Ryan Coogler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Coogler
Coogler at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1986-05-23) May 23, 1986 (age 39) Oakland, California, U.S.
Education	Saint Mary's College of California California State University, Sacramento (BS) University of Southern California (MFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	2009–present
Spouse(s)	Zinzi Evans ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Ryan Coogler (born May 23, 1986) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making movies that are both popular and important. He has won many awards, including ten NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards. He has also been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award.

Ryan Coogler made his first big movie, Fruitvale Station (2013), which was an independent film. After that, he directed and wrote bigger movies like Creed (2015), which is part of the Rocky series. He also directed the Marvel films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Coogler also produced the historical movie Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) and directed the supernatural film Sinners (2025).

In 2013, Time magazine named him one of 30 people under 30 who were changing the world. In 2018, he was a runner-up for Time's Person of the Year and was on the Time 100 list of the most influential people. In 2021, Ryan Coogler, his wife Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian started their own movie company called Proximity Media.

Ryan Coogler's Early Life

Ryan Coogler's mom, Joselyn, helps organize communities. His dad, Ira Coogler, works as a counselor at a juvenile hall. Both of his parents went to California State University, Hayward. Ryan has two brothers, Noah and Keenan. His uncle, Clarence Thomas, worked at the docks in Oakland, just like his family before him.

Ryan lived in Oakland until he was eight years old. Then, his family moved to Richmond, California. When he was young, he enjoyed running track and playing football. He went to a Catholic high school called Saint Mary's College High School in Albany, California. He was good at math and science.

College and Discovering Film

Coogler went to Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California on a football scholarship. He planned to study chemistry. But, the football players were told to take a creative writing class. Ryan's teacher really liked his writing. The teacher said his stories were very "visual" and told him to try screenwriting. While playing football in the Bay Area, Ryan became friends with NFL player Marshawn Lynch. They often played against each other.

After Saint Mary's stopped its football program in 2004, Coogler moved to Sacramento State. He got another scholarship there. He played football for four years, catching many passes. At Sacramento, he earned a degree in finance. He also took as many film classes as he could. After college, he joined a three-year master's program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. There, he made several short films.

Ryan Coogler's Film Career

First Films and Big Success

Coogler accepts the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic with the crew of Fruitvale Station at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

While at USC, Ryan Coogler directed four short films. Three of them won awards or were nominated. His film Locks (2009) was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. Fig (2011) won the HBO Short Film Competition. Gap (2011) also won an award.

In 2013, Coogler wrote and directed his first full-length movie, Fruitvale Station. This film told the true story of Oscar Grant, who was shot by a police officer in Oakland. The movie starred Michael B. Jordan. Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker helped produce the film. It was shown for the first time at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. There, it won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. The movie was made for $900,000 and earned over $17 million worldwide.

Critics really liked Fruitvale Station. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone called it "a gut punch of a movie." A. O. Scott of The New York Times said Coogler's style was "spiritually alert." The film received a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics listed it as one of the best films of 2013.

Directing Popular Franchise Movies

In 2015, Coogler released his second movie, Creed. This film was a spin-off from the famous Rocky films. Coogler directed and co-wrote it. The movie starred Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed's son, Donnie. Donnie is trained by Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone. The movie was very popular with both critics and audiences. It earned over $173 million around the world. Sylvester Stallone won several awards for his role in Creed.

Coogler promoting Black Panther at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

Coogler also helped produce an ESPN film called The Day the Series Stopped. This film was about a baseball game that was interrupted by an earthquake in 1989.

In 2018, Ryan Coogler co-wrote and directed the Marvel film Black Panther. This made him the first African-American director for Marvel Studios. The movie starred Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, the king of Wakanda. His cousin, Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), challenges him for the throne.

Black Panther was a huge success. It earned $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the highest-grossing film ever directed by an African-American director. It was also the second-highest-grossing film of 2018. Critics loved Black Panther. They said it brought superhero movies to "thrilling new heights." The film was also praised for showing African-Americans in a powerful way. Black Panther was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won three. It was the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Recent Work and Future Plans

In 2021, Coogler was a co-producer for the movie Judas and the Black Messiah. This film was about Fred Hampton, a leader of the Black Panther Party. The movie received six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards. Coogler, along with the other producers, was nominated for Best Picture. This was the first time an African-American producing team was nominated for this award. Also in 2021, Coogler helped write and produce Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James.

Coogler returned to direct and co-write the Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This movie was released in November 2022. It was also very successful and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one. Coogler was an executive producer on Creed II and helped with the story and produced Creed III.

Coogler worked with Michael B. Jordan again on Sinners, a supernatural horror film that was released in April 2025. This movie was also praised by critics. Coogler made a special deal with Warner Bros. for this film. The deal gave him full ownership of the movie after 25 years. This means he will control future uses of the film. He also gets a percentage of the box office money right away and has final say on the creative choices. Coogler said he wanted this ownership because of themes in the film about Black ownership and family history.

Coogler's company, Proximity Media, also co-produced the Marvel series Ironheart for Disney+. This series stars Dominique Thorne, who first played the character in Wakanda Forever.

Upcoming Projects

Ryan Coogler will work with Michael B. Jordan again on a film called Wrong Answer. This movie is based on a real-life cheating scandal in Atlanta schools.

In February 2021, Coogler's company, Proximity Media, signed a five-year deal with Disney. They will create new shows and movies for Disney. This includes a Disney+ TV series set in Black Panther's home country of Wakanda. In November 2024, actor Denzel Washington mentioned that Coogler has a role for him in Black Panther 3.

Ryan Coogler's Film Style

Black Panther (2018) broke many box office records. It became the highest-grossing film ever by an African American director. Many of Coogler's films have been highly praised and very successful. Critics often note that his work focuses on cultures and characters that are sometimes overlooked, especially African Americans. He often works with actor Michael B. Jordan and composer Ludwig Göransson. They have both been part of all his films.

Ryan Coogler's Personal Life

Since he was 21, Ryan Coogler has worked as a counselor for young people in San Francisco's Juvenile Hall. He followed in his father's footsteps, who has done the same job for a long time. Coogler is also a founder and supporter of the Blackout For Human Rights campaign. This group works to address issues of race and human rights in the United States.

In 2016, Ryan Coogler married Zinzi Evans. They have two children together.

Ryan Coogler's Filmography

Feature Films

As writer and/or producer

Short Films

Other Credits

Television Work

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Coogler para niños