*Director Ryan Coogler has firmly stated that a sequel to his hit vampire thriller “Sinners” is not in his plans.
In a candid conversation with Ebony Magazine, Coogler revealed his desire to step away from franchise filmmaking and focus on standalone, original narratives. “I’ve been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that,” he 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.”
“Sinners,” which has soared past $350 million at the global box office, stands as one of the year’s top 10 highest-grossing films and the decade’s most successful original movie in the U.S., with a domestic haul of $261 million. This remarkable achievement is especially notable given its $90 million budget and its status as an R-rated horror film with no pre-existing intellectual property. The movie, released on April 18, outperformed expectations with a $48 million opening weekend, the strongest debut for an original film since Jordan Peele’s “Us” in 2019.
Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, Coogler’s frequent collaborator. The duo returns to their hometown to open a music hall, only to face a terrifying threat from a swarm of vampires. The film’s rich period setting, supernatural elements, and focus on community and archetypes resonate deeply with Coogler’s creative passions.
“This film is very much me,” he told Variety. “I love anything supernatural. I’m in. I like stories about communities, about neighborhoods, about archetypes. And I love period anything. So, when you layer those things together, that does it for me.”
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Coogler crafted “Sinners” to be a complete, self-contained experience. “I wanted the movie to feel like a full meal: your appetizers, starters, entrees and desserts, I wanted all of it there,” he explained in the Ebony interview. “I wanted it to be a holistic and finished thing. That was always my intention.”
This commitment to a conclusive story has made the film a standout in an era dominated by sequels and IP-driven projects, such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($814M) and “Barbie” ($636M). “Sinners” ranks 25th among the decade’s highest-grossing domestic films, a rare original title amidst a sea of franchises.
Despite Coogler’s stance, Michael B. Jordan has sparked intrigue about the possibility of exploring the “Sinners” universe further. In a recent interview reported by Collider,he expressed enthusiasm for a potential prequel, saying, “I’ll be up for it. Not saying [director Ryan Coogler] wouldn’t, but I’m just saying, I would be up for it.”
Coogler responded, “I don’t call no shots,” before adding, “For me, my favorite movies, it feels like a world was happening before and a world is gonna happen after. So that’s the best compliment somebody can say.”
Jordan echoed fans’ sentiments, noting, “That you care about the characters, that you want to see what happened to them, and what happened before.”
“Sinners” is now available on digital platforms.
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: They’re Down for it! Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan Tease Sinners Prequel Possibility | WATCH
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