With Ryan Coogler's Sinners scripting history at the Oscar nominations, the filmmaker has expressed his delight and gratitude to audiences, fans and the Academy jury for recognising the vampire thriller. In an interview with Variety, Ryan Coogler said he feels very fortunate. "I was very impressed by everything that my collaborators were doing every day, so I'm so happy that everybody got recognised by their peers. Obviously, I'm biased. I think these folks I work with are some of the best in the world. I feel really fortunate. Because it doesn't always go that way," said Ryan Coogler.
The nominations for the 98th Academy Award were announced on Thursday, with Sinners leading the race, with a record-breaking 16 nods.
Starring Michael B Jordan in the lead in dual roles, the film received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Jordan, Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo, Original Screenplay, Casting, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume design, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects, Original Score, and Original Song for 'I Lied to You'. It broke the record for the most nominations for a single film ever, beating previous record holders like Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve.
Coogler's first original film since 2013's Fruitvale Station, Sinners tells the story of identical twins (Michael B Jordan in a dual role) who return to their hometown in Mississippi to start a juke joint. They are faced with a sinister supernatural evil and must strive to stay alive through the night along with their pals. Also starring Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo, among others, Sinners reportedly grossed over $360 million from theatres worldwide. Longtime Coogler collaborator Ludwig Göransson composed the film's score and served as an executive producer.
Sinners secured four awards at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards and two wins at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, including Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.