Filmmaker Ryan Coogler is at the Cannes Film Festival right now, not presenting a film, but instead, the director is on a bit of a victory tour. After his recent film “Black Panther” shattered records and is well past earning $1.3 billion globally, Coogler was invited to take part in a discussion about that film and his career. And during that talk, Coogler opened up about his inspirations behind “Black Panther” and the possibility of a female spin-off.
For Coogler, one of the most interesting things he realized, as he put together ‘Panther,’ was the scenes where his titular hero was nowhere to be found. About half-way through the film, **Spoilers** T’Challa is “killed” and the female supporting cast carries the plot until it is revealed that their King is actually alive and well.
It was during that time, when T’Challa is gone, that the director realized that the film’s female supporting characters were perhaps even better than the main character. “That part of the movie you feel like you’re watching something fresh and new,” he said (via Variety). “That part of it was exciting. We have these actresses who could easily carry their own movie. Some of them have before. We were so fortunate. I would watch a movie with them!”
This, of course, led to the question of whether or not he’d make a “Black Panther” film with a female cast. “Oh man,” Coogler said. “That would be amazing if the opportunity came up. They did it in the comic-book version.” The comic book version that Coogler is referencing is about when Shuri, little sister to T’Challa, inherits the Black Panther mantle and continues on.
The “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed” director also talked about why he took the superhero film, and what his influences were while constructing the film. “They said they wanted ‘Panther’ to feel like their James Bond, which I was excited about, because I love James Bond movies,” explained Coogler.
Ultimately, the filmmaker got his inspiration elsewhere, not from Bond, but from another franchise. “Making a film about a guy who lives in a secretive country, his father dies, now he has to step into this position of power,” Coogler said. “‘The Godfather’ is one of the greatest films ever made on the same subject matter. I kind of realized the best way for me to look at ‘Black Panther’ is like a crime movie.”
Of course, he realizes that comparing “Black Panther” to “The Godfather” comes with some extra baggage, which is why he never mentioned the comparison before. “You’re making a superhero movie. If you want to make it like ‘The Godfather,’ you sound scary. I was worried about people thinking we were aiming too high,” admits Coogler.
However, we are 3 months past the premiere of the film, and it has dominated the world’s box office and garnered incredible critical acclaim. So while “Black Panther” isn’t going to win Best Picture or have the accolades of “The Godfather,” what Coogler did with a superhero film is nothing short of extraordinary.