Will Spike Lee and Michael B. Jordan link up on a full length feature in the future?

Dear Gossips,

Variety is releasing its Directors on Directors series and the one I was most interested in was Spike Lee with Ryan Coogler – mostly because of their work, of course, and the way they have consistently challenged audiences at the movies – but also because it’s Variety, a publication criticised for how they’ve reported on the success of Coogler’s Sinners, now an Oscar contender in multiple categories.

I can’t imagine Coogler’s team would be unaware of the discourse and still, I’d like to believe that they remain unbothered by whatever bias a trade magazine (owned by a media company with presumed connections to the studios and the executives with narratives to advance) may or may not have about the film and Coogler’s ownership of it. After all, as one of the most original filmmakers of his generation, who is also Black, Ryan Coogler’s probably come up against more formidable challenges than media agendas and pettiness. Which, of course, is something Spike Lee would absolutely be able to relate to.

Their conversation is high energy and funny and it’s not just Coogler fanboying Spike, it’s also Spike fanboying back. They tell the story of Ryan inviting Spike to screen Sinners when they were approving the final cut, and Spike was like, “Yeah, sure, but don’t sit next to me”, because the way Spike behaved during this movie is how he behaves courtside at a Knicks game. It’s adorable and wholesome and also so spiritually connected to the themes of Sinners, which is that legacy is a tapestry, a winding thread through history and, in this case, where art continues to build upon itself over time, here are two of the most notable cinematic contributors to the culture, seeing and admiring each other’s work.

Spike being Spike though, because at this point why does he have any f-cks left to give, he does address the Sinners ownership issue, particularly where the deal points were concerned when Ryan was pitching the project to different studios. Ryan held to what he wanted and needed with his creation and in the end it worked out for him. In the end, really, it worked out for everyone: the audience, the talent, and the financers. But he also recognises that without the fight and the struggles of creatives like Spike who came before him, this triumph might not have been possible. Spike obviously has achieved so much, but can we seriously say he gets the respect that he deserves?

Here's another layer to the Spike and Ryan relationship – each of them is associated with an actor who has appeared in much of their catalogue. For Spike it’s Denzel Washington, for Ryan it’s Michael B Jordan, five films for both. Ryan’s next project is Black Panther 3, and we already know that Denzel will be in it. So when will Spike and MBJ link up on a full length feature?