Black Panther director Ryan Coogler reflects on the runaway success of his new vampire movie Sinners: "When I take my feelings out of it, I’m not surprised"

Ryan Coogler says he isn't surprised about the massive success of period vampire horror Sinners.

"I haven’t even begun to reckon with the fact that this movie is number one. It’s crazy. This movie is about like my uncle," Coogler, previously known for directing the Michael B. Jordan-led Creed movies as well as Marvel's Black Panther movies, said via Forbes. "It is bizarre, but when I think about it, when I take my feelings out of it, I’m not surprised."

The movie, set in 1931 in the Mississippi Delta, stars Jordan as twin brothers Elijah "Smoke" Moore and Elias "Stack" Moore, who return to their hometown to start again, only to be confronted by a supernatural evil. The cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Jack O'Connell, Lola Kirke (sister of Jemima Jo "What the hell, sure" Kirke), Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Peter Dreimanis, David Maldonado, Saul Williams, and Miles Caton.

Sinners, made for a budget of just under $100 million, brought in around $60 million at the global box office in its opening weekend - making it the most successful opening for an original, non-IP movie since 2020's Tenet, directed by none other than Christopher Nolan. The movie also currently sits at a 98% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Steinfeld's sultry lead performance.

Sinners is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.