Episode 101: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Host Greg Iwinski talks to Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole about their collaboration process for BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, rewriting a screenplay while – and as part of – grieving, space-saving ways to write a half-dozen languages into your script, and more.

Ryan Coogler is a writer-director whose credits include the 2013 biopic FRUITVALE STATION and the CREED franchise.

Joe Robert Cole is a writer-director who has written for the series THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, and wrote and directed the feature film ALL DAY AND A NIGHT.

Ryan and Joe cowrote the screenplay for BLACK PANTHER as part of Phase Three of the MCU. The film was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Adapted Screenplay and became the first superhero film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – their latest project together and the sequel to the 2018 film – follows Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje during their fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

The film was released in November 2022. It’s currently playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Disney+ starting February 1, 2023.

Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson.

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