” audiences will support their own, without the need for stereo-and-hyper-types to hook them in. Hopefully, this will function as a powerful stepping stone towards an era which will see a more diverse array of Black-led titles and performers populating the movie sphere.

Kudos to Kevin Hart, Taraji Henson, Michael Ealy, and all involved!

Your thoughts?