Sinners director Ryan Coogler says 2025's best horror movie won't be getting a sequel anytime soon: "I wanted to get away from that"

Michael B. Jordan as Elijah in the new horror movie, Sinners. — (Image credit: Warner Bros)

Critically-acclaimed vampire horror Sinners was never meant to be the start of a franchise. After some viewers were left wondering where that mid-credits scene could lead the story to, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has now confirmed that a sequel was never on his mind while making the film.

"I never think about that," he told Ebony in a recent interview. "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.

"I wanted the movie to feel like a full meal: your appetizers, starters, entrees and desserts," he continued, "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."

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Indeed, Coogler has plenty of experience with movie franchises, having directed two Black Panther movies in the MCU and Creed in the Rocky saga. For this new film, however, he was looking for something different, so it doesn't sound like we're getting a sequel anytime soon.

If things change, the film's star Michael B. Jordan would be up for a Sinners prequel, focused on the past of his twin characters Smoke and Stack. "I mean, you know, I'm always… I'd be up for it," he told GamesRadar+. "Not saying he [Coogler] wouldn't, but he calls the shots!"

"I mean, no, for me, my favorite movies are ones where it feels like a world was happening before and a world is gonna happen after. So that's the best compliment somebody can say," Coogler added in the same interview.

Set in the '30s in the deep south of the United States during its Jim Crow era, Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack, as they return to their hometown looking to start their troubled lives again. However, as they return, they find that their once home has been taken over by a greater evil.

For more, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.