Writer-Director Ryan Coogler has won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for his sometimes scary, sometimes seductive vampire period piece “Sinners.”
The other nominees in the category included “Blue Moon” (Robert Kaplow), “It Was Just an Accident” (Jafar Panahi), “Marty Supreme” (Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie), and “Sentimental Value” (Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier).
The Success of “Sinners”
The 2025 film was released in theaters on April 20th to a healthy opening of $48 Million domestically. The film went on to gross a total of around $370 Million worldwide on a budget of $90 million. To see a completely original film that’s not based on any previous source material do this well in Hollywood this year was a treat.
Ryan Coogler is best known for directing “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Creed” (2015), “Black Panther” (2018), and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022). Each film was a success in its own right, with “Black Panther” becoming one of the most successful superhero films ever, so it should be no surprise that “Sinners” broke the box office as one of the highest-grossing horror films ever made. Coogler is also known for featuring Michael B. Jordan in every one of his films, forming one of the strongest actor/director bonds in Hollywood.
Ryan Coogler Made Vampires Scary Again
“Sinners” takes place over the course of a just a single day and night, following the story of identical twins, Smoke and Stack, both played by Jordan, as they return from Chicago to their hometown in Mississippi in 1932. The twins seek to start anew and open a Juke Joint for black folks, but their opening night is met with terror, racism, and blood thirsty vampires.
The stylish period film juxtaposes the rampant racial tensions of the era with the stark horror of a growing group of supernatural monsters that seek to take everything, forcing the characters into a battle for their very survival.
Coogler both directed and penned the original script for the film, which earned a staggering, record-breaking 16 Oscar Nominations as well as taking home the prestigious Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award at this year’s Golden Globes. In a greater sense, the success of “Sinners” shows us that original ideas still have a place in Hollywood and filmmakers of color are turning out some of the most impactful content to date.
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