Sinners Director Ryan Coogler Responds To $63M Box Office Win After Many Stars Defend Its Weekend Performance

Sinners director Ryan Coogler reacts to the new movie’s opening box office win with an emotional letter. Released on April 18, Coogler’s supernatural horror movie, starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, grossed over $48 million at the domestic box office and $63 million globally. Though Sinners garnered high praise from critics and a glowing opening box office performance, some headlines presented the numbers as a long way from meeting its $90 million production budget, which received pushback from stars and filmmakers.

According to Variety, Coogler has released an open letter to Sinners‘ supporters in light of the box office performance. The director expressed his gratitude to those who have watched the movie and helped spread the word to boost the box office in any way, stressing that “the global theatrical audience” was what made Sinners possible in the first place. In addition to giving credit to the filmmakers who influenced him, the cast, and the crew, Coogler also gave a shoutout to longtime editor Michael Shawver. Read the letter below:

Eternal Gratitude. My heart is bursting with it. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see SINNERS. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterwards and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.

I want to thank you all who watched more than once, who recommended the film to others, both in person and on social media or on your text message chains.

I had the gift of the opportunity of making a film inspired by my family and my ancestry but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences, in theaters. We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.

I believe in cinema. I believe in the theatrical experience. I believe it is a necessary pillar of society. It’s why me and so many of my colleagues have dedicated our lives to the craft. We don’t get to do what we do if you don’t show up. The global theatrical audience has allowed me to dream, find a career, and build a more sustainable life for me and my family. And the only way that I know how to thank you for that, is by continuing to mine my personal human experience and my relationships for more stories to bring to you in cinematic language. To see your response to the film has re-invigorated me and many others who believe in this art form.

For this script, this crew, and this cast, I dug deep into myself and reached back to my ancestors who breathed so much life and purpose into me. I also unabashedly reached towards my cinematic influences including but not limited to, Spike Lee, John Singleton, Ernie Barnes, Steve McQueen, Ava Duvernay, Euzhan Palcy, Eudora Welty, Oscar Micheaux, Robert Rodriguez, Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Nicolas Roeg, Andrea Arnold, Jeremy Saulnier, Paul Thomas Anderson, Joel and Ethan Coen, Bill Gunn, Jordan Peele, John Carpenter, Boots Reilly, Shaka King, Nia Dacosta, Terence Nance, Rian Johnson, Bradford Young, David Cronenberg, David Lynch, Chris Nolan, Emma Thomas, Theodore Witcher, Francis Coppola, Julie Dash, Steven Spielberg, Kahlil Joseph, Mati Diop, Ben and Josh Safdie, Stephen King, Robert Palmer, Amiri Baraka, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Walter Mosley, Stephen Graham Jones, Joel Crawford, Wes Craven, and many others.

Every time you show up to theaters you allow us to come back and do it again. And together maybe we can expand the definition of what a blockbuster is, what a horror movie is, and of what an IMAX audience looks like. I’ll see you at the movies, popcorn bucket in hand!

With many thanks,

Ryan Coogler

P.S. Much has been made about my 13 year partnership with Michael B. Jordan, my 17 year partnership with Ludwig Göransson, and my near lifelong partnership with Zinzi Coogler, but I wanted to shout out Michael Shawver our picture editor who I have been working with for 15 years. Michael did EXCEPTIONAL work on this film that isn’t being talked about enough, and he missed the press tour to spend time with his beautiful kid. Want to highlight him here and thank him too.

What This Means For Sinners’ Box Office

Sinners’ Opening Box Office Record Is A Big Win For Ryan Coogler

Ben Stiller, The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger, and The Black List founder Franklin Leonard are among those who reacted to the headlines that minimized Sinners‘ box office win. There were several articles that discussed how, while Sinners opened up ahead of projections, it hasn’t earned back its budget yet, and therefore isn’t necessarily close to profitability. However, as many of the above pointed out, the movie has only been available in theaters for a handful of days, making questions about its long-term prospects disingenuous.

In only three days, Sinners has become one of the highest-grossing films of 2025, and it claimed the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office for the weekend. Its 3-day gross also set a new record for opening weekends in the 2020s, in addition to being one of the best in the horror genre. Sinners also marked a new profit structure for the filmmaker, with Coogler earning a percentage of the ticket sales even before turning a profit. There are many reasons to celebrate Sinners‘ first few days of release, and Coogler seems to be relishing in those victories rather than responding to the poor faith takes instead.

Our Take On Sinners’ Box Office

Sinners Has Already Shown Commercial Success

Sinners is a smash hit at the box office. While it’s true that the movie still has a way to go before turning a profit, its achievement isn’t diminished by it. In fact, hitting nearly half of the entire budget in three days is a clear sign that the movie is a commercial success, given that the supernatural horror film’s theatrical run is still in its early phase. It still has weeks to earn more money, and its weekday grosses so far seem strong as well.

In addition to breaking the record, Coogler’s new deal is a huge milestone for the filmmaker and an impressive achievement for him. It’s also important to note that a percentage of every ticket sale goes to the filmmakers, which makes Sinners‘ box office even more important in the digital age, as it has the potential to pave the way for other filmmakers and creatives. With Coogler taking the time to thank audiences and honor the theatrical experience, he’s signaling that there could be a bright future for cinema after all.

Source: Variety

Sinners

9/10

Release Date

April 18, 2025

Runtime

138 Minutes

Director

Ryan Coogler

Writers

Ryan Coogler