Director Ryan Coogler has secured the biggest bag of his career yet. The accomplished filmmaker has signed an exclusive five-year deal with the Walt Disney Company. Under the deal, Coogler will continue working on Black Panther 2 and develop projects for other areas of the Walt Disney Company. Most notably, Coogler will helm a Black Panther series exploring the different areas of the world of Wakanda.
“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said.
“With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.”
Coogler's relationship got off to an incredible start with the success of Black Panther. The 2018 film broke numerous box office records and three Academy Awards. Coogler and company will begin working on the sequel this summer in Atlanta. Barring any further delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Panther 2 will arrive in theaters on July 8, 2022.
“It’s an honor to be partnering with The Walt Disney Company. Working with them on Black Panther was a dream come true. As avid consumers of television, we couldn’t be happier to be launching our television business with Bob Iger, Dana Walden and all the amazing studios under the Disney umbrella. We look forward to learning, growing, and building a relationship with audiences all over the world through the Disney platforms," Coogler said about his budding relationship with Mickey Mouse and family.
"We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share,” stated Ryan Coogler on behalf of Proximity Media.”
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