Ryan Coogler has revealed he’d be up for making a rom-com in the future, and the filmmaker has spoken about his love for the 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally in particular.
Coogler, who most recently produced, wrote and directed the critically-acclaimed Sinners, spoke to Deadline about the types of movies he’s not yet worked on, and revealed that he hopes to make a wide range over the course of his career.
“When it comes to genres that I haven’t done that I would like to do, the best answer I think is all of them,” he explained. “I got kids, so I’m hoping to be around for a long time, and I’m hoping to work for as long as I can.”
He then mentioned When Harry Met Sally as a big influence when it came to the idea of working on a rom-com, paying tribute to the late director Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death along with his wife Michelle at home in December. This week, their son Nick pleaded not guilty to their murder.
“There’s not a genre of movie that I don’t love. So, I hope to work on all of them. I’d like to make a soup-to-nuts,” said Coogler, who won Best Original Screenplay for Sinners at the 2026 BAFTAs over the weekend.
“Rest in peace, Rob Reiner, you know what I mean, but When Harry Met Sally is one of my movies that I think about with him. And to me, that’s such a solid romantic comedy that feels adult in whole, and it has eternal relevance, you know? … I would love to make a rom-com that works like that one day.”
Coogler’s movies – along with Sinners, he has directed Fruitvale Station, Creed, BlackPanther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – have included elements of romance. In Sinners, for example, Michael B. Jordan’s twin characters Smoke and Stack had relationships on-screen with Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) respectively, but an out-and-out romantic comedy would be relatively new ground for the director.
NMEgave Sinners a four-star review at the time of its release, describing it as a “devilishly good period piece” and adding: “Sinners really comes to life via the musical numbers. Coogler’s longterm creative partner Ludwig Göransson, who won an Oscar for crafting Black Panther’s music, conjures up a masterful, blues-soaked score. Coogler uses it to prove just how influential the genre is via a spellbinding sequence that tracks through the juke joint, whirling around Preacher Boy and showcasing a hip-hop DJ, an MC and an electric guitarist.”
Though there’s the potential for a rom-com in the future, Coogler confirmed in November that his next feature film will be a third Black Panther movie. Meanwhile, he’s also working on a reboot of The X-Files, something he decided to work on due to his mother’s love for the original series.
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