Ryan Coogler is going back to Wakanda.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the filmmaker behind Marvel’s landmark Black Panther has quietly closed a deal to write and direct the sequel.
While the move was expected — Marvel wanted to keep the creative team as intact as possible and a sequel was never in any real doubt — the timing was always unclear.
Black Panther, centering on T’Challa, the king of a fictional African country, was an outsized success both commercially and critically. The pic, which starred Chadwick Boseman as the titular hero, grossed $700 million domestically and more than $1.3 billion worldwide, and is also considered a contender for Oscar consideration. The movie became a defining cultural moment and touchstone, especially for the black community.
In the weeks prior and after the film’s February release, both Marvel and Coogler’s camp were hounded about when a sequel deal would be inked. Typically, a filmmaker is more than willing to quickly sign on for a follow-up, and a studio is eager to snap up a key piece of talent in the lead-up to or right after a successful opening. But Coogler’s camp shook off the peer pressure and took its time in making a deal, which occurred under the radar some time ago.
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SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Borys Kit