Latest news with #Coogler
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Sinners brings cinematic spotlight to Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi didn't just provide history and blues for director and writer Ryan Coogler's hit movie about art, Jim Crow, and vampires. One of the Mississippi Delta town's musicians contributed to the Sinners script. After a special screening in the town, which has no cinema, Coogler told the audience gathered in a community hall about the first time he described the movie's plot to a group of Clarksdale blues musicians he had asked to contribute to the score. He said he hesitated when he got to the part about the vampires. He went ahead. Then, Grammy winner Bobby Rush filled the silence. "I had a girl once that was a vampire," the musician joked. The line was given to Delta Slim, played by Delroy Lindo, a piano-playing character who brings both comic relief and depth to the movie. Watch: The trailer for Sinners Thursday's screening and discussion came after Tyler Yarbrough, a community organiser and movie buff in Clarksdale, wrote an open letter asking Coogler and Warner Brothers to bring the movie to a town where people drive 80 miles (130km) to Memphis, Tennessee to get to a cinema. Warner Brothers outfitted the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium with a big screen, projector, and sound system. There was even popcorn. Sinners has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and moviegoers, who praised the film for its stars' performances, its showcasing of African American art, and its wrestling with painful history and big ideas. According to Variety, by the end of its opening month of April, Sinners had grossed $122.5 million in North America and $161.6 million worldwide. At what was billed as a community screening, it was apparent the community was not just the geographical entity of Clarksdale. The audience came together around art and American history, including Jim Crow, the legal and often brutally policed racial hierarchy that subjugated black people in America's south. Shelby Simes arrived at 7am from nearby West Helena, Arkansas, earning first place in a queue that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened about an hour before Thursday's 11am screening, the first of six scheduled over three days. Simes said Coogler's film, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important at a time when what many see as the truth about the black American experience has been criticised by President Donald Trump as "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology". "They're taking books off shelves," Simes said. "They're not teaching us properly in the schools." She said with Sinners, which is fiction but offers a realistic portrayal of the Jim Crow era, Coogler and his team made the past tangible. "I love how they were able to create a path to talk to our ancestors," she said, echoing the reaction of other black viewers. Michael Johansson, who has worked with community members to memorialise lynchings in the county where the University of Mississippi is located, said it made sense for Coogler to weave vampire folklore into his storyline. "The horror genre is appropriate for the damage, the cruelty, the barbarism of what has been done to blacks in this nation," said Johansson, who came from Jackson to see the movie on Thursday. Andrea Driver, who supports library sciences students at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, was touched on a personal level. She cried when she saw that a young character had survived horror and reached old age. "He somehow carried that experience with him for years and didn't perish, didn't take his own life. I don't know that I could live with those memories my whole life," she said, saying it spoke to the experience of many black Americans. Poet C Liegh McInnis, who was born and raised in Clarksdale, noted the hometown audience recited the Lord's Prayer along with a character during a tense moment in the film. He said Coogler had drawn from history, folklore, and religion. "I love the fact that Coogler gave us a three-dimensional film," he said. Sinners is set at a time when Clarksdale was a bustling agricultural centre in which black residents were exploited. Many fled north, bringing the blues to cities such as Chicago and Kansas City. While Coogler set his movie in Clarksdale, he filmed it in neighbouring Louisiana, in part because Mississippi lacked infrastructure such as the soundstages he needed. Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said the attention Sinners had brought could help revive his majority-black town of about 14,000, where 40% live under the poverty line. He hoped to capitalise on Clarksdale's status as a cultural capital by expanding performance and educational opportunities. Director Coogler saw a future for Clarksdale because of the entrepreneurial spirit that led residents to reach out for Thursday's screening, and its cultural resources. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Coogler's 'Sinners' brings cinematic spotlight to Clarksdale, Mississippi
* Community screening highlights film's portrayal of African American history * Coogler sees potential for Clarksdale's cultural and entrepreneurial growth * Clarksdale musicians contributed to 'Sinners' script and score CLARKSDALE, Mississippi, - Clarksdale didn't just provide history and blues for director and writer Ryan Coogler's hit movie about art, Jim Crow and vampires. One of the Mississippi Delta town's musicians contributed to the "Sinners" script. After a special screening in the town, which has no cinema, Coogler told the audience gathered in a community hall about the first time he described the movie's plot to a group of Clarksdale blues musicians he had asked to contribute to the score. He said he hesitated when he got to the part about the vampires. He went ahead. Then, Grammy winner Bobby Rush filled the silence. "I had a girl once that was a vampire," the musician joked. The line was given to Delta Slim, played by Delroy Lindo, a piano-playing character who brings both comic relief and depth to the movie. Thursday's screening and discussion came after Tyler Yarbrough, a community organizer and movie buff in Clarksdale, wrote an open letter asking Coogler and Warner Brothers to bring the movie to a town where people drive 80 miles to Memphis, Tennessee to get to a cinema. Warner Brothers outfitted the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium with a big screen, projector and sound system. There was even popcorn. "Sinners" has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and moviegoers, who praised the film for its stars' performances, its showcasing of African American art, and its wrestling with painful history and big ideas. According to Variety, by the end of its opening month of April "Sinners" had grossed $122.5 million in North America and $161.6 million worldwide. At what was billed as a community screening, it was apparent the community was not just the geographical entity of Clarksdale. The audience came together around art and American history, including Jim Crow, the legal and often brutally policed racial hierarchy that subjugated Black people in America's South. Shelby Simes arrived at 7 a.m. from nearby West Helena, Arkansas, earning first place in a line that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened about an hour before Thursday's 11 a.m. screening, the first of six scheduled over three days. Simes said Coogler's film, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important at a time when what many see as the truth about the Black American experience has been criticized by President Donald Trump as "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology." "They're taking books off shelves," Simes said. "They're not teaching us properly in the schools." She said with "Sinners," which is fiction but offers a realistic portrayal of the Jim Crow era, Coogler and his team made the past tangible. "I love how they were able to create a path to talk to our ancestors," she said, echoing the reaction of other Black viewers. Michael Johansson, who has worked with community members to memorialize lynchings in the county where the University of Mississippi is located, said it made sense for Coogler to weave vampire folklore into his storyline. "The horror genre is appropriate for the damage, the cruelty, the barbarism of what has been done to Blacks in this nation," said Johansson, who came from Jackson to see the movie on Thursday. Andrea Driver, who supports library sciences students at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, was touched on a personal level. She cried when she saw that a young character had survived horror and reached old age. "He somehow carried that experience with him for years and didn't perish, didn't take his own life. I don't know that I could live with those memories my whole life," she said, saying it spoke to the experience of many Black Americans. Poet C. Liegh McInnis, who was born and raised in Clarksdale, noted the hometown audience recited the Lord's Prayer along with a character during a tense moment in the film. He said Coogler had drawn from history, folklore and religion. "I love the fact that Coogler gave us a three-dimensional film," he said. "Sinners" is set at a time when Clarksdale was a bustling agricultural center in which Black residents were exploited. Many fled north, bringing the blues to cities such as Chicago and Kansas City. While Coogler set his movie in Clarksdale, he filmed it in neighboring Louisiana, in part because Mississippi lacked infrastructure such as the soundstages he needed. Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said the attention "Sinners" had brought could help revive his majority Black town of about 14,000, where 40% live under the poverty line. He hoped to capitalize on Clarksdale's status as a cultural capital by expanding performance and educational opportunities. Coogler saw a future for Clarksdale because of the entrepreneurial spirit that led residents to reach out for Thursday's screening, and its cultural resources. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said.
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Sinners earns USD 1.1M on 6th Wednesday, surpasses Joker and Oppenheimer among R-rated films
Ryan Coogler's supernatural horror film Sinners continues to defy expectations at the US box office, posting a strong USD 1.1 million on its sixth Wednesday. Despite a significant 40.5 percent drop from the previous Wednesday and losing a harsh 886 theaters on Friday, Sinners achieved the second biggest sixth Wednesday ever for an R-rated film. It surpassed major hits like Joker, Oppenheimer, and Deadpool & Wolverine, all of which had made under USD 1 million at the same point in their run. Sinners only trailed behind The Passion of the Christ, which recorded USD 1.3 million on its sixth Wednesday. Sinners also ranks as the third biggest sixth Wednesday for April releases, holding strong alongside heavyweights like Infinity War (USD 1.1M, -26.7 percent) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (USD 1.1M, -45.5 percent). The film's resilience is notable given the increasing competition and its impending digital release, which has impacted the number of cinemas housing the film. Nevertheless, the horror mega hit has already amassed a domestic cumulative gross of USD 261 million and is expected to reach around USD 280 million in the US, contingent on how the market acts over the weekend. Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as criminal brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown to start a fresh life but face a haunting evil instead. The ensemble cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo, contributing to the film's rich and suspenseful narrative. Coogler produced, wrote, and directed the film. He began developing Sinners through his production company Proximity Media in early 2024 before Warner Bros. Pictures snagged the distribution rights after an intense bidding war. Principal photography took place between April and July of the same year. The film's haunting score was composed by longtime Coogler collaborator Ludwig Göransson, who also served as an executive producer. Released stateside on April 18, Sinners has received widespread critical acclaim for its atmospheric storytelling, strong performances, and innovative blend of historical drama, musical evil, and suspense. Globally, the film has grossed an impressive USD 341 million, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2025 so far. With Sinners continuing to perform steadily in its sixth week, it has firmly established itself as a major box office phenomenon, proving that well-crafted horror with a compelling narrative can even dominate in a crowded market.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hollywood comes to the Mississippi Delta with special screenings of ‘Sinners'
CLARKSDALE, Miss. (WJTV) – Warner Bros. and director Ryan Coogler brought Hollywood to the Mississippi Delta. Special screenings of the hit film 'Sinners,' which is set in Clarksdale, will be held at the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium from May 29-31, 2025. Residents advocated for the film to be shown in Clarksdale due to the fact that the city does not have a movie theater. Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary' 'The Delta is such a special place, and to see something so big and so major happen here, I wanted to be a part of history. I wanted to be a part of something amazing. I wanted to be a part of something that the world is taking a look at right here in Clarksdale, Mississippi,' said Katina Washington, who attended Thursday's screening. 'Sinners' is Coogler's first original film. It blends elements of supernatural horror, gangster drama, romance, blues music and action across one eventful day in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932 in which a community opens a juke joint and then has to defend it from a vampire army growing outside. The setting of the film was also inspired by his family's ties to a Mississippi of the past. One was his maternal grandfather who originated from Merrill, Mississippi, and moved to Oakland, where the family remains. The other was the man who introduced him to blues music, his Uncle James, who died while Coogler was making 'Creed.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Coogler hosts 'Sinners' screening in Mississippi town where film is set
Clarksdale, Miss. (AP) — Hundreds of people packed inside a local auditorium Thursday to see the hit film ' Sinners,' set in their community and steeped in Mississippi Delta culture. The special screening of the blockbuster horror film included an appearance by Director Ryan Coogler and was made possible by a community petition. 'I have family from Mississippi — my uncle, my grandfather — and I had never been until working on this script,' Coogler said, addressing the crowd. 'It really changed me, just to come here.' The movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as twins, is about two brothers coming home to Mississippi to launch a juke joint. It's also a supernatural vampire flick that blends elements of drama, action and music. 'Sinners' composer Ludwig Göransson, actor Miles Canton and others who worked on the film also attended the screening. 'Anytime that filmmakers take the time out to pay homage to the Delta, especially, because we're the root of music, the blues culture, that means a lot,' said Brandice Brown Williams, a theater teacher who brought two of her students to the screening. The film is set in 1930s Clarksdale, Mississippi, but current day Clarksdale doesn't have a movie theater, making it difficult for people to see the film about their hometown. Community organizers decided to change that, starting a petition to invite the cast and crew to Clarksdale and to collaborate on hosting a public screening. 'The love you have for Southern folk, Mississippians and Clarksdale came to life through your commitment to writing us right,' community organizer Tyler Yarbrough said. 'We are ready. We are waiting. And we would be proud to welcome you back to where it all began.' During the screening, the crowd was expressive — in response to various scenes, they gasped, laughed and cheered. Afterward, Coogler and others stayed for a Q&A. One attendee, Cindy Hurst, praised the film, calling it a "really good visual representation of the beauty of the Black culture.'
