State Champ Radio Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler has enjoyed success at several levels of his career, and he is seeking to sustain that momentum with current and future projects in the pipeline. In a new interview, Ryan Coogler talks about the roaring success of his hit film Sinners, the upcoming X-Files reboot, and more.
Sitting down with Variety, Ryan Coogler, 39, recently hosted a screening of Sinners at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, giving new life to the film that stars Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton. The chat opens up with Coogler explaining his inspiration for taking on the X-Files reboot.
“Like my relationship with ‘Rocky’ with my dad, ‘The X-Files’ is one of those things with my mom,” Coogler said to Variety last Friday (October 17) at the screening event. “My mom means the world to me — she’s actually here tonight — so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mom has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She’s fired up.”
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Coogler did not confirm rumors that Danielle Deadwyler will star in the X-Files reboot, nor would he do the same for the series’ original castmates, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.
With Sinners slated to get a rebooted release schedule for showings at a handful of IMAX theaters, as Coogler intended the film to be seen, renewed interest in the vampire-inspired drama is high once more, with Oscar buzz surrounding the name of Jordan, who starred as twin brothers in the film.
“We asked him to do this difficult thing technically, playing two different characters, but it also was a performance that we needed to have the backstory that we had before to pull this off. To see him recognized by his peers and other folks in the industry, I know that would mean a lot [to] him,” Coogler said of Jordan’s Oscar chances.
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Photo: Getty
Source: Mike Marsland / Getty / Ryan Coogler
Sinners took a tremendous bite out of the box office, but don’t expect the story of Stack and Mary to continue unless something significant happens to get Ryan Coogler back in the director’s chair.
Speaking with Ebony, Ryan Coogler revealed that he never planned on making a sequel to his period vampire flick, throwing a splash of cold holy water on any speculation that Sinners would become a franchise, like his other projects, Creed and Black Panther.
Even though Coogler secured a historic deal by securing the rights to Sinners, meaning the rights of the film will revert to him after 25 years.
The director told the publication he “never” gave any thought to making a sequel to Sinners.
“I’ve been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that,” Coogler said. “I was looking forward to working on a film that felt original and personal to me, and had an appetite for delivering something to audiences that was original and unique.”
When watching his film, Coogler explained that he wanted to give audiences a “full meal.”
He continued, “I wanted it to be a holistic and finished thing. That was how I was asked all about it. That was always my intention.”
Coogler’s statement comes after false reports of a Sinners sequel in development flooded both Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, timelines.
‘SINNERS 2’ is rumored to be in development.
(Via: @prodweek) #Sinners pic.twitter.com/WprpwKF9vv
— CriticalOverlord (@CriticalOverlo3) May 29, 2025
Fans Seem To Be Happy A Sequel To Sinners Is Not In The Works
However, now that we know a sequel is unlikely, it seems most moviegoers are fine with the idea that Stack and Mary’s story ended with that post-credits scene.
Normalize not fucking things up with a sequel 🙏 https://t.co/gMVwFOjd5F
— bryo (@falloutbryan) June 2, 2025
We are not opposed to the idea of a Sinners sequel, but we want it to happen on Ryan Coogler’s terms, not the studio’s.
Hit the gallery below for more reactions.
6.
Why does everything have to have a sequel Sinners is brilliant it doesn’t need a cinematic universe.I can’t wait for Mr Cooglers next original film. Let the guy cook https://t.co/6XA1HxLXrb— Rich Brockwell (@richkbrock) June 1, 2025
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Although it was released in theaters a few weeks ago, Sinners (2025) is now streamable online.
The horror movie starring Michael B. Jordan is available to buy or rent on premium video on-demand platforms, even though you can still watch it in theaters. Save the trip to the movies and watch it at home.
Where to Stream ‘Sinners’ Online
At the moment, Sinners is available to rent for $19.99, or buy digitally for $24.99 on Prime Video, Apple TV and other digital marketplaces.
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In addition, if you’re looking for an alternative way to stream, you can watch Sinners through Apple TV, which doesn’t require an Apple TV+ subscription to watch the movie. After buying, the movie automatically downloads into your video library, so you can stream it at your convenience.
However, rentals for both services are accessible for 30 days after purchase, and for 48 hours once you begin watching the movie.
As for a physical media release, Sinners will be available on DVD for $19.95 (regularly $24.98), and Blu-ray on sale for $29.99 and 4K Ultra HD for $29.95 (regularly $34.98) on Amazon. Both formats drop on Tuesday, July 8, but you can preorder now and the retail giant will send you a notification once it’s ready to ship to your home.
Warner Bros. Pictures
PreOrder
‘Sinners’
Release date: July 8
$19.95
$24.98
20% off
$29.95
$34.98
14% off
Meanwhile, Sinners also has a soundtrack featuring recording artists, like Miles Caton and Buddy Guy, and original music by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson.
Written and directed by Ryan Coolger, Sinners follows Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), twin brothers who return back to their hometown in rural Mississippi during the early 1930s to restart their lives with a new business. However, once night falls, evil comes out to wreck havoc on the brothers’ friends and family.
The horror movie also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Delroy Lindo and others.
Stream Sinners in 4K Ultra HD on Prime Video and Apple TV starting at $19.99. In the meantime, watch the trailer below.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Sinners, the hit horror film from director Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, is set in Mississippi in the small town of Clarksdale. Clarksdale, which doesn’t have its own movie theater, will host a special screening of the film this summer, according to reports.
TMZ reports that Clarksdale, a predominantly Black town of just under 15,000 residents, is where Sinners takes place. The nearest major city to Clarksdale is Memphis, which is about 76 miles to the north. The town doesn’t have a movie theater, so some residents have made the nearly 90-minute trek to Memphis and beyond to see the film. This summer, it appears that the town’s fortunes are changing. Mayor Chuck Epsy told TMZ that his side has spoken with Warner Bros. to bring Sinners to the town. Epsy says that the plan is to host a Juneteenth screening at Clarksdale High School’s football field and perhaps a panel featuring the stars, including director Ryan Coogler, Wunmi Mosaku, and more.
Sinners has defied box office expectations for a horror film, especially one that focuses primarily on Black characters. The success of the film has surprisingly baffled critics despite the high quality of storytelling and craftsmanship Coogler brought to the film.
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Photo: Tim P. Whitby / Getty
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Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock as of late (or MAGA country), you’d know that Ryan Coogler’s latest film Sinners has become a cultural phenomenon; the likes that haven’t been seen since white folks flooded theaters to see Leonardo DiCaprio turn into a ice popsicle in the name of love in James Cameron’s Titanic (what a burger).
Now that we’re all aware that Sinners is the must-see film of 2025, the film will see a re-release on IMAX screens later this month, and best believe fans cannot wait to experience the horror film filled with heart and soul once again.
According to Variety, on May 15, Sinners will once again be premiering in theaters. But this time the Ryan Coogler classic will be shown at specific IMAX theaters across the United States so that viewers can truly experience the magic of the move that was shot in 70mm film. Tickets for the film are on sale on the IMAX website, and best believe these will be hard to come by as May 15 inches closer. So if you plan on getting a seat or two, now would be the time to act.
Per Variety:
“Audiences have spoken and we listened. If ever a film needed to be experienced in this incredible larger-than-life format, it’s ‘Sinners,’” Warner Bros. Pictures president of global distribution Jeff Goldstein said in a statement. “Ryan has delivered a film that has been embraced by fans who appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating a film for this screen-filling format and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see it — or see it again — in 70mm Imax.”
“Sinners” will be back in Imax 70mm at the City Walk Stadium 19 + Imax (Los Angeles), Irvine Spectrum and Imax (Irvine), Lincoln Square 13 + Imax (New York), Metreon 16 + Imax (San Francisco), Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis), Arizona Mills IMAX (Phoenix), Autonation Imax (Ft. Lauderdale), Webb Chapel Imax (Dallas) and Colossus Imax (Toronto).
Already having grossed $161 million against its modest $90 million budget, Sinners is already proving to be a great success for Ryan Coogler. Fans are now saying that Marvel should have put this man in charge of writing and directing Blade. Interestingly enough, there’s rumors that Sinners was supposed to be Coogler’s origin story for Blade (who he says is his favorite Black vampire), but was ultimately turned into an original vampire film. The rest is history.
Will you be checking out Sinners when it hits IMAX theaters later this month? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Anadolu / Ruth E. Carter
We continue to learn more about Marvel Studios’ Blade reboot, currently stuck in limbo, from those who were initially attached to the project.
Two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer, Ruth E. Carter, is spilling the beans on Mahershala Ali’s Blade reboot that can’t seem to get off the ground.
Speaking on the Designing Hollywood podcast, Carter discussed her experience preparing for Marvel Studios’ Blade movie, revealing that the iteration of the film she was attached to at the time was going to be a period piece.
“I was prepping Blade for Marvel, and it was a 1920s Blade story, and it got shut down because of the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike, so I was just in limbo,” Carter revealed. “Having done a lot of research for this period piece about a vampire—Blade is a vampire story—[Coogler]’s wife, Zinzi, who also was a producer on [Sinners], she gave me a call and said, ‘I’m not gonna tell you the story, but Ryan has a story he’s going to tell you about … It is a period piece about vampires.’ And I thought, ‘Okay, I have already been living in that space for quite a long time prepping Blade, and Blade‘s not going to happen, so let me hear it.’”
Marvel Studios’ Blade’s Troubled Development
Since its announcement in 2019, the Blade reboot has had several different iterations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one version of the film was supposed to take place on a “massive train.”
The version Ruth was attached to, the period piece, also starred Mia Goth as a vampire villain named Lillith who had a thirst for Blade’s daughter.
Goth is still attached to the project, but it sounds like we will never see that version of the film. Thankfully, for Carter, she was able to take that mindset from Blade to Sinners, helping her long-time collaborator deliver another box office win.
This latest development comes on the heels of Delroy Lindo speaking about his character in the Blade reboot and revealing that production “went off the rails,” leading to his departure from the project. He subsequently joined Coogler’s Sinners, where he is currently receiving praise for his performance in the film.
At this point, we hope this Blade movie starring Ali still happens.
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Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty /Ryan Coogler / Sinners
Ryan Coogler is highly thankful to all the support and love his phenomenal vampire flick, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is receiving, so he took the time to thank them personally.
Despite becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers, Ryan Coogler remains humble and recognizes that it is the viewing audience that has helped him achieve his success.
Keeping the same energy after fans flocked to theaters to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler penned an open letter thanking moviegoers for running, not walking, to see the film, leading to it taking a massive bite out of the box office and dethroning A Minecraft Movie in the process.
Fans also contributed to the film becoming one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
Coogler Expresses Eternal Gratitude To Fans
In the typewritten letter shared on the Sinners, Proximity Media, and Warner Bros. Instagram accounts, he wrote:
“Eternal Gratitude. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see SINNERS. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats,” he begins. “Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.”
He further thanked viewers for the success of Sinners, as the project was deeply personal to him, drawing inspiration from his late uncle and his passion for blues music, one of the film’s many themes, alongside the vampiric element.
Coogler continued, “I had the gift of the opportunity to make a film inspired by my family and ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences.” We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.”
Ryan Coogler Vows To Keep Making Cinematic Heat To Repay Fans For Their Support
The Black Panther director also noted he would repay fans by continuing to put out cinematic heat while showing love to his “cinematic influences,” Spike Lee, John Singleton, Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Francis Coppola,, Steven Spielberg, the Safdie brothers, Stephen King, Martin Scorcese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Of course, he also had to thank his longtime collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, for their 13-year partnership, his wife, Zinzi, and his picture editor, Michael Shawver.
Sinners is still in theaters and on track to gross $100 million, despite publications like Variety attempting to downplay the film’s success.
Social media continues to praise the movie as well. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Gareth Cattermole / Getty /Ryan Coogler / Sinners
Ryan Coogler is highly thankful to all the support and love his phenomenal vampire flick, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is receiving, so he took the time to thank them personally.
Despite becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers, Ryan Coogler remains humble and recognizes that it is the viewing audience that has helped him achieve his success.
Keeping the same energy after fans flocked to theaters to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Coogler penned an open letter thanking moviegoers for running, not walking, to see the film, leading to it taking a massive bite out of the box office and dethroning A Minecraft Movie in the process.
Fans also contributed to the film becoming one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
Coogler Expresses Eternal Gratitude To Fans
In the typewritten letter shared on the Sinners, Proximity Media, and Warner Bros. Instagram accounts, he wrote:
“Eternal Gratitude. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see SINNERS. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats,” he begins. “Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.”
He further thanked viewers for the success of Sinners, as the project was deeply personal to him, drawing inspiration from his late uncle and his passion for blues music, one of the film’s many themes, alongside the vampiric element.
Coogler continued, “I had the gift of the opportunity to make a film inspired by my family and ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences.” We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.”
Ryan Coogler Vows To Keep Making Cinematic Heat To Repay Fans For Their Support
The Black Panther director also noted he would repay fans by continuing to put out cinematic heat while showing love to his “cinematic influences,” Spike Lee, John Singleton, Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Francis Coppola,, Steven Spielberg, the Safdie brothers, Stephen King, Martin Scorcese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Of course, he also had to thank his longtime collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, for their 13-year partnership, his wife, Zinzi, and his picture editor, Michael Shawver.
Sinners is still in theaters and on track to gross $100 million, despite publications like Variety attempting to downplay the film’s success.
Social media continues to praise the movie as well. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Getty Images / Ben Stiller / Sinners
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners is without a doubt a hit, but based on a post from Variety, you would think otherwise, and Ben Stiller and everyone else on X see the jig.
Coogler’s 1930’s vampire flick that stars Jordan as two twins, Smoke and Stack, that return home to open up a juke joint, only to encounter a pack of blood sucking gouls took a significant bite out of the box office during its opening weekend, earning an impressive $61 million and dethroning A Minecraft Movie.
Variety, the well-established publication that reports on all things Hollywood, dropped a shady post on X, speaking about the film’s success, while also pointing out itit’still short of breaking even and returning a profit for the studio.
The tweet (yes, we still call them that) is hilariously still up and it reads:
“Sinners” has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It’s great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away.”
Ben Stiller Was Not Feeling Variety’s Shade Towards Sinners
The post, which was also slapped with a well-timed community note calling Variety’s headline misleading, sparked plenty of outrage, with some of Hollywood’s biggest names like Ben Stiller coming to the defense of the hit film.
In a quote reply, Stiller wrote, “In what universe does a 60 million dollar opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline?”
Patrick Schwarzenegger (The White Lotus) also chimed in on the matter, reminding folks that “It’s opening weekend…”
“I wonder if @variety covered Once Upon A Time in Hollywood – which made 10% less at the domestic box office on 10% more theaters prepandemic and at the same budget with a similar deal structure – in the same way,” Franklin Leonard, a film producer and creator of The Black List said on X.
The rest of the world who have been praising the film after seeing it in theaters have also been sounding off on Variety. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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Getty Images / Ryan Coogle / Gillian Anderson / The X-Files
Ryan Coogler has set the world ablaze with his phenomenal vampire flick Sinners, and is now looking forward to his reboot of The X-Files, in which he hopes will feature one of the OGs from the original show.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Last Podcast on the Left, the Black Panther director discussed what’s next on his plate and revealed that it was the X-Files reboot.
“I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it,” Coogler said about his “X-Files” reboot. “Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f—ing scary. We’re gonna try to make something really great, bro, and really be something for the real ‘X-Files’ fans, and maybe find some new ones.”
To get folks even more excited about his take on the iconic Fox show, he revealed that he’s “spoken to the great Gillian Anderson,” adding, “She’s incredible. Fingers crossed there.”
In the show, Anderson plays FBI Agent Dana Scully, who is initially very skeptical of her partner, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), but eventually becomes a believer in his conspiracies after experiencing them firsthand. At one point, she is abducted and offered to aliens.
Gillian Anderson Already Expressed Optimism That She Wants To Return
Speaking on the Today show, Anderson expressed optimism about returning for the reboot. “It’s so funny because for most of my life, since I have finished ‘The X-Files‘, every interview I do, people have asked and the answer has always been, ‘Nope, not going to happen, not going to happen,’” Anderson said. “Now, Ryan Coogler, who is the director of ‘Black Panther’ — brilliant, brilliant director — has approached Chris Carter to say that he wants to do a take on it, and I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen.”
She continued, “Whether I am involved in it is a whole other thing. I’m not saying no. I think he’s really cool and I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well. And maybe I’ll pop in for a little something something.”
Now, if Coogler can both Anderson and Duchovny back, he’s got another hit on his hands.
