ATLANTA — Marvel’s “Black Panther” made history Tuesday by becoming the first movie based on a comic book to ever be nominated in the best picture category for the Academy Awards.
In total, "Black Panther" was nominated for seven Academy Awards. The other nominations include: best achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score), best achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song), best achievement in costume design, best achievement in production design, best achievement in sound editing and best achievement in sound mixing.
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Christopher Hicks, director of Atlanta’s Department of Content and Intellectual Property, said this shows Atlanta can make exciting quality movies.
"With the scale of business that we're doing, I think that Hollywood and New York are both looking at Atlanta to do anything scaled that they would do," Hicks told Channel 2's Dave Huddleston.
[PHOTOS: ‘Black Panther' world premiere]
The movie, which came out in February, smashed box office records around the world, making $192 million in its first weekend alone.
"Black Panther" also has a special spot for people in the metro, because the movie was primarily shot in the Atlanta area.
[READ: Among the cast of 'Black Panther' is a 91-year-old Atlanta actress]
Some of the filming locations include the High Museum of Art, Edgewood Avenue near the King Center, City Hall, a quarry south of the city and a stretch of Mitchell Street near Ted Turner Drive, which is one of Marvel's favorite shooting spots -- "Captain America: Civil War" and "Spiderman: Homecoming" having filmed there in the past.
"Iconic Atlanta buildings are often in the movies,” Hicks told Huddleston. “And the film industry continues to shoot around town. Anybody you can name is here. Netflix is here, Marvel is here, Sony is here, Universal is here."
[READ: 'Black Panther' sequel is happening, Marvel Studios chief says]
Almost $84 million of the movie's reported $200 million budget was spent in Georgia.
That money was spread throughout the state’s entertainment community, but at least $10.8 million went to rental equipment and grips; $9.4 million was spent on lumber, hardware and supplies; $5.6 million on lodging; and $2 million on transportation, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
[READ: 'Black Panther' becomes third movie to cross $700M at domestic box office]
Hicks said the money goes further in Atlanta than in New York or California.
He told Huddleston that might help producers put more into the movies to make them even better.
Channel 2's Dave Huddleston and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article.
Cox Media Group
