Ryan Coogler has been making critically acclaimed box-office hits for the past decade, but on Monday the Sinners auteur hit a new milestone, receiving his first Golden Globe nomination for best director — a key precursor to what will hopefully translate to his first Oscar nod in the category. Sinners asserted itself as a major overall contender in the Globe nominations, also being recognized in best picture (drama), screenplay, drama actor (Michael B. Jordan) and more. 

The news comes at a thrilling moment for Coogler, and a strange one for Sinners’ studio Warner Bros. following the news earthquake that the studio is being sold to Netflix in a massive deal. Coogler joined The Hollywood Reporter to talk all that and more. 

Pretty great morning, safe to say?

Absolutely, man. Definitely waking up feeling fortunate that folks still had this movie on their minds and think highly enough of it to nominate us. It’s really kind.

Can you put this moment and all the recognition Sinners has been receiving over the past week into context for me? You really bet on yourself in making this film and it’s been a long road, but the response is undeniable. 

I don’t know if I can put the feeling in the words. I’m feeling a sense of gratitude that people seem to have taken to the film as much as we did. You never know how it’s going to turn out. I love this movie. I was always in love with it, even when I realized I had an opportunity to make it. I met it with a bunch of people who I know, and it just grew with more people who were really talented. A lot of them I’ve known for a long time, some of them I wanted to work with for a long time and became a part of the filmmaking family. But as my love for the movie expanded, my nervousness also did: Is our audience going to love this movie as much as we do? Is our audience going to see how different this is from other things that I’ve made before? How are they going to react?

These are really nerve-wracking questions, but they are also very exciting questions. It’s really why we do what we do. To see folks come out to see the film and support us, and buy multiple tickets and have exciting debates — the reaction has just been so gratifying. I guess the word is: affirming. You don’t get into this business unless you love cinema. This has made me love it even more for the possibilities. I got to see people who I believe in, who I’ve known for a long time, do what I think is their best work. That goes for everybody involved. 

Does that affirmation change how you feel like you can go forward as a filmmaker? 

Yeah, absolutely. Every film changes you. I can say that as somebody who’s been in this business for over a decade — each time you make a movie, you’re a new person just from time. The films themselves change you on an atomic level. I do think the release of those films is a part of it; how the audience takes to the movies. This film has definitely impacted my life. It started with me trying to process the loss of my uncle who passed away 10 years ago. I made the movie both for him and for myself. Getting to the other side of that process with the big international theatrical release where Warner Bros. bet so much on us was really, really, really special. It’s something I’ll never forget. I’ll take lessons from this for the rest of my creative journey, but also just the rest of my life as a man.

It’s Michael B. Jordan’s first Golden Globe nomination, which is kind of crazy — and overdue. What’s it like seeing him hit that milestone, having worked with him for so long? 

I’m really happy for him. Mike is so good in that he makes really challenging performances look like they come naturally. Because I’m often there for those performances, I see how much he puts himself through; how much he puts on his body, how much he puts on his emotion and the craft that’s there. It’s tough to have seen all his performances get overlooked in the past, because I have a constant point of view on what it is that he does. He is one of our most special actors. I’m just really happy that he’s recognized now on this one. He worked twice as hard. He had those two different characters to manage and did such a beautiful job. I’m thrilled to see him be recognized by the Globes.

You mentioned the theatrical release. Do you have any thoughts on the current news about WB’s potential sale to Netflix and the importance of theatrical to you, given that you have a long relationship with the studio?

I don’t have any thoughts that I could give you right now. Obviously, theatrical releases mean everything to me. I’m very fortunate to be at the age that I am, that every feature film I’ve ever made has played in theaters internationally. So I know how important it is, but I don’t have any direct remarks on any business stuff just yet. I just need to learn more.