UPDATE: Turns out Ebony didn’t land a new interview after all — they repurposed a quote from an earlier sit-down with Coogler that originally ran back on April 15th. Still, outlets like Variety, THR, and others picked up the story over the weekend as if it were new.
Worth noting: the interview took place just days before “Sinners” hit theaters. At that point, no one really saw the kind of runaway success the film would go on to have — so Coogler’s “no sequel” stance came before the $350M global box office changed the conversation.
EARLIER: Last week, I reported on a Production Weekly posting that stated a “Sinners” sequel was in the early stages of development at Warner Bros. Ryan Coogler is now denying it completely.
Despite “Sinners” crossing the $270M mark at the domestic box office — a massive win for an original, non-franchise studio film in today’s IP-obsessed climate — Coogler isn’t interested in making a sequel. In fact, contrary to trade reports, the “Black Panther” and “Creed” director says he never intended “Sinners” to be anything more than a one-and-done.
Speaking with Ebony Magazine, Coogler made it clear that returning to franchise territory isn’t something he’s aiming for right now. “I’ve spent years working inside big IP worlds,” he said. “This was a chance to do something more personal, something that stood on its own.”
Coogler likened the film to a full-course meal — “appetizers, entrees, dessert, all of it” — a complete package meant to leave the audience satisfied, not waiting for Part 2.
What’s raising a few eyebrows about Coogler’s recent “no sequel” stance is that, according to THR, the project was originally pitched to Warner Bros. with “franchise potential” in mind. In fact, part of Coogler’s deal reportedly includes a clause that gives him the IP rights back after 25 years — not exactly something you negotiate if you’re only planning one film.
And yet, despite the commercial and critical success, Coogler is telling us not to expect “Sinners 2: Still Sinning” anytime soon. Coogler’s happy to let this one stand on its own.
“I didn’t want to build a franchise,” he said. “I just wanted to make something that felt complete.”
