Michael B. Jordan may have made his film debut as a child actor in Hardball and lived his dream of acquiring superpowers in Chronicle. However, the Friday Night Lights actor’s film career went full circle working with then-upcoming director Ryan Coogler in Fruitvale Station. As the dynamic duo are still collaborating on projects, Coogler reminisces on the sweet journey of working with Jordan throughout his career with a really touching take.
Fruitvale Station portrayed the heartbreaking true story of Oscar Grant who was shot by a police officer at the BART station. You can credit the harrowing Sundance hit for being the turning point for both Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s careers. In a virtual conference for his upcoming horror movie called Sinners (via ADW), the American filmmaker is clearly more than grateful for the sweet journey he’s had with the talented actor:
It’s incredible, man. Mike had already been a working actor when we first met—he’d been on some major TV shows, and he’d been in the game for a long time. But he hadn’t had a lead role in a feature yet. When we worked on Fruitvale Station, that was his first time in that lead role, and it was my first time directing a film. So in a lot of ways, we grew up in the industry together.
Ryan Coogler is absolutely right. It’s a beautiful thing that he and Michael B. Jordan experienced career turnarounds through their first collaboration together. The story behind Coogler’s first movie, Fruitvale Station, began when the then-25-year-old aspiring filmmaker, fresh out of USC, decided to make his first feature film. Forest Whitaker’s production company, Significant Productions, backed up the Oscar Grant movie, and it was shot in over two weeks for under $1 million. He was even able to get records and testimonies from a fellow USC alum who was an attorney on Grant’s case. Coogler’s directorial debut made $17 million worldwide with he and Jordan becoming household names.
The biographical drama film wasn’t the only collaboration of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. The duo reunited in the ring for the Rocky spinoff Creed and for Black Panther, where Jordan played the MCU film’s antagonist Killmonger. The Parenthood actor even showed his own directorial debut of Creed III to Coogler, with the Oscar-nominated filmmaker calling it “fantastic.” The Wakanda Forever director spoke more to ADW about what he enjoys the most about working with Jordan and it's a truly touching response:
Mike’s a truly gifted actor. He has this natural charisma and an ability to channel empathy effortlessly. But what really makes him stand out is his dedication to his craft and his constant desire to push his limits. He’s always looking for new challenges. Working with someone like that, someone who’s not only talented but also grounded, has been an amazing experience. We’ve gone from work friends to family. And the great thing is, I can always call him up and pitch a new idea, knowing he’s someone who’s always looking to grow. I knew this role would be something that would challenge both of us.
How moving is it to work with someone who not only inspires you professionally but beyond filming? The role that Ryan Coogler is talking about is Michael B. Jordan portraying twins in the supernatural horror film Sinners. Inspired by the works of Stephen King, the Coen Brothers, and John Carpenter, the original Warner Bros. movie follows brothers Smoke and Stack in the 1930s, who return to their hometown without realizing a supernatural evil exists. Coogler found filming the period horror film a “more exciting” experience since it’s an original story with characters not coming out of an adaptation or a true story. Considering what a dream team the Golden Globe-nominated director is with Jordan, I don’t see how this upcoming movie can go wrong.
Ryan Coogler’s take on how he “grew up in the industry” with Michael B. Jordan was incredibly touching as their collaborations shaped their career journeys and bond with one another. As Jordan has said he loves his friendship with Coogler with the American filmmaker having a mutual feeling, I’d like to believe Sinners won’t be the last movie the duo make together. Horror fans rejoice for the 2025 movie release of Sinners coming to theaters on April 18th.
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