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Black Panther director Ryan Coogler recalls his last conversation with the late Chadwick Boseman
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler spoke to Ta-Nehisi Coates on Thursday about the making of his new film, two years after the death of his lead actor and friend Chadwick Boseman.
In the 30-minute premiere episode of the Wakanda Forever: Official Black Panther podcast, which came out last week, the 36-year-old director recalled his last conversation with Boseman.
A few weeks after Coogler finished writing the script for the sequel, he spoke to Chadwick for the last time.
Recalling his last days: Black Panther director Ryan Coogler sat down with Ta-Nehisi Coates on Thursday to discuss the making of his new film, two years after the passing of his lead actor and friend Chadwick Boseman – Coogler and Boseman pictured on February 8 2018 in London, England at the European premiere of Black Panther
“My last conversation with him was to ask him to read it before I got notes from the studio,” Coogler said.
Coogler recalled that Chadwick seemed “tired” during their phone call and said he didn’t feel like reading the script.
Boseman asked his wife to leave the room because he was contractually obligated not to talk to anyone with a nondisclosure agreement about the plot.
The last time: The 36-year-old director remembered his last conversation with Boseman. A few weeks after Coogler finished writing the script for the sequel, Black Panther, Coogler called Boseman “to ask if he would read it before I got notes from the studio.”
He didn’t want to read it: Coogler recalled that Chadwick seemed “tired” during their phone call and said he didn’t feel like reading the script
‘Simon’ [Chadwick’s wife] was with him and he kicked Simone out because he told her he didn’t want her to hear anything that could get him in trouble with his NDA, and she wouldn’t leave so I could tell something was up said Coogler.
Coogler previously mentioned running away from Hollywood after Boseman died, but he changed his mind and decided to go ahead with the sequel.
The director said he dealt with the loss by reflecting on their time working together, looking back at old photos and videos, and remembering their conversations.
Heartbroken: Chadwick, pictured in the first Black Panther movie, died tragically in 2020 at the age of 43 after a secret four-year battle with colon cancer
Original: Chadwick and Janeshia are pictured with Marie Mouroum, Maria Hippolyte and Michael B. Jordan in the original Black Panther movie
Earlier this week, Lupita Nyong’o revealed what it was like on the first day on set after the death of her beloved co-star.
“It was hollow. It was very clear that he was missing and we all felt it, but we also had each other, so we were able to lean against each other, it was really the only way to move forward. there for each other,’ the actress, 39, said on Good morning America.
“It was good to do this with a bunch of people who knew him, who had experienced his light and his love and so we could have compassion and really lean on each other,” she added.
‘It affects everyone around them’: Lupita Nyong’o shared stories of what it was like on the Black Panther set without Boseman
Lupita explained that all the characters in the film were dealing with loss.
Playing the role of a grieving character helped Lupita heal the loss she felt personally.
“Nakia is a little more advanced in the stages of grief than I am, so it was therapeutic to work on this role to get through my grief,” Lupita said.
Wakanda Forever is slated to release on November 11 and is expected to be one of the biggest draws of the year.
Pure Talent: (LR) Ryan Coogler, Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke attend SiriusXM City Hall on Tuesday with the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the SIRIUS XM Studio