This is the fifth time the duo have worked together
Michael B Jordan has starred in all five of Coogler’s feature films, while composer Ludwig Göransson has collaborated with the director the same amount of times, scoring all of Coogler’s movies. On his relationship with his long time collaborator, Jordan, Coogler commented that it’s hard to make a movie and it’s hard to lead a film.
“When you have someone who clicks with you and understands you, it doesn’t feel like work,” he explained. The director was complimentary of Jordan and declared that they have a “great personal and professional relationship”, and praised his dedication to the craft of acting explaining that the star doesn’t “shy from challenging himself.”
Coogler also shared that the death of Black Panther’s lead actor, Chadwick Boseman, brought the pair closer together and “made them appreciate each other more.”
Sinners is a personal film
Set in the Jim Crow era of the 1930s, Coogler explained that Sinners is all the more special to him because of where the narrative is set.
Hinting that the film’s backdrop is Mississippi, the director explained that Sinners felt especially personal because his maternal grandfather and uncle were born in the US state. Coogler also added that he drew inspiration from the art his relatives introduced him to, sharing that his relationship with his uncle and the music he played for him “had a profound impact” on his life and heavily shaped the film. For Coogler, Sinners is “a reclamation of a time period and place” that his family don’t talk too much about.
Sinners has plenty of strong media influences
Salem’s Lot and The Twilight Zone series both had massive influences on Coogler’s latest project.
In particular, The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank from Series 3 of The Twilight Zone, a story of a man who returns to life at his own funeral. There’s a clear connection to Coogler’s Sinners, as Jeff, the protagonist, returns to life with no beating heart, something Coolger hints at being important for this new film. Salem’s Lot, on the other hand, looks towards the unstable nature of a community, plagued by something unknown.
Coogler also spoke about what a pleasure it was to work with various consultants on the film including those specialising music, hoodoo culture and of course twins. The Delta blues also heavily inspired Coogler as he mentioned Robert Johnson, a music artist made popular during the years 1936 - 37 and rumoured to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical success.
The cast are tight-knit
How do you define a stacked cast? With Michael B Jordan at the helm, the legendary Delroy Lindo, and a standout lineup featuring Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, and Wunmi Mosaku. Not only are the actors brimming with previous award accolades and nominations, but Coogler shared that they also got on really well.
The ensemble’s prowess is not just felt by fans alone, but by Coogler also. Whilst praising the actors he exclaimed “I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the business in terms of the cast I’ve previously worked with, but this one [Sinners] is up there with the best ones.” He was impressed by “all of the actors taking ownership of their characters” and that the experience and the excitement reminded him of his experience whilst making the Black Panther films.
“Sinners” was nightmare free (almost!)
Describing himself as a horror lover, Coogler has described how the normal nightmares that plague him around a new film, have been quite quiet this time around.
But maybe audiences nightmares won’t be kept at bay with SFX artist Mike Fointaine (Green Room) working alongside the director to bring his vision to life. Coogler, when pushed on what fantastical elements we’ll get to see in the film, revealed, “It’s a lot more than vampires. I think we are going to surprise people.”
And what does the director want audiences to take from the film?
To fall into the world they’ve created.
Sinners is scheduled to be released April 18th in UK cinemas.
Additional reporting by Sabrina Fearon-Melville
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