Ryan Coogler reveals 'Sinners' drew influence from Disney Channel’s 'The Luck of the Irish'

Coogler discussed how the film helped inform the project’s perspective on parallels between Irish and Black traditions

Ryan Coogler says the cultural spark behind Sinners was shaped in part by an unexpected source: the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie The Luck of the Irish.

Speaking at the Sinners panel during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event on November 15, he discussed how the film helped inform the project’s perspective on parallels between Irish and Black traditions.

Ryan Coogler explains how the Disney Channel original movie ‘The Luck of the Irish’ influenced him while making ‘Sinners’ #DeadlineContenders pic.twitter.com/D8iybJp2In

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) November 15, 2025

“That was our first introduction to some of the similarities in Irish folk music to, basically, our music,” he told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. He explained that a small Irish community in the Bay Area and ongoing conversations about shared musical threads helped turn the Disney film into “a touchpoint for us to jump off of”. When an audience member noted she had worked on the original movie, Coogler responded “God bless you,” adding that “there’s a lot of fans of you in Oakland, California, right now. We used to watch that movie like crazy.”

Deadline reported that the influence of the film informed the development of Jack O’Connell’s vampire antagonist Remmick.

Sinners follows twin brothers Stack and Smoke, both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, who return home in 1932 to open a juke joint that becomes the creature’s hunting ground. “The film was a great opportunity,” Coogler said. He highlighted Bram Stoker’s legacy, noting that the character was envisioned as a pre-colonial Irishman with a deep backstory to uncover.

Coogler praised “the great Jack O’Connell,” saying the actor delivered a “beautiful performance” and drew on personal memories in a way that mirrored his own connection to the material.

During the same panel, he confirmed that Black Panther 3 will be his next project, saying “Yeah, we’re working on it hard. It’s my next movie.” Production is expected to begin in early 2027 ahead of a reported February 2028 release.