#Ryan Coogler-Michael B. Jordan Secret Movie Lands at Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has emerged as the victor for Ryan Coogler’s next feature film.

Coogler wrote the script and will direct, with Michael B. Jordan starring. Coogler is also producing via his production company, Proximity Media. Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian are also producing.

The settling of the dust caps off three weeks of intense interest from movie companies, with Universal, and Warners ending up as the two battling for the crown.

Part of the appeal of the package was the reteaming of Coogler and Jordan, a combo that has proved to be winning artistically and financially. Coogler has frequently worked with the actor, having him his Black Panther movies as well as Creed and Fruitvale Station.

Sources say the studio and Coogler are moving fast and are eyeing an April start of production in New Orleans.

The project was one of several hot packages that hit Hollywood studios and streamers after the Christmas-New Year break and make it the final big one to land a home. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s expansive three-movie sequel plan to their zombie classic 28 Days Later, titled 28 Years Later, landed at Sony last week. The more modest but still star-centric Black Bag, a spy thriller from Steven Soderbergh, was picked up by Focus Features.

But while 28 Years Later is a known title with a nostalgia interest factored in, the Coogler project had executives excited for several reasons. One, it’s an original project that is seen as commercial and having franchise potential, and two, it’s an opportunity to get into business with a hot and talented filmmaker who had previously tied up with a couple of studio franchises but is now a free agent. Coogler’s last film was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was released in 2022 and grossed $859.2 million worldwide.

Details are being kept hush-hush but according to sources, the project has been described as being a period thriller involving the undead. Some sources have said it contains anime influences – Jordan is known for be a massive fan of the animation style and its stylings – but how those are weaved in are unclear.

WME, which reps Coogler and Jordan, handled the dealmaking.