Story highlights Films by black directors hold top spots at box office

Coogler penned an essay about DuVernay

(CNN) It's about time.

"A Wrinkle in Time" that is. The Ava DuVernay directed film with the star-studded cast helped to make history at the box office this weekend.

The movie, which stars Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling, came in second place to Disney's other big film "Black Panther."

Based on the sci-fi fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, "A Wrinkle in Time" brought in just over $33 million its opening weekend, topped only by "Black Panther" which raked in more than $41 million and surpassed $1 billion in box office receipts worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

It's the first time films by black directors with $100 million plus budgets have ever placed in the first two box office spots.

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