Reunites With Ryan Coogler for Mississippi-set Period Piece Packed With Action and Mystery
LONDON, April 15, 2025 (Reuters) – Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan is stepping into uncharted territory with his latest project, Sinners, a supernatural action thriller in which he portrays twin brothers Smoke and Stack. The film marks another creative reunion with acclaimed director Ryan Coogler, following their past collaborations on Creed and Black Panther.
“I didn’t even blink. When Ryan sent me the script, I was in,” Jordan told reporters at the film’s London premiere. “The idea of playing two complex characters with totally different energies—while grounding it all in a strange, eerie Southern tale—was something I’d never done before.”
A Story Rooted in the American South, Drenched in Gothic Grit
Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows the return of identical twins Smoke and Stack to their rural hometown after years of hustling in Chicago. Flush with cash, armed with charisma—and actual firearms—the brothers convert a dilapidated sawmill into a juke joint, envisioning a sanctuary of jazz, liquor, and rebellion.
Their cousin Sammie, a gifted pianist played by breakout actor Miles Caton, is enlisted to be the club’s star performer. But the jubilant grand opening unravels quickly as unexpected, otherworldly visitors descend on the club, unleashing chaos in what should have been a night of celebration.
“It’s a film about legacy, temptation, and reckoning—set against the backdrop of a haunted South,” said Coogler. “We wanted to explore what happens when ambition meets ancestral ghosts.”
Playing Twins: Smoke vs. Stack
Jordan admitted that juggling two main characters—both physically and emotionally—was his most ambitious role to date.
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Smoke: charismatic, volatile, always chasing the next thrill
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Stack: stoic, calculating, protective of family but drawn to darker forces
“I had to anchor both brothers in truth,” Jordan said. “They’re twins, but their moral compasses are tilted in very different directions. Playing that dynamic—especially in scenes where they confront each other—was wild.”
A Fresh Face and a Genre Twist
Audiences will also be introduced to Miles Caton, whose turn as Sammie has already sparked awards chatter.
“Miles has this raw magnetism,” said Coogler. “He brings a spiritual center to the film—and when things start spiraling, it’s Sammie who holds the soul of the story.”
Blending Southern Gothic, jazz-fueled nightlife, and supernatural horror, Sinners offers a genre-bending experience that pushes both actor and director into new artistic territory.
