“Wanted it to be a holistic and finished thing”- Ryan Coogler puts ‘Sinners’ sequel rumors to rest, claims he always intended it to be a standalone 

Sinners director Ryan Coogler has confirmed that there will be no sequel to the hit movie. He said that he wanted to move away from franchise productions, which is why he worked on this movie.

Sinners was released on April 18, 2025, and has earned great reviews from fans and critics alike. It is currently rated 7.9 on IMDb and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, in an interview with Ebony Magazine, published on April 15, he dismissed rumors of a potential sequel, saying:

“I’ve been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that. 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.”

He continued saying:

“I wanted the movie to feel like a full meal: your appetizers, starters, entrees and desserts, I wanted all of it there. I wanted it to be a holistic and finished thing. That was how I was asked all about it. That was always my intention.”

Ryan Coogler has notably worked on some incredible franchise movies in the past, like Black Panther and Creed. Meanwhile, as per Variety, Sinners has already grossed over $350 million worldwide, making it into the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2025.

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Ryan Coogler on why he loves movies like Sinners

The European Premiere of "Sinners" (Image Source: Getty)

The movie stars Michael B. Jordan in a double role as he plays twins, Smoke and Stack. These two return to their home in Mississippi to open a music hall. However, their business and the town are under threat from vampires.

In an interview with Variety, published on April 17, Ryan Coogler spoke about his love for anything supernatural and communities, saying:

“This film is very much me. 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.”

Coogler also spoke about how he, along with producers Proximity Media, wanted to create something together. He explained:

“We were gonna make movies for people to watch in theaters with strangers. Movies that make you feel like you’re on a roller coaster. I would argue, there’s nothing better than watching a scary movie in a crowd, not knowing what’s gonna happen next and who’s gonna make it."

He further stated:

"And it was my first chance to direct something with these two as my producers in a long time — the first time officially, when it comes to Zinzi — so I liked the feeling of that pressure.”

Coogler also highlighted the process of shooting and conceptualizing some of the scenes. He discussed the importance of music in filmmaking and how it helped in the narration in Sinners.

The movie features Michael B. Jordan in the leading role and also stars the likes of Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and more.

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