Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, and Delroy Lindo took in the historic Oscars morning for Sinners, a film that not only resonated with audiences but also rewrote the Academy’s record books. On Thursday, Sinners earned 16 Oscar nominations, the most in Academy Awards history.
For a project with horror elements and genre-bending ambition, the recognition marks a rare breakthrough, and the reactions from its stars and creators reflect both disbelief and deep gratitude.
Lindo admitted he never anticipated this level of response. “I had no idea” the film would resonate so widely, he shared, speaking with Good Morning America. And the way he found out made the moment even more personal.
“My son called me. I was in bed,” Lindo recalled. “I was kind of halfway between being asleep and waking… and my son was on the other line. And it’s perfect that I got the news from him.”
For director Coogler, the nominations feel especially significant because Sinners never fit neatly into one box. Horror, historically, has rarely been embraced by the Academy in major ways, but Coogler sees the film’s genre fluidity as part of its DNA.
“I haven’t had a chance to think about it on the genre thought,” he told Deadline, “but as far as pride in what we made and how we made it, I was so thankful that everybody said yes to this movie.” Coogler acknowledged that the film could have easily been misunderstood at first glance.
“I knew that the movie on the surface could be read as very strange,” he said, “and I say that in the best of ways… I always admired the bravery of artists that were able to make movies that were kind of undefinable when it came to genre.” That bravery, it seems, is exactly what the Academy ended up rewarding.
Jordan, who has long been one of Coogler’s most trusted collaborators, is still processing the magnitude of the moment. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan revealed that he didn’t even wake up early for the nominations morning.
“I did not get up at 5:30. Man, I slept,” he said. “I kind of wanted to just kind of wake up to whatever I was going to wake up to, and that was a lot of love and affection.”
“To be acknowledged in this way, it is truly an honor,” he added. “It is crazy.” When asked what it meant for Sinners to become the most-nominated film in Oscars history, Jordan admitted it still doesn’t feel real yet. “Honestly still digesting it all,” he said. “It’s really a testament to the film as a whole… and the people that went to go see this movie.”
“It meant something to them and they felt something,” Jordan continued. And while fans may assume his first call was to Coogler, Jordan shared that the most important person heard the news first.
“My mom was my first call,” he said. “A lot of tears… the reason why I’m even in this industry. To talk to the woman who started it all first meant the world.”
With 16 nominations, Sinners is no longer just an acclaimed film; it’s a phenomenon. And for Coogler, Jordan, Lindo, and the entire team behind it.
