Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station),  finds himself working along with Michael B. Jordan for the third time. His immediate last two projects before landing the job of directing the 18th MCU movie  was tied with Michael B Jordan.   Creed (2015) and Fruitvale Station (2013). In his own words Black Panther is to him a postcard tribute to Oakland.

Coogler was born in Oakland, the film begins in Oakland with a confrontation between the King T'Chakka and his brother.  Coogler was able to shoot in his home town, and like many cities and townships in which an adult has grown up from, we are faced with modernizing and the changing of landscape  that slowly removes our once beloved history.  From childhood Coogler had fond memories of where he came from,   memories of a grand place, was the brainchild of what he wanted to revisit. Wakanda is the visual ideal of a perfect place of a happier time something that was lost in the passing years.   Coogler pitched the idea to Kevin Feige and executives from Marvel Studios; and he was hired. With a clear vision mixed with deep enriched research into varied African cultures, Coogler  and his heads of his departments came up with never before seen world of Wakanda.  The result was that his endeavors did not go unnoticed, as Black Panther went home with 3 Academy awards.  Best Costumes, Best Production Design, and Best Score.

Michael B Jordan & Ryan Coogler

Giving the highest compliment from his piers that the look and feel of the movie was outstanding.  It was also the first Marvel movie nominated for the prestigious  position of being selected for best picture.  Many of the previous marvel films like iron man (s) and guardians films got an oscar nod for visual effects and even less being recognized for sound. Black Panther broke the mold, and became the 5th film of 8 to enter the Billion Dollar box office club.

In the history of motion pictures there are only 48 movies to reach a Billion Dollars at the Box Office. Disney has the remarkable accomplishment to garnering  25 of those 48 titles. 17 are non Marvel, while the remaining 8 are Marvel intellectual properties. Disney also has the unprecedented claim to have 5 films in one year to reach Billion dollars; largely due to most of those properties being Marvel. 

Working in the industry for many years  from the critically beloved series  'The Wire' to Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan began to work behind the scenes forming a production company  'Outlier Society' to work on potential scripts. That same release year of Black Panther, He produced and did a cameo appearance in the film Kin, a science fiction movie taking place in our present from a continuing war in the future. Jordan has been paying it forward, giving an opportunity to commercial directors Josh & Jonathan Baker.  Expanding on a short film they directed called Bag Man and mining its possibilities as a feature film.

Ryan Coogler looked at bringing opportunities of jobs, helping the local economy and boldly stating in story that they are in the city of Oakland, the film concludes by a revisit to Oakland from a now wiser King T'Challa as he gives back to the people and shares Wakanda's knowledge and technology to make urban troubled areas of Oakland to achieve prosperity.