‘Sinners’ Director Ryan Coogler’s 2-Word Response to Movie’s Historic Opening

Ryan Coogler is no stranger to making history.

In 2018, the writer-director became the first Black filmmaker to direct an MCU film with Black Panther—which also became the first superhero movie to earn Best Picture nods from both the Oscars and the Golden Globes, and the first Marvel movie to win an Oscar. (In fact, it won three: for Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score). 

Related: Ben Stiller Pushes Back on 'Sinners' Box Office Narrative in Viral Tweet

This weekend, the 38-year-old made cinematic history once again when Sinners, which stars Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, became the first horror movie in 35 years to earn an A on CinemaScore. Never mind the fact that it shattered box office expectations with its weekend haul of $45 million, making it the biggest opening for an original film since Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror movie, Us.

Coogler was clearly moved by the outpouring of support, so much so that he sent a thank you letter to his fans, which was obtained by TheWrap, in which he expressed his “eternal gratitude.” In full, the letter read:

“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. 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.”

This weekend, Coogler will see some competition from the action-packed Ben Affleck sequel The Accountant 2, David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds, and the re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.