Oscar Theft? Budding Filmmaker Accuses Ryan Coogler Of Stealing ‘Sinners’ Concept… Just Two Weeks After His Historic Academy Award Win!
Media Take Out has some explosive Hollywood drama that’s threatening to overshadow one of the biggest nights in Black cinema history. It’s only been two weeks since Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan cleaned up at the 98th Academy Awards, but a new lawsuit threat is already knocking on their door!
As we reported, Coogler took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his vampire hit Sinners, and Michael B. Jordan finally secured Best Lead Actor for his mind-blowing dual performance as the “Smoke Stack” twins (Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore). But while the Champagne is still flowing, a new challenger has entered the ring.
“That Was My Movie!” Nathaniel ‘Billy’ Sherrod Jr. Speaks Out
Budding filmmaker Nathaniel ‘Billy’ Sherrod Jr. has taken to social media with a bombshell accusation, claiming that the entire “vampires in the Jim Crow South” concept was actually his idea.
In a viral Instagram video that is already making its way around the industry, Sherrod alleges that he had been shopping a very similar concept—centered around Black twins fighting supernatural forces in the historical South—long before Coogler’s project was even announced.
“I put my heart into this script,” Sherrod said in the clip. “To see it on the big screen, winning Oscars, and not even getting a ‘thank you’ or a consultant credit? It’s devastating. We’re going to see what the lawyers have to say about this.”
The “Smoke Stack” Controversy
The heart of the dispute reportedly lies in the specific characterization of the twins. In Sinners, Michael B. Jordan plays brothers who return to 1930s Mississippi only to find their juke joint under siege by bloodsuckers.
Sherrod claims his original treatment featured nearly identical character dynamics and even similar names for his protagonists. While Warner Bros. and Proximity Media (Coogler’s production company) have not yet officially responded to the “theft” claims, insiders say they are confident in the “originality” of the Oscar-winning script.
A Historic Win Under Fire
The timing couldn’t be worse for Coogler, who just became only the second Black writer to win Best Original Screenplay (joining Jordan Peele). Sinners was the “blank check” project of the year, earning a staggering 16 nominations and proving that horror can be high art.
If Sherrod moves forward with a formal lawsuit, it could be a long, “un-pretty” battle in the courts. As we’ve seen with other big directors like James Cameron or Quentin Tarantino, these “concept theft” cases often pop up after a film becomes a massive global success.
Is this a legitimate case of “industry lifting,” or is Sherrod just looking for a piece of the $370M box office pie? Let us know in the comments!