Director Ryan Coogler signs on to film Black Panther sequel next year
There is cause for celebration in Wakanda with word that writer-director Ryan Coogler is officially returning to make a sequel to Black Panther.
It was as close to a foregone conclusion as it gets, but now the deal is done and Coogler, who is also known for Creed and Fruitvale Station, is expected to have a script finished and ready to begin shooting in late 2019, or possibly early 2020, sources confirmed to EW.
The contract was actually completed a while ago, though Coogler took some extra time to negotiate the terms with Marvel Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news.
Parent company Disney has many untitled Marvel movies on its upcoming release slate, but it’s unclear exactly when the Black Panther sequel would be slotted. The only Marvel projects that have been officially announced are the Avengers: Infinity War sequel set for May and Spider-Man: Far From Home, which will be released in July.
Black Panther ranks as the No. 3 highest-grossing Marvel Studios movie, with $1.3 billion in global box office. It’s behind only the original Avengers, at No. 2 with $1.5 billion, and Infinity War (which features Black Panther in a key role), at No. 1 with $2 billion.
The journey isn’t over for the movie: Next up, the superhero blockbuster will see if it can make an alloy out of Vibranium and Oscar gold.
