Ryan Coogler Pens Open Letter Following 'Sinners' Success

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:

Love The Morning Hustle? Get more! Join the The Morning Hustle Newsletter

Subscribe

We care about your data. See our privacy policy.

“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.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.