Ryan Coogler Wins Oscar for Sinners: Best Original Screenplay at 98th Academy Awards
Ryan Coogler has his first individual Oscar. The writer-director of Sinners claimed Best Original Screenplay tonight at the 98th Academy Awards — capping a historic awards season for the most-nominated film in Oscar history.
Sinners Breaks the All-Time Oscar Nominations Record
Sinners broke the all-time record for most Oscar nominations, earning 16 nods — surpassing the previous mark of 14 shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and acting nominations for Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku, among others.
Ryan Coogler Wins Best Original Screenplay
Coogler won his first Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay — his fifth Oscar nomination overall. Receiving the award, Coogler asked all of the film's cast and crew present at the ceremony to stand and be recognized, saying they were all winners in his book.
Although Black Panther had taken home three wins, Coogler was not individually nominated for those films. The Best Original Screenplay win for Sinners follows victories at the BAFTAs, Critics Choice, and the Writers Guild of America.
Coogler's rare deal with Warner Bros. — under which the ownership rights to Sinners revert to him in 2050 — makes this win an even more powerful statement about the value of letting artists bet on themselves. The film is his first fiercely original story, mixing the Delta Blues with elevated horror and the playful spectacle of twin Michael B. Jordans.
What Sinners Is About
In Sinners, Michael B. Jordan delivers a powerhouse dual performance as Smoke and Stack Moore — twin brothers and World War I veterans turned bootleggers — who return home to Mississippi to open a juke joint. Their dreams are soon eclipsed by a rising tide of supernatural evil, as vampires, Hoodoo, and buried trauma converge in a blood-soaked reckoning.
The film earned $370 million at the global box office and collectively earned over 200 awards from various voting bodies across the industry, including two SAG Awards, three BAFTAs, four Critics Choice Awards, and two Golden Globes.
Sinners Cast
The Sinners cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Li Jun Li, Omar Benson Miller, Jayme Lawson, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Jack O'Connell, and breakout star Miles Caton.
Where to Watch Sinners Right Now
Sinners is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. It can also be rented or purchased on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Plex, YouTube, and Google Play. The film costs $14.99 to own or $5.99 to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home. Sinners is also back in select theaters tonight following its record Oscar nominations run. It is rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content, and language, with a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes.
