Has Ryan Coogler Shown What Directors Must Do to Own Their Own Films in Modern Cinema?

For many wannabe directors, Hollywood is the dream. The pinnacle of what it means to be a movie-maker, and the ultimate validation that their stories are worth telling on the biggest stage. But what a lot of people don’t know is that the dream comes with a compromise. 

In many cases, landing a deal with a big studio like Warner Bros. or Disney means sacrificing creative control, and working within a system that can be more business than it is art. As time has gone on and Hollywood has become the epicenter of cinematic universes and largely IP-driven franchises, personal vision has often taken a backseat to marketability, and not only this, but most directors have to give up ownership of their idea to get the movie made in the first place. 

Directors like Patty Jenkins, John Trank, and David Fincher have all had to wrestle with the tension between creative control and studio expectations, walking away from movies that began with their own creative spark, and ended up being entirely owned by the studio that invested in it. This means walking away from some big bucks too. 

When a movie becomes a franchise, it can result in a myriad of merchandise deals and spin-offs, whether that’s live action games based around the characters or streaming series that expand the universe. Oftentimes, this generates a huge amount of income for the IP owner, and in the world of Hollywood, that owner is typically the studio that financed the project in the first place – not the filmmaker who conceived it.

Ryan Coogler Changing the Mold

That’s why directors like Ryan Coogler are becoming more and more revered. With his latest movie Sinners being a huge box office hit, many have taken notice of the deal he carved out with Warner Bros. when bringing the project to life. Unlike the standard studio arrangement where the filmmaker hands over the reins after production, Coogler negotiated a unique deal that results in full ownership reversion after 25 years. 

For those unaware of what this means, essentially, Coogler will receive first-dollar gross participation and final cut privileges of Sinners, giving him control over licensing, royalties, and sequels, after Warner Bros. ownership is up. In a world dominated by corporate IP empires, this kind of arrangement is practically unheard of, especially for directors who aren’t also major producers or studio executives.

But Coogler must have known he was in a good position. Before the success of Sinners, Coogler was behind two highly respected movies in Black Panther – which grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide – and Creed – which earned approximately $173 million worldwide. These movies would have highlighted to the studio that their investment – even with this 25-year reversion deal – was a safe bet, and having earned significant leverage, Coogler knew he would have a significant advantage in negotiating a new power dynamic. 

What Other Directors Must Do

With that being said, it isn’t exactly great news when it comes to other directors learning from him. In terms of the question: has Ryan Coogler shown what directors must do to own their own movies? You’d be forgiven for thinking the answer was: direct a couple of multi-million dollar movies and then lay out your terms! Coogler’s path was paved by a rare combination of talent, timing, and proven box office success, giving him the ability to command such terms and convince the studio through his already existing industry clout.

For other big-time directors, the story has been much the same. Whether it’s Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino, both have built their reputations on distinctive visions paired with consistent commercial success, which gave them the leverage they needed to negotiate for greater creative control and ownership stakes. The silver lining here is that it is possible to own your own work in Hollywood. Directors like Coogler have proven that. And that makes it a goal worth striving for.