Sinners

Ryan Coogler is a writer/director and producer who established himself as an impactful cinematic voice with his inaugural feature film, Fruitvale Station (2013), which won the top audience and grand jury awards at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Coogler’s commercial breakthrough came with the Rocky series, where he co-wrote and directed Creed (2015), reinvigorating the franchise. He continued his involvement by executive producing Creed II (2018) and producing Creed III (2023), each starring Michael B. Jordan, with Jordan also directing the latter.

Beyond that, Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) stands as a landmark moment in Coogler’s career, where he co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed film, which became the most successful domestic release of 2018, grossing $1.3 billion in theaters worldwide. Black Panther, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, is the first and only Marvel film to have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Coogler’s new film, Sinners (2025), marks his highly anticipated return with an original story that delves into the supernatural. Sinners represents a bold departure from his previous work, showcasing Coogler’s versatility as a filmmaker. The project reunites him with Michael B. Jordan and introduces rising talent Miles Caton, alongside established actors Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo. For the film’s score, he once again collaborates with longtime partner, Emmy-, Grammy- and Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson.

In 2022, Coogler returned to the Marvel universe with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), a highly celebrated sequel that achieved remarkable success. The film grossed over $840 million and received five Oscar nominations, including a groundbreaking nomination for Angela Bassett. She became the first woman, first person of color and the first Marvel Studios actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for a performance in a comic-book adaptation.

Coogler co-wrote, along with Rihanna, Tems, and Ludwig Göransson, “Lift Me Up” (2022), the Grammy and Academy Award-nominated lead single from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) soundtrack, executive produced by Coogler with Proximity Media and produced by Ludwig Göransson.

In 2018, Coogler founded Proximity Media alongside Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. The company’s mission is to create event-driven feature films, television, soundtracks, and podcasts that bring audiences together through stories about often-overlooked subjects. Their first film, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with Daniel Kaluuya winning Best Supporting Actor and H.E.R. winning Best Original Song for “Fight for You” (2021).

Alongside co-founder Ludwig Göransson, Proximity Media has since produced iconic projects including the aforementioned Creed III (2023), which grossed $276 million worldwide, and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), which topped the U.S. box office with $32 million in its opening weekend, and documentaries like Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023), which premiered to rave reviews at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and debuted on Apple TV+ in July 2023.

Additionally, Proximity produced with This Machine, Anthem (2023), which follows acclaimed composer Kris Bowers and Grammy Award-winning music producer Dahi as they take a musical journey traveling across America to create a new sound, inspired by what our country’s national anthem might be if written in today’s time. The film opened Tribeca Film Festival and debuted on Hulu on June 28, 2023. The company also produced with Disney and Marvel Studios, Voices 51 Rising (2023), a documentary series on the production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)’s film score and soundtrack which premiered on Disney+ on February 28, 2023.

In the audio space, Proximity Media launched the IN PROXIMITY (2023) podcast in 2023, with Coogler executive producing alongside Proximity co-founders Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian and the company’s head of audio Paola Mardo. The Webby Award-nominated podcast offers an intimate look at the creative process through conversations with leading voices across film, television, music, and culture. Season 2 debuted in September 2024.

Zinzi Coogler was born in Oakland, CA. She was an ardent student athlete and earned a track and field scholarship to California State University, Fresno where she was the WAC Champion in the 800m in 2006 and was a 2x NCAA Regional Qualifier. She graduated there with a degree in Deaf Studies and a focus in American Sign Language Interpreting.

After graduating she worked as an American Sign Language Interpreter both for the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency (DCARA) and as a freelance interpreter for 10 years where she worked in a broad sector of settings including government, academics, employer training and conferences. While at DCARA she held a number of responsibilities, spanning from grant writing, organizing community events and job fairs, to developing and launching an employment readiness training program for adults. She was also a Sign Language Consultant for films such as Creed (2015), Rampage (2018) and A Wrinkle in Time (2018).

Before launching Proximity Media with Ryan Coogler and Sev Ohanian, she has worked in an advisory capacity on the development, production, and post-production phases on each of Ryan Coogler’s projects since the onset of his filmmaking career, including a producer credit on the first feature film under Proximity Media’s banner, Sinners (2025).

Zinzi Coogler served as an executive producer on a variety of Proximity projects, with credits including Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast (2022), Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023), the upcoming Disney+ miniseries Ironheart (2024), and the highly anticipated feature film Sinners (2025), among others.

Delroy Lindo starred in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020), winning a New York Film Critics Award for Best Actor, and The Harder They Fall (2021) for Netflix. Lindo has had memorable roles in films such as The Cider House Rules (1999); Heist (2001); and previously garnered critical acclaim in a trio of additional films directed by Spike Lee—Clockers (1995), Crooklyn (1994) and Malcolm X (1992). Other notable films include Wondrous Oblivion (2003); The Core (2003); The One (2001); Gone in 60 Seconds (2000); Ransom (1996); Get Shorty (1995); Romeo Must Die (2000); and This Christmas (2007), also as executive producer.

On the series side, Lindo appeared in four seasons of CBS’ The Good Fight (2017–2021) as Adrian Boseman. He’s featured in TV series such as Believe (2014), The Chicago Code (2011) and Kidnapped (2006); and in films for TV, such as Soul of the Game (1996) (playing baseball legend Satchel Paige); Profoundly Normal (2003); Strange Justice (1995) (winning a Peabody Award); and Glory & Honor (1998) (playing Arctic explorer Matthew Henson). He won an NAACP Award for a guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU (1999–present).

Delroy Lindo also produced and directed documentary interview films featuring Spike Lee, Charles Burnett and Joan Chen. He can currently be seen starring opposite Kerry Washington in Hulu’s UnPrisoned (2023) and will next star in Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys (2024) for Amazon Studios.

On Broadway, Lindo received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, playing Herald Loomis in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1988); and played Walter Lee in the Kennedy Center and Los Angeles productions of A Raisin in the Sun (2006) (Helen Hayes Award Nomination and NAACP Image Award, Best Actor). He debuted on Broadway in Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys (1982), with James Earl Jones, going on to appear with Jones in the play’s first National Tour.

Lindo directed the plays Blue Door (1999) and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (2000) to critical acclaim at Berkeley Repertory Theater; and won a Los Angeles Theater Weekly Award directing the play, Medal of Honor Rag (1999).

Lindo has an Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Virginia Union University; a BFA degree (cum laude) from San Francisco State University; and an MFA from New York University’s Gallatin School. He will next direct the independent feature film, Jabari’s People (2024).

Over the course of five groundbreaking solo albums, three Grammy Awards (and twenty-three additional nominations) as well as recognition from both the Oscars and Golden Globes, Raphael Saadiq has cemented his status as a true icon of contemporary music. Between his work as an artist, producer and songwriter, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide.

His remarkable journey began in 1984, when, at just 18 years old, he was already sharing stages with music royalty Prince and Sheila E. His artistry soon flourished with the formation of Tony! Toni! Toné! (1988–1997), that helped define the sound of ’90s R&B. With unforgettable anthems like “If I Had No Loot” (1988) and “Anniversary” (1993), Saadiq became a pivotal figure in shaping the genre’s landscape.

Saadiq’s influence expanded as he ventured into a critically acclaimed solo career, debuting with the genre-defining Instant Vintage (2002). His unique ability to seamlessly blend vintage soul with modern sensibilities propelled him to the forefront of the pop and R&B genres, while his production genius turned him into one of the most sought-after collaborators in music.

From D’Angelo’s iconic Voodoo (2000) to Solange‘s A Seat at the Table (2016), Saadiq has shaped some of the most influential albums of the 21st century. His own critically lauded Jimmy Lee (2019) further solidified his reputation as a boundary-pushing artist. His recent contributions to Beyoncé’s iconic albums, Renaissance (2022) and Cowboy Carter (2022), have earned him 8 more Grammy nominations along with a win for Album of the Year.

Most recently, he earned a Best Original Song nomination at the 98th Academy Awards for his acclaimed track “I Lied to You” (2025), co-written with Ludwig Göransson for the groundbreaking film Sinners (2025). The song has also garnered nominations from the GRAMMYs, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Awards, along with a Hollywood Music in Media Award win.

As he enters the fifth decade of his illustrious career, Raphael Saadiq remains an indispensable force, continuing to shape and redefine the sound of contemporary pop and soul.

Benny Burtt is a Supervising Sound Editor at Skywalker Sound, where he has helped craft soundscapes for some of today’s most acclaimed films. He is a frequent collaborator with director Ryan Coogler, supervising the sound for his films Sinners (2025), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Black Panther (2018), and Creed (2015).

In addition to his work with Coogler, Benny Burtt has cut effects on major projects including F1 (2023), Kraven the Hunter (2023), Twisters (2024), Pixar’s Lightyear (2022) and Elemental (2023), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and the Jurassic World franchise, among others. He is passionate about using sound to immerse audiences in story and emotion, from subtle details to explosive action sequences.

Steve Boeddeker is a four-time Oscar Nominee and Emmy Award-winning Sound Designer and Re-recording Mixer based in San Francisco. He has worked all over the world including London, NYC, Vancouver, LA and is based at Skywalker Sound in Northern California. Boeddeker started in movie sound design and music with his first feature film project, David Fincher‘s thriller Se7en (1995).

Boeddeker studied computer engineering and electronic/computer music at University of California San Diego and University of California Santa Barbara, graduating in 1988. He has since worked with many directors including Ryan Coogler, Tim Burton, J.C. Chandor, Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus, William Friedkin, Robert Redford and many more.

Steve’s past film projects include All Day and a Night (2020), Triple Frontier (2019), Black Panther (2018), Creed (2015), Bridge of Spies (2015), Pixels (2015), Chappie (2015), A Most Violent Year (2014), All Is Lost (2013), Lincoln (2012), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), Tron: Legacy (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Fight Club (1999), Se7en (1995), and many more.