I spoke with Coogler about how Sinners’ genre mash-up came to be, why it was the right time for him to tell an original story, and the reason the Mississippi setting resonated for him, despite his having never been there before working on the film.

The back-to-back boost of “Minecraft” and “Sinners” has given Warner Bros. film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy some breathing room as they try to lead the storied Burbank-based studio through a daunting recovery period.

The debut of Ryan Coogler’s movie Sinners has not only exceeded the expectations of many, it’s been a force at the box office. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, among others, has been the most popular since its release.