Ryan Coogler

I wanted to be just like him.

And then when I finished up film school, my dad got sick.

And he started to develop a neuromuscular condition when he was losing his skeletal muscles.

He basically was becoming weaker.

And had to help him from the car to the house sometimes.

And all of a sudden, this dude who was always so strong became weak.

And it really did a number on my psyche.

But then I came up with this idea that maybe if this hero went through something similar.

And there was a young man who formed a relationship with him.

Maybe it could be something that my dad would be into.

Maybe it'll cheer him up.

Maybe it'll motivate him to fight through it.

That's beautiful, man.

You were going to get into football.

What changed?

I mean, school.

And I always had great teachers.

And then I got a football scholarship to a school called St.

Mary's College.

And I had a teacher there, you know, during my first year of school, read something that I wrote and called me into her office and basically suggested that I get into writing movies because my writing was real visual.