OAKLAND – If fate is kind, Sacramento State University Alumnus, Ryan Coogler could have an amazing and historical night at the 91st Annual Academy Awards which airs Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.(ET/PT) on ABC TV.
Coogler, 32, who played football/wide receiver for the Sacramento State Hornets before turning his complete attention to filmmaking, directed and co-wrote the 2018 Marvel Comics hit movie, “Black Panther” which is nominated for seven Academy Awards.
Although most of the nominations are in technical categories such as “Best Costume Design” and “Best Sound Mixing,” and Coogler was overlooked for “Best Director,” it’s the “Best Picture” nomination that’s the biggest one of all and has folks buzzing.
And for good reason. “Black Panther” is the first superhero comic book movie to ever receive a “Best Picture” nomination.
Even more impressive is that since its release, “Black Panther” set the box office on fire topping $700 million in North America. It’s made $1.347 billion worldwide and surpassed “Titanic” to become the No. 3 movie of all time, behind only “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avatar.”
So much for the notion that “black” movies don’t do well overseas.
However, “Black Panther” faces long odds of snagging the coveted gold statue for “Best Picture” because it’s up against films such as “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “Roma,” “Vice” and Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” But, a big win would solidify Coogler’s already stellar filmmaking career.
Regardless of how things play out Sunday night, Coogler and “Black Panther’s” success goes far beyond the Oscars. The movie is a worldwide phenomenon as it proudly displays Black and African culture on screen like never before.
Sacramento Observer Correspondent Lana K. Wilson-Combs spoke with Coogler this past October when he returned to his Oakland, California hometown for a press reception at the Bardo Lounge & Supper Club and a Q&A session at Oakland’s historic Grand Lake Theater.
During the moderated panel discussion, Coogler discussed his filmmaking journey which led to his critically acclaimed 2013 directorial debut film “Fruitvale Station” and the 2015 box office follow-up, “Creed,” which he also directed and co-wrote.
Coogler also touched on those who inspired him along the way, his trip to Africa and how it shaped the script for “Black Panther” and the one central theme he believes is vital in all his movies.
Here’s what else Ryan Coogler had to say.
Q. What were some of your fondest memories growing up and going to this theater, the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland?
A. I was born in 1986 and I remember coming to this theater to see “Boyz in the Hood.” I was super young, like five years old and I was sitting on my father’s lap and you know “Boyz in the Hood” is super intense. But, my dad didn’t care (Lots of laughter). I remember watching it and there was this scene that something happened to one of the main characters and it really got to me and I started screaming or something in the theater. Someone said to my dad, ‘shut that kid up.’ You know my dad reacted in a certain way. (Lots of Laughter). I can’t repeat what he said, but he was protective of his son and that was that and we just kept watching the movie. (Lots of laughter).
Q. Your first big studio film was “Creed.” Why was this movie special to you and what it was like to pitch to Sylvester Stallone and have him make you the director?
A. It was special to me because my parents always watched movies. My mom got me to fall in love with movies. My dad liked certain movies. He was obsessed with the “Rocky” films. He was an athlete and kind of a guy’s guy. As a kid I noticed that. When I was playing sports before a game my dad would say, ‘hey you got to get pumped up. You got to turn on “Rocky.”’ I’m like dad is this for you or for me? (Lots of laughter). My dad had some major health issues around the time I was finishing up film school. So, I got the idea to make a movie about his hero, you know going through the same type of thing. That was how I got the idea and I had a chance to pitch the idea to Stallone. I met him in his office and we talked about it and he was like “whatever kid.” (Lots of laughter). Mike (Michael B. Jordan) and I made “Fruitvale Station” and then I came back to talk to Stallone about “Creed.” This time he was more open to the idea.
Q. I asked Stallone what made him reconsider making “Creed” after he said he was pretty much done with the franchise. He said he looked at the script you wrote and that was the gamechanger. He said he never imagined taking the story in the direction that you did, and it just opened a new world for him. What do you think of that?
A. It means a lot to me for Stallone to say that. It’s touching, because he’s a legend and could do what he wants with the franchise and to have confidence in an up and coming writer/director like me at the time, says a lot about him too. I have nothing but big-time respect and admiration and appreciation for Stallone. Working with him is just great and means a lot.
Q. You said in your films you deal with themes of identity. What do you mean by that?
A. It’s something that I noticed in retrospect. I think it comes from being a black man in Oakland where our identity is conflicted. You find out your history and you learn you don’t have a clear identity. It came from me as a kid. I liked to read, play sports and fight. I had trouble trying to find myself. It was a question of do you want to be a football player or artist? I was fortunate that I like writing characters that have that same sort of inward conflict about them. You know Oscar Grant (The character in “Fruitvale Station”) was killed at 22 before he could find out what kind of person he was. Was he going to be a good father or good son or run around the streets of Hayward and do all the things he did before to get locked up? All those questions were things he was struggling with. In “Creed” the main character Adonis (played by Michael B, Jordan) doesn’t know what his name is. He’s struggling with who he is. Is he a successful person? In “Black Panther” the whole film is about identity. What it means to be African. What it means to be African-American. What is Wakanda?
Q. You went from producing shorts to independent films, then to “Creed” the first major studio film and then “Black Panther” the highest grossing films of all time. How did you come onto the project?
A. I came on board to “Black Panther” as I was finishing “Creed” in 2015. A good friend of mine, Ava DuVernay (“Selma” and TV’s “Queen Sugar”) was initially going to direct “Black Panther” and then decided not to. And as I was finishing “Creed,” I got a call from a guy named Dave Moore who worked at Marvel. The thing that took me back the most was I could tell he was black over the phone (Lots of laughter). I didn’t know Marvel even had black people. I said I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you black? And he said as a matter of fact I am. (Lots of laughter). It was cool though. I also met with Kevin Feige who runs the company (Marvel). At the time I was becoming obsessed with a lot of concepts and ideas like human rights violations that were being done to people of color here and in other countries. I was trying to get to the historic root of it. I kept coming back to this idea of colonization and going to the continent of Africa was something I started to think about after “Creed” and I was starting to run out of excuses why I didn’t go. So, all this stuff seemed as if it was lining up. And when this project opened up I wanted to explore this idea. When I told them, they were interested in supporting me.
Q. You actually went to Africa. Can you talk about where you went and what inspired you?
A. Africa is a massive continent. It’s huge. I needed a place to start and “Black Panther” actually appeared in a film called “Civil War.” In that film they spoke a South African language. The actor that’s cast is Chadwick’s father who is a very famous south African actor from that ethnic group. I then worked my way up the continent. I went to East Africa, Kenya and Nairobi. I was planning to get to West Africa but ran out of time.
Q. You brought your cinematographer Rachel Morrison, your production designer and editor. Why was that important to you?
A. Oh, because they are really good at their jobs. (Lots of laughter). If they weren’t good I wouldn’t have brought them. They’re very talented. It was very comforting to have them around me. It’s great to have that support.
Q. It’s official. There will be a “Black Panther 2” You’re writing and directing it now correct?
A. Yes! (Thunderous applause).
Q. OK. Can you please give us all the plot details of “Black Panther 2” now?
A. I Wish I could. (Lots of Laughter).
Q. How would you sum up this journey that you’ve been on leading up to and since the release of “Black Panther?
A. It’s been just phenomenal. I’m just so happy that I have been surrounded by some of the finest writers, actors and filmmakers along the way. They inspired me during this process and have been a very special part of this process.
Q. You’re here with your lovely wife Zinzi Evans who is an Assistant director and producer. Does she give you good advice about your filmmaking?
A. She does. She’s definitely my rock. I married up with her, that’s for sure.
Q. I’m confident our paths will cross again at the Academy Awards on Feb. 24. Hopefully when I see you, you’ll be holding an Oscar.
A. Yeah. I could get with that. I’m just grateful for all the support that has been shown to “Black Panther.” But yeah, I could definitely get with that.
The 91st Annual Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood and air Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on ABC.
Editor’s Note: In addition to writing entertainment features for the Sacramento Observer, Lana K. Wilson-Combs has her own website, N2Entertainment.net and is the on-air movie critic for Sacramento Radio Station KFBK (93.1 FM and 1530 AM). Lana’s movie reviews can be heard every Friday at 6:20 p.m. on the Kitty O’Neal Show.
By Lana K. Wilson-Combs | OBSERVER Correspondent
Lana is also a member of the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association (BFCA),The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.