Shaka King, Charles King, and Ryan Coogler have another project in the works. The filmmaker and producers behind the Oscar-nominated Judas and the Black Messiah have teamed up for a new film on an “American political insurrection,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Actor Lil Rel Howery has also been enlisted for the project.
While no specific details have been revealed, Shaka King will direct the project as well as produce. Coogler and Charles King are also producing via their respective companies, Proximity Media and MACRO. The publication reported the feature is set in modern times and will likely span several genres. Howery will also produce on the feature.
After the success of Judas and the Black Messiah, Shaka King, Charles King, and Coogler reflected on the weight of the film and their historic accomplishments. In an interview with THR, the trio shared more on becoming the first all-Black producing team nominated for Best Picture in the 93-year history of the Oscars. The film lost the award to Nomadland. In total, the movie earned six Oscar nominations, winning two.
Shaka compared the experience to his neighborhood, Brooklyn, enduring gentrification. “You could now get fresh produce walking distance from the crib, and I remember being happy about that. But a part of me felt angry because that meant that for all those decades, when it was just Black people living there, our bodies weren’t worth sustaining with good food,” he said. “I think about, ‘Why did it take 93 years for there to be three Black producers nominated for an Academy Award?’ Is it because there weren’t three Black people willing to produce movies? Probably not. Was it because we didn’t have the access to the kind of capital to make a big, sweeping studio feature? Maybe a little bit. Was it because we made that stuff and they didn’t recognize it? Maybe a little bit. But none of it feels good. So it’s bittersweet.”
For Coogler, another history-making film on his resume will soon return with a sequel. VIBE reported Marvel has started production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at studios in Atlanta. The highly anticipated film is set to be released on July 8, 2022.