Ryan Coogler Talks ‘Sinners’ After Historic Oscar Nominations

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Ryan Coogler, the director of Sinners, recently discussed the record his film set when this year’s Oscar nominations were revealed. The movie received nominations not just for technical achievements, but also for the prestigious awards of Best Picture and Best Director. This resulted in a total of 16 nominations – the most ever for a single film in Oscar history.

Recently, Variety interviewed Ryan Coogler, his partner and producer Zinzi Coogler, and co-producer Sev Ohanian. The three of them shared their reactions to the Oscar nominations yesterday morning. Zinzi said they were still processing the news, calling it an “insane honor.” Ryan Coogler focused on how proud he was of the entire team who worked on the film.

I was consistently amazed by the dedication and skill of my colleagues, and I’m thrilled they’re receiving the recognition they deserve. I may be partial, but I truly believe I work with some of the best people in the field, and I feel lucky to be part of this team. It’s not always easy to find such a talented and supportive group.

When asked about the moment he heard the nominations, Ryan Coogler said nothing particularly exciting was happening. It was a normal morning at home – he simply turned on YouTube to wake up, and nudged his wife, Zinzi, to get out of bed. He explained, “I turned on YouTube when I woke up. Me and Zinzi sleep in the same room, so it was like, ‘Hey, get up.'” He continued by saying:

Things are pretty much the same as they’ve been for over twenty years – just like when we were filming in New Orleans or on other projects. It’s good to be able to relax and watch YouTube when we have a moment. We were up late working last night, so we’re still a little tired. We’re all here in California now and need to get the kids ready for school.

Why Is ‘Sinners’ Oscar Record Such a Huge Deal?


Warner Bros. Pictures

The film Sinners making Oscar history is significant, especially considering it’s a horror movie. Horror films rarely receive this level of recognition from the Academy. This achievement for a vampire horror film could lead to greater mainstream acceptance for the genre in Hollywood, and it’s also notable that the movie was made with a very diverse team both in front of and behind the camera.

Despite tough competition and the likelihood of many wins for other films, this year’s Oscar nominations are a significant step forward. They show a move away from past biases within the Academy, especially considering Sinners was both a critical and commercial success in 2025. This also suggests the Oscars are now more willing to recognize popular, blockbuster films, even if initial reviews were mixed.

When asked about the film’s record-breaking Oscar success as a horror movie, Zinzi shared their overwhelming gratitude. They said they were simply amazed that people were still talking about and enjoying the film almost a year after its release, and were deeply thankful for the audience’s support.

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Before the film Sinners came out, the horror movies that received the most award nominations were The Exorcist (1973), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and The Sixth Sense (1999). These films earned 10, 7, and 6 nominations, respectively.

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2026-01-23 20:08