Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's supernatural thriller will be a period piece with "anime influences"
Yeah, sign us up.
The as-yet-untitled genre thriller from Black Panther veterans Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan has found its home, and the new details are sweet.
Word on the street was that the package included vampires and slick action, and studios were all over it. Well, we've now learned via The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros. Pictures has emerged victorious, winning the bidding battle against studios like Universal Pictures.
As teased before, the intent is to fast-track the production, as much of the pre-production is already done. According to THR: "sources say the studio and Coogler are moving fast and are eyeing an April start of production in New Orleans." The deal is also said to include Coogler's co-ownership of the potential IP, though the full details are unclear at this point.
Now comes the part when we start getting several casting news drops in the coming weeks. Coogler and Jordan are two of the most successful people in Hollywood at the moment (artistically and financially), and we're expecting actors to jump on the juicy project as fast as studios tried to get their hands on it. THR also explains that part of the appeal was fostering a relationship with Coogler, who was previously tied up at Marvel Studios, but now is "a free agent" (though he reportedly has a few projects in the works at Marvel).
Hidden further down in THR's report, we also find a few new details about what the movie actually is, including confirmation of it being a period piece "in the Jim Crow-era South" and involving the undead. Furthermore, it seems like Michael B. Jordan's penchant for anime has made it into the project in some shape or form.
All in all, this already sounds more exciting than the Mahershala Ali-led, long-in-the-works Blade reboot coming from Marvel Studios.