*Hailee Steinfeld steps into a role that hits close to home in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming horror film “Sinners,” set to release on April 18.
Playing Mary alongside Michael B. Jordan’s twin characters, Smoke and Stack, Steinfeld embodies a multiracial figure whose heritage echoes her own, marking a first in her career. With a half-Black grandfather written into her character, the actress, who has Black American and Filipino roots through her mother, finds a rare chance to reflect her real-life identity on screen.
In an interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Steinfeld opened up about the personal weight of the role. “It sparked a lot of questions for me,” she shared, noting how the research process became a deep dive into her family history.
“The research was my family and my family history. And ‘the best part of the job’ didn’t feel like part of the job. It felt like these amazing conversations that…it’s easy to say [that], I wish happened sooner, but I’m so grateful that they’re happening now,” she added.
The film, set in the segregated South of the 1930s, blends historical tension with supernatural chills as twin brothers face a sinister force upon returning home. Here’s the official “Sinners” synopsis: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
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For Steinfeld, “Sinners” stirred reflections on her grandfather’s life.
“After seeing the movie last night with just some family, it’s like the conversations about this movie are so important, but it brought me so much closer to my mom and to my grandfather,” she said. “[With this role], my imagination ran wild with thoughts of what his life might’ve looked like growing up, what his parents’ life might’ve looked like. I’m just so honored to be a part of this story.”
Coogler, reteaming with Jordan after “Creed” and “Black Panther,” crafts a tale that’s as thrilling as it is meaningful. Steinfeld calls it a privilege to join a project that’s “wild, and exciting, and fun,” yet deeply personal.
The actress described the project as a journey of self-discovery she “didn’t know I needed so bad.”
New clip for the #Sinners
man I love her accent so much pic.twitter.com/sW7h9RRa6t
— Hailee Steinfeld STAN (@HaileeSTANfam) April 4, 2025
Meanwhile, during a Zoom video call with members of the media earlier this year, Coogler shared insights into the creative process behind his upcoming horror film. He discussed the inspirations that shaped the movie, the historical and supernatural elements woven into its narrative, and the unique dynamic he shares with Jordan. The filmmaker revealed that “Sinners” is a deeply personal project, shaped by his own life experiences and the cultural history he grew up with, creating a story that feels both intimate and resonant.
“It’s very personal. My maternal grandfather is from Mississippi, and my Uncle James, who passed away while I was finishing up Creed, also from Mississippi, and it was a place that I had never been. My maternal grandfather passed before I was born. We grew up in a house that he built in Oakland after he had moved to California, and I was fortunate enough to have a close relationship with my Uncle James, and this movie is about … The seed of it started with that relationship with my uncle,” Coogler explained.
“He would listen to blues music all the time. He would only talk about Mississippi when he was listening to that music, and he had a profound effect on my life, and I got a chance to dig into my own ancestral history with this film, and it’s been extremely rewarding,” he continued.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Ryan Coogler Calls Vampire Thriller ‘Sinners’ a Personal Project Rooted in Family History and ‘Hoodoo Culture’ | Watch New Trailer
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