*Director Ryan Coogler is feeling the love over his latest supernatural thriller “Sinners,” and he’s not keeping quiet about it.
Following the massive success of his latest project, which brought in $48 million domestically and $63.5 million worldwide, Coogler shared a personal letter brimming with gratitude.
“My heart is bursting,” he wrote, addressing the audiences who bought tickets, made time, carpooled, found babysitters, and even saw the film more than once. “You don’t owe us a thing, but still you showed up. That means everything.”
“Sinners,” starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twins Smoke and Stack, follows the brothers’ return to their Mississippi Delta hometown during the 1930s. As they open a juke joint for a night of music and drinks, a darker presence crashes the party–vampires.
Inspired by Coogler’s family and fueled by the sounds of Delta blues, “Sinners” is deeply personal. “Blues music was like his life,” Coogler said of his late uncle James, whose love for the genre heavily influenced the film. One song in particular, “Wang Dang Doodle,” served as a creative spark. The track reminded him of family parties from his childhood, sparking the idea for a film centered around a group of dangerous individuals who encounter an even greater threat.
“The song is the story of a group of people in a small community throwing a party and they all have nicknames that imply that they’re gangsters,” Coogler explained. “I was like, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be cool if I made a one-day movie — which is more my favorite type of movie — where it’s this group of people, and everybody who they get together is dangerous, but they meet something that’s more dangerous than they could ever imagine.”
The film also marks a major win for theatrical experiences. “We always had our minds on you, the audience,” Coogler said. “I believe in cinema. I believe in the theatrical experience.”
Coogler also highlighted key collaborators: composer Ludwig Göransson, producer (and wife) Zinzi Coogler, and longtime editor Michael Shawver, who skipped press tours to be with his family. “Michael did EXCEPTIONAL work on this film,” Coogler emphasized.
Securing “Sinners” with Warner Bros. came with a rare deal: final cut, first-dollar gross, and ownership reverting to Coogler after 25 years.
“I had the gift of the opportunity of making a film inspired by my family and my ancestry but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences, in theaters,” Coogler shared in his letter.
As “Sinners” continues to break records, Coogler sees something bigger. “Maybe we can expand the definition of what a blockbuster is, what a horror movie is,” he wrote. “I’ll see you at the movies, popcorn bucket in hand.”
Read his full letter below.
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