A Press Conference with Ryan Coogler and Key Cast Members of His Period Horror Film, “Sinners”

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Interviews

Published on Monday, 28 April 2025 13:34

Written by Brad Balfour

Film: Sinners
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Li Jun Li, Jayme Lawson, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Ellison, Omar Benson Miller, Lola Kirke

While continuing with the “Creed” and “Black Panther” franchises, director/writer Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan’s latest team-up surfaced when it was reported that the duo were working on a mysterious new project that was showcased to executives and buyers under a cone of silence.

Well, that cone has long disappeared. Now, their latest project, the 2025 “Sinners” is finished. This American period piece written, produced, and directed by Ryan Coogler is a supernatural horror film set in the 1930s South, Louisiana to be specific. Starring Jordan in the dual role of twin brothers Smoke and Stack, they return to their hometown but are faced with a greater evil than their usual criminal behavior.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, the twins return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an vampires are waiting to welcome them back. There are many layers to this film and what seems to be a variation on vampires. It addresses lots of cultural conflicts — between high and low classes, blacks and the Irish and trying to make one’s fortune within the context of a Post Civil War South.

A master of genre film, Coogler (“Black Panther,” “Creed”) began developing this project through his Proximity Media production company. In January 2024, when Jordan was cast. Warner Bros. Pictures acquired distribution rights following a bidding war. Casting took place in April, ahead of the start of filming that month. Filming wrapped in July 2024.

The bloody features also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, and Delroy Lindo.

“Sinners” is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 18, 2025. In advance of that date, this online press conference took place featuring Coogler, Jordan and the crucial cast listed above.

Q: From “Fruitvale Station” to now, you two — Ryan and Mr. Michael B. Jordan — have been a dynamic duo. It’s been an incredible collaboration. Talk about the shorthand that you’ve developed through these projects to now? 

Michael B. Jordan: My shorthand has [done] nothing but gotten stronger over the years –– especially with this one, being the first movie that I’ve done since I directed my first film. I just have a deeper sense of empathy for what Ryan goes through on a day-to-day basis.

All the hats that he must wear, and the amount of places he has to be at the same time, especially on this one, [allowed] me to be an extra set of eyes for him and help where I could, anticipating his movements or needs. This allowed us to maybe get a little bit more done. Especially when time is always an issue on set, in general. There’s just this kind of understanding. I can’t really explain the non-verbal communication that we have, only that it’s gotten better over the years. 

Q: Ryan, as somebody who has seen him before he directed a film, did you have a moment where you were like, “See? I told you that. Now you know.” 

Ryan Coogler: You mean like, “See how difficult filmmaking is?”

Q: It’s not about seeing how difficult filmmaking is. More like, it’s because he’s dealt with it on his side, now he has empathy [for what it is you do.] 

Ryan Coogler: I worked as his producer on “Creed III.” There were a lot of times where I would never rub it in his face like that, but he would say, “Whoa, man, I see what you’re doing.” The reality is, man, our jobs are so different. Even when he was directing “Creed III,” he was acting in that movie. He was having to go get punched in the face and then go look and check to see how he did. Then he had to go back and get punched again. 

I’m not on screen when I’m directing. I’m behind the camera. Mike is an empathetic guy. He grew up on film and television sets. What I like the most about working with him is his incredible work ethic, but he’s also a very kind and family-oriented person. When you’re number one on the call sheet –– and in this case, he was 1A and 1B –– I guess you have to like that culture. Oftentimes it’s going to come from there and it trickles down.

People are watching how the lead actor communicates with the PA, with the assistant, the AD, with the camera operator, with the sound. Do they like to let the sound person mic them? Do they want to complain? You know, all these things, man. He’s such an incredible sport and just moves. Kindness is the default. That’s just infectious on the set, in terms of establishing the tone that everybody’s going to work with. It’s unacceptable to yell at a PA if Mike has ever done that. Mike has [never] raised his voice. You follow me? 

Michael B. Jordan: That’s right. 

Ryan Coogler: In an industry where it can get very high stress, it can get very toxic, it’s great to have somebody who understands the value of keeping it loving and respectful. That’s what I like about Mike the most. The other piece is, he wants to challenge himself constantly. What was great was, like, I got that with every cast member.

Everybody who went through the works and [when they] stepped on set, they were trying to be better than they were in their last movie. I believe that they’re going to be better than they were in this movie in their next one. That’s the type of people we hired. That culture starts with Mike. But I was fortunate enough that everybody came with that. I was very happy with that.

Q: Miles, you just had one of the greatest film school type experiences. This is sort of your kickoff. Tell us about your journey from when you first got approached about the project … to now, having the premiere in New York. The world is finally getting to see it. 

Miles Caton: I started off when I was 16 years old. I got the opportunity to sing background for H.E.R. We began a tour all over the world. We opened up for Coldplay. Towards the end of that tour, I got a call one day saying, “Little bro, there was somebody in the crowd that heard you sing and they wanted you to audition for this role.” I took that and ran with it. I sent in a self-taped audition. After that, I got a call back. Then they sent like a couple sides. It was like a kid, a young kid, just playing the guitar. I did that and sent it off. 

The next thing I knew, I went to L.A. to do an audition. I got to meet Mike and Ryan, along with a couple other people. From there, I got to talk with them about the role and just put my best foot forward. After that, I was able to really learn from them. Just being on this project, I got to grow so much. Every day was a learning experience, from the time I got on set to the end. I really did push myself daily to be better. Being around actors at this level, they all showed me so much love. To be here at this moment, I feel super blessed.

Q: Now Jack, your character essentially starts a lot of this ruckus. He just sees who Miles’s character is and how he has to respond to it. You’re very thoughtful about your projects and the things you like to do. Did you really think of Nick as a villain? He’s clearly enjoying himself. He’s enjoying all of this destruction. How did you approach him and all the layers that I think were present in the character? 

Jack O’Connell as Remmick

Jack O’Connell: Oh, yeah, man. Listen, I think “villain” is a fair description. [panelists all chuckle] 

Q: Maybe he doesn’t think he’s a villain, though. 

Jack O’Connell: No, definitely not. Listen, there’s probably an easier way of doing things. In the film, we do it the hard way for Remmick. he’s all about fellowship and love. All he wants is just to bite you on your neck and then that’s everlasting love. Just a little bite. He’s constantly saying, “I promise I won’t hurt you. [laughter] It’s the easy way.” 

We all end up going the hard way. But listen, there’s a real richness, a real depth to Ryan’s writing. What we were striving towards wasn’t superficial. It was grounded in something that’s rooted in history. That to me was the main thing I was loving to latch on to, which was the cultural richness that our characters were representing in their individual ways. 

I had to read and read and read before I could believe my eyes. It’s not often you get a script from America that incorporates traditional Irish music — not just popular Irish music, but the real deal, the genuine stuff. I had to read that page six or seven times before it sank in — where “The Rocky Road to Dublin” is being sung by Remmick and other vampires. As you can imagine, that was quite surreal.

I think character-wise, he purports to be, who knows, maybe a thousand years old. All I’ve got to go on is a speech in the movie, and he refers to Ireland being colonized for the first time. That’s at least 600 years ago. So, as you can imagine, there are a lot of gaps to fill — there’s a lot of room and opportunity to create and invent. But it’s rooted in history and something factual, as well as something I find personally very, very interesting. So, to create this character that is supernatural, yet also natural, too — there’s a realism to it. It’s not outlandish beyond all conception.

To do that was just wildly thrilling. I think with him being around for as long as he says he’s been around, there comes a certain complexity with his character, his personality, and with what he’s capable of. He’s able to read people and he’s got a different take on mortality. So, there was all of that wiggle room to have a lot of fun with. Ryan and I would discuss this a lot, and I had so much joy during those talks.

Alright, he’s trying to kill them and devour their blood, but in doing so, he’s trying to offer them eternal life and a promise of enlightenment. So, he’s on this mission and that’s how I understood him to be. He’s kind of got a cause.

Q: And Remmick sings.

Jack O’Connell: We were working with the best of the best, it feels like. Look, I’m not a singer. I fool around on the guitar a bit, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a musician. We had Ludwig Göransson and Serena Göransson, just experts at what they do with music within film. So that was fully legit. We were in proper recording studios with the proper equipment.

There was also a bit of a jig that I had to do for the role. We got set up with Aakomon Hasani Jones, and I mean, he’s worked with Usher. He’s top of his game for dance choreography. There were days I just felt like Beyoncé. I was going to work; I was doing my music recording in the morning and then I was going to rehearse a dance. I just felt like a massive pop star. Ryan laid it out in such a way where we felt welcome. He inspires confidence. He’s really wonderful with his cast and you can really get into it with him. Nothing but good things to say about Mr. Coogler.

Q: You do more than just take a bite in this one. There’s more things that were asked of your character…. But now, on to Mr. Delroy Lindo. Sir, we’re very familiar with your filmography. It’s been a minute since you had to get so physical and fiery in a role. Talk about that scene in the juke joint. What was it like when Ryan tells you, “OK, you’re not just going to be playing in this one. You’re going to be getting physical with it.”

Delroy: First of all, we have such a wonderful team who work on the fights. Ryan has a wonderful team that he puts all to the actors’ disposal. Earlier I talked about the fact that when I was younger, I did dance class and fighting is like that on film and in the theater. It’s like choreography, right? It’s choreographed. On some level, the more violent the fights were, the more critically important it was to be choreographed to a T. These fights were … I came to the project a little late because I was working on something else. But when I arrived in New Orleans, they were already in the thick of building the moves in the fight. 

The very first fight rehearsal I went to, the fight captain showed me what they were working on and showed me very specifically: “OK, this is how you will slot in.” We just worked very methodically to achieve that. By the time we got on camera to shoot those scenes, we all knew exactly what we were doing, and what our responsibilities were. The other thing I would say really quickly: there was an openness which trickled down from Ryan and from Mike in terms of the generosity shown to all of the actors. So, if something was presented to me, there were a couple of things presented to me in the fight scenes where I said, “Hmm … can I maybe try this?” Absolutely! There was always space to incorporate what felt more organic for me as an actor. 

Q: When you watch the film, you can tell that, of course. Ryan is writing another story that tells an aspect of the black experience. But, he always makes sure that there’s other cultures [as well]. Whenever he does it, he treats it with the same detail, attention and reverence. Li Jun Li, your character is a perfect example of that. In the fashion and in some of the moments where, again, that happened, the film alludes to other parts of the culture. Talk about how you were able to craft your character … not just to look at the time, but also of her culture. 

Li Jun Li: I was not aware of the Chinese-American community in the Mississippi Delta. I had no idea about them. All I knew was that when I was presented with the sides during my audition process, I had no other information other than the fact that she was Chinese-American with a very thick, deep Southern accent, which really piqued my interest. Also, obviously, because it was Ryan’s project as well. When we dived into the research, it was fascinating. They were such a crucial part of the world at the time. They were the only people who were able to open up grocery stores specifically for the black and white communities. But they also endured a lot of prejudice themselves. 

In a documentary made by a filmmaker named Dolly Li, she mentioned a couple of people. One of the women’s names was Freida Quon, who we used for our dialect inspiration. She always said that as long as we stayed in our lanes, we’d be fine. Trouble would start if we crossed over. I just love how fascinating it was, how deeply embedded they were in the culture, and how you would never think that a person who looks like me would speak that way. Yet they did. They also made Southern-style Chinese food and built their own community. It was really a gift to learn about this.

Q: Although this is a genre story, with lots of blood, action and some incredible music at the heart of it, one thing that’s most important about this is that there’s these two really intense love stories for Wunmi and Hailee. Talk about the fact that, yes, you were in love with these two men, Smoke and Stack. Ryan does this with the backdrop of the grandest part of the picturesque scenery with Louisiana wildlife. Talk about how being in that environment made you more invested in these characters, these stories and the realism. Wunmi, can you start with that? 

Wunmi Mosaku: Annie’s shop, her home is in this picturesque environment with these massive, shaded oaks. And what’s the other tree with the one in Louisiana with the moss? It’s so beautiful and romantic and it really adds to the magic of their relationship, their love. It kind of elevates it. I love how, in the scene when we see Annie and Smoke for the first time, is it dandelions you’ve got blowing behind Smoke? 

Ryan: It’s just willow. 

Wunmi Mosaku: It’s so beautiful. the whole shop itself. I wish we could see the whole thing. [Production Designer] Hannah Beachler did such an amazing job.

Ryan: Yeah, she did.

Wunmi: There’s like smoke coming up through the floorboards and these little cards hanging from the ceiling. There’s candles burning in the background. You can’t see all of this. There are spiderwebs on these spell books. These are real spiders. It’s not even set design. It just felt really magical. It felt like their home. When he comes into the store, he knows where to pick his pipe from. He knows that time has stood still for her and everything is as it was. 

I really loved their environment. It felt like it really added to the scene. It added to our intimacy, our connection. Then, having the grave right there. Knowing when Annie says, I don’t need any of the money because I’m not going anywhere else. That is her anchor. That is her. Her heart is right there in the ground. Right there in front of her.

Q: Hailee, you also had to film this all at night. Your character, for the journey that she goes on, that probably added to what you were “heightening” up towards the final parts.

Hailee: It all plays a part, for sure. Quickly, though, on what Wunmi is talking about…. That was one set I wish I’d gotten to see in person. I had heard about it and seeing it in the movie, the thought of there being more is…. What you see is so spectacular. In the note about him knowing where the pipe is and where to go and that being your home, I think the nights [we spent shooting] were crazy. A lot of the nights took place inside the juke, too. We would go in and it would be light. We’d come out and it’d be light again. 

What I love so much about the juke for Mary was that even though it was a new place to her, it was home. There were so many elements within it that were created, that were brought to life and were home. The food, the people, and most importantly, the music. Just the way, the sort of layout, where you’d have Smoke and Stacks sort of up above. Annie in her corner. The stage. 

Mary was just moving through and feeling this sense of familiarity, having never been there before because of who was around her. I love that so much about this character and how she falls into this story, because she’s in a place of not knowing whether or not she….  I guess to an outsider, not so much herself. An outsider may not believe that she belongs in that space, but she does. She knows that and she feels it. 

Being in that juke, on that stage, even in our exterior location — looking at the structure that was built — it was like it became our home. It became Mary’s home. It became her connection to her mother and her past that she’d been away from for so long. Living a very, very different life that we didn’t necessarily see, but we could only imagine how beautiful it might have been or looked. Or how different it might have looked. 

It wasn’t what she wanted. This was home. I loved walking in there and hearing everyone’s shoes sort of creak on the wood and the chairs that we see a little bit in the movie of the juke coming together. It’s just like you wonder where it all came from and how they got it all together. It was all these people that were in there that made it happen, that brought it together. We had just the most incredible team, some of whom you mentioned, bring this to life and make this feel like a safe space that we could go home to.

Q: Jamie and Omar, Ryan brings something to his sets that is very unique. There’s a vibe, an energy that he brings to all of his projects that’s infectious. It also really stimulates collaboration and creativity.  Talk about what that vibe is, if you could describe it, Omar.

Omar Benson Miller: I’ve been doing this for a good amount of time now. I’ve been blessed to work for a long time. Ryan runs the most egalitarian set I have ever been on, and I say that in the most complimentary kind of way. Once we got to set, once everybody came out of the trailers, everybody was equal. For somebody who’s had an underdog element to his whole career, I value that so much. To me, that was something I had when leaving the set: always being welcome to return to it and being a part of it, I looked forward to returning to it. We’re all being treated equally. Ryan knows everybody’s first name. It’s 200-some people. Ryan’s calling people out. It’s stuff like that. It was very, very, very impressive.

Jayme Lawson: This is, hands down, my favorite experience. It felt like we could bring our stories with us, as he shared his with us. It made for a collaboration where –– I think, I can speak for a lot of us –– we found a level of freedom that oftentimes you don’t get to tap into. Because you’re being led by somebody that has so much faith in you and trust in you with his brainchild. At no point did he ever feel so precious about it. It was a gift that he was willing to share. 

Like Omar said, every day, I would show up when I didn’t have to be at work. I don’t know anybody else that would want to do that but to be able to watch Ryan work, I had to [be there]. I wanted to be in that room at all times. I am forever grateful for that.

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