Sinners is hitting a whole other stratosphere of popularity, now that viewers can stream it at home on HBO Max. As the chatter about Ryan Coogler’s one-of-a-kind vision of culture, music, and supernatural horror heats up again, more and more fans are wondering if Coogler has any plans for a Sinners sequel. Well, the acclaimed filmmaker’s initial statements seem pretty clear: he made Sinners as a standalone feature that was, in part, an antidote to his franchise obligations working with the likes of Marvel Studios on the Black Panther movies. That said, there is strong creative juice flowing through Sinners. While I don’t think the film ends in a way that makes a direct sequel seem like the best choice for a follow-up, I do think that a larger franchise universe model is definitely something worth pursuing, if done correctly.
Sinners Already Has Many More Stories to Tell
Sinners told the story of many different lives and paths all converging into one life-changing night of dark fate. However, Coogler layered each character in the story with so much depth (conveyed by the talented cast of actors) that the audience could be trusted to fill in the blanks where needed, or infer entire histories they weren’t directly shown in the movie, based on clues of dialogue and performance. As such, Sinners really is the story of many different character arcs all converging, which means there’s a lot of room to look backwards and get a deeper understanding of the paths that led some of the characters to their respective fates.
The first (and seemingly most lucrative) idea is a Sinners prequel that focuses on the Smoke Stack Twins. Michael B. Jordan did such a phenomenal job portraying both twins as independent characters, while Coogler provided deft brushstrokes of backstory for each twin. That’s already one hell of a foundation for a prequel that goes back seven years to the moment when Smoke and Stack left Mississippi; their hellish trials fighting in WWI, and their eventual decision to break bad and become gangsters in Chicago, playing the Irish and Italian mobs against one another for their gain. It’s the kind of black-led crime-drama story that we haven’t seen on the big screen since American Gangster, and it feels like exactly the next kind of challenge for Ryan Coogler to take on. Best of all, the first act of the prequel would allow for so many cameos from Sinners characters, from those key breakup moments with Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) and Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) we only heard about, to saying goodby to old friends like the Chows (Yao and Li Jun Li) and Cornbread (Omar Miller), to even getting to meet characters only referenced in the film, like Mary’s mom. Honestly, at this point, a Smoke Stack Twins prequel seems like a no-brainer – and Jordan is ready for it.
Of course, Michael B. Jordan wasn’t the only standout actor in Sinners: Jack O’Connell needs to be commended for turning a vampire villain role that’s been done a thousand times onscreen into a charismatic and frightening villain like Remmick. Like the Twins, Remmick conveyed hints of a deep and complex backstory through his moments of dialogue – possibly dating all the way back to the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. There has been some level of stagnation in the vampire-horror genre; Sinners found a way to turn vampirism into a new kind of social commentary (cultural assimilation and theft), and that theme could be just as effective in a prequel story about how Remmick became a vampire, and his never-ending quest to find “fellowship” again, after having his culture and identity stolen away. All the different cultures, customs, and music Remmick, experienced in his time would make for a fascinating cinematic epic – or even a longer form of story, like a streaming miniseries.
Another spinoff idea that would be great as a streaming feature would be one that follows the Choctaw Nation, who were hunting Remmick. Unlike the main characters of Sinners, the Choctaw hunters were pursuing the vampire with a ferociousness and confidence that immediately made them stand out to the audience, as did their prudent decision to return to their (presumably protected) lands before the sun set. The Choctaw Nation’s history with vampires, and how they ended up facing Remmick, and sending him fleeing for his life, is a great way for Sinners to shine light on a different American culture that has suffered systematic oppression.
What would you like to see next from Sinners? Or do you believe the original film should remain a standalone story? Let us know below. The film is now streaming on HBO Max and is available on Blu-ray and digital.
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