5 Reasons Why Ryan Coogler's Sinners Killed It At The Box Office

Ryan Coogler, the director behind "Black Panther" and "Creed," has proved himself as one of the most valuable and beloved directors in Hollywood. But while the filmmaker had asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of franchises, his ability when it came to originals, in terms of delivering at the box office, was not a guarantee. That is no longer the case, however, as Coogler's latest, the original vampire flick "Sinners," had a downright stellar opening weekend.

Hailing from Warner Bros. and starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, "Sinners" opened to $48 million domestically (per Deadline), outperforming "A Minecraft Movie" to claim the top spot on the charts. The movie also pulled in a fair amount of change overseas, giving it a $63.5 million global start. "Minecraft" had topped the charts for the previous two weekends, but, while it was a close race, Coogler and Jordan's latest hotly-anticipated collaboration won the day.

"Sinners" had been tracking to pull in between $30 and $40 million in its debut, which, to be clear, would have been stellar for an original movie of any kind in the pandemic era. The fact that it did even more speaks volumes, as it now ranks as the biggest opening for an original movie of the decade thus far, overtaking Jordan Peele's "NOPE" ($44 million) from 2022. All of this is to say: Warner Bros. and Coogler have reason to celebrate right now.

So, what went right here? How did this movie manage to do what so few originals can these days? How did this become one of the relatively few vampire movies to break through in the mainstream? Why did this big-budget gamble pay off? We're going to take a much closer look at the box office for "Sinners" and the main reasons why it's one of the biggest success stories of 2025 thus far. Let's get into it.

The first quarter of 2025 was truly abysmal at the box office, with a lot of movies underperforming and domestic totals trailing 2024. We're still miles away from pre-pandemic numbers when it comes to film attendance. What that did, however, was create some pent-up demand on the part of moviegoers. We certainly saw that with "A Minecraft Movie" and its record-breaking debut. That continued with "Sinners," which provided something for the R-rated, horror-seeking crowd to enjoy.

We hadn't had a big horror movie open in several weeks, with Blumhouse having released "Drop" and "The Woman in the Yard" back in March and early April. But those weren't super high-profile titles. In terms of a blockbuster aimed at adults? It's been a hot minute. With the likes of "Warfare" and "The Amateur" arriving the previous weekend, there was some competition but not all that much. So, the coast was clear, which helped in the early going.

On a longer timeline, Ben Affleck's "The Accountant 2" opens this upcoming weekend alongside the video game adaptation "Until Dawn," with Marvel's "Thunderbolts*" arriving to kick off May with a bang. Those may take a bite out of the business for "Sinners" (no vampire pun intended), but not so much so that the audience will be totally swallowed up. Getting in on the pre-summer window was the right move by Warner Bros. here.

Getting people to show up for original movies is very, very hard these days. In such cases, word-of-mouth is paramount. That's why it was of major importance that "Sinners" earned the seal of approval from critics and audiences alike, particularly in light of its $90 to $100 million price tag, which doesn't include marketing. That's a near-astronomical figure for a horror movie, but it does appear to be money well spent.

Coogler's latest has been met with downright rave reviews, with /Film's Jeremy Mathai calling "Sinners" the "movie to beat" in 2025. That sentiment was shared by the vast majority of critics, with the film boasting a near-perfect 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers agreed, with the audience rating sitting at 97%. More importantly, the movie earned an absurdly rare A CinemaScore, becoming the first horror movie to do so in 35 years. CinemaScore is one of the best indicators we have of how a movie will perform beyond opening weekend. Needless to say, the needle is pointing upward. Getting to the roundabout $300 million worldwide this one needs to in order to turn a profit theatrically is very much in the cards.

One thing we've seen with most breakout hits in recent years is that they are successfully sold to the masses as must-see events worthy of watching on the largest screen available. It's what helped Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" gross nearly $1 billion en route to winning the Best Picture Oscar. That's just one example, but it is, indeed, a common thread. Credit where credit is due, Warner Bros. sold the s*** out of "Sinners" and convinced the masses that this one couldn't wait for streaming.

People wanted to be part of the conversation around "Sinners" (that and watch Michael B. Jordan hunt vampires). That's despite the fact that most vampire movies haven't been all that successful in recent years, with "Nosferatu" being more of an exception to the rule. Further aiding the cause, Coogler shot his new movie on IMAX, and audiences felt it was worth spending the extra money to see it in that format. Case in point, "Sinners" had the biggest IMAX theatrical opening ever for a horror movie to date. That not only helped pad the box office numbers, but it also demonstrated how effectively this was sold as a big movie worth leaving the house for. That's not easy to accomplish in the modern era. This film stands in defiance of the odds.

Coogler is being talked about a lot in relation to this movie's success and, as the writer and director, that's more than fair. But Michael B. Jordan is certainly owed a great deal of credit as well, taking on two different roles at the center of this 1930s vampire tale. His collaborations with Coogler, which date back to "Fruitvale Station," have proven successful time and time again. That has gone a long way when it came to making Jordan into a legitimate, meaningful movie star in his own right.

Just look at "Creed III," which set a new box office record for the "Rocky" franchise and had Jordan pulling double-duty as both the movie's director and star. We can go even further back to the earlier days of his career in 2012, when Jordan starred in the low-budget sci-fi hit that was "Chronicle" ($126.6 million worldwide on a $12 million budget). His hits far outweigh the misses, with stuff like 2015's "Fantastic Four" ranking as the most notable entry in his loss column (though that one could hardly be blamed on Jordan).

At this point, it's become crystal clear that audiences love Jordan and will turn up to see him do his thing, even outside of a pre-existing franchise, under the right circumstances. That is exceedingly rare for most actors, with the notion of a movie star alone being able to deliver hits increasingly seeming like an antiquated idea. Jordan, however, is a meaningful star who is arguably at the height of his powers at this very moment. 

More than anything else, what stands out like a sore thumb in all of this is the Ryan Coogler factor. There are very, very few directors working today whose name alone will get audiences to pay attention and line up to buy a ticket. Think Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Steven Spielberg. It's not long, but it seems Coogler has added his name to that prestigious list all the same. "Sinners," even if it was the same film, probably wouldn't have done as well without Coogler's name on it. That says something.

Remember: Coogler helped turn "Black Panther" into an acclaimed cultural phenomenon, in addition to a massive $1.3 billion smash-hit. He also very successfully revived the "Rocky" property with "Creed," giving it new life even beyond Sylvester Stallone. Even his franchise work goes above and beyond the source material itself. Now, he's proved that his good name extends to his original ideas as well. His talent seemingly knows no bounds, and Coogler has earned enough good will with audiences now that they are willing to go with him on just about any ride he offers up.

Indeed, in a little less than a decade, Coogler has asserted himself as a generational talent behind the camera. Talent doesn't always translate to financial success, but, in his case, it does. He is the unquestioned X factor in all of this.

"Sinners" is now playing in theaters.