Black Panther is a triumph on so many levels for creators in The Culture. It’s a box office smash (10th highest grossing film of all-time), a critical darling, and a cultural phenomenon that has had a global reach. We know about the tremendous actors that brought the story to life but the team behind the camera deserves plenty of props as well. So here are the creators that worked on Black Panther and helped make it a force for The Culture.
DIRECTOR – RYAN COOGLER
31 year-old director outta Oakland, CA. Previously Coogler directed the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station and the commercial hit Creed (both starring Michael B. Jordan). Coogler masterfully helmed this blockbuster superhero flick while making sure it repped the culture at every turn. Coogler has the rare ability to make movies that are deep and received well by the critics and are also entertaining and make money. He’s well on his way to becoming one of the top directors in all of Hollywood.
WRITERS – RYAN COOGLER & JOE ROBERT COLE
Cole collabed with director Coogler to pin this epic tale. They managed to incorporate classic characters and moments from the comics while keeping it fresh and socially conscious for today’s audience. Multi-faceted and interesting characters, a storyline that is fun yet poignant, Cole and Coogler have written one of the best super-hero film stories of all-time. Cole also worked on the TV anthology The People v. O.J. Simpson for which he received an Emmy nomination and won a Writer’s Guild of America Award.
PRODUCER – NATE MOORE
Moore is one of Marvel and Disney’s go-to producers having help bring to the big screen several of the most well-received films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Captain America: Civil War and Winter Solider). Quietly Moore is racking up box office receipts that can rival any producer in the industry.
PRODUCTION/SET DESIGNER – HANNAH BEACHLER
The amazing technologically advanced African country of Wakanda was brought to life visually by Hannah Beachler. From the throne room, to the Waterfall, to Shuri’s laboratory there are touches of traditional African style and architecture perfectly mixed with modern style and future tech dubbed Afrofuturism. Beachler has also worked on Creed and Fruitvale Station with Ryan Coogler, the Oscar winning Moonlight, and Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual album.
COSTUME DESIGN – RUTH E. CARTER
The veteran of the Black Panther behind-the-scenes crew, Carter has worked in Hollywood for 30 years and on 40 films. She’s worked with directors ranging from Spike Lee to Steven Spielberg but her work on Black Panther is particularly noteworthy. Mixing the full breadth of African history with super hero aesthetics to create costumes of style, substance and symbolism. The women of the film in particular are a sight to behold. Carter has been nominated for two Oscars and don’t be surprised if she picks up her third nod for her work here on Black Panther.
JEWELRY – DOURIEAN FLETCHER
Working hand-in-hand with Ruth E. Carter’s costume designs, Fletcher provided the finishing touches to the amazing looks in Black Panther with her jewelry selections. The attention to detail was immaculate. From the seemingly small details of the armament worn by the Dora Milaje (the king’s guards) to the accessories worn by the Queen and other members of the royal court, Fletcher was able to mix the traditional with the fashionable and adding more flair to the film’s Afrofuturist themes. The accessories are so fly she’s even selling them to the public on her website so if you want to get your Nakia or Okoye on, Fletcher’s got you covered. Not bad for someone who had been making jewelry for less than 10 years before joining the crew.
HAIR – CAMILLE FRIEND
In Hollywood, black hair is often either styled in a way that doesn’t honor the rich history of black hair or just an afterthought, but in Black Panther it is treated with the reverence and respect it deserves thanks to Camille Friend. From Nakia’s (Lupita Nyong’o) Bantu knots to Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) dreaded locks and faded sides, the hair styles are varied, stylish and most importantly natural and authentic. Friend has also worked on several other Marvel blockbusters including Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. and has worked her way up to become one of the first African-American department heads at Marvel.
SOUNDTRACK – KENDRICK LAMAR
Multiple-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar and his team at Top Dawg Ent. brought back the one-time Culture staple, the soundtrack. And they didn’t just provided bangers but Kendrick composed songs specially for the film including a song about the struggles of T’Challa being a new King. Kendrick and co. add even more flavor to the incredible Black Panther mix.
