Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler opened up about being detained by authorities after he was mistaken for a bank robber.
As reported by TMZ, Coogler was briefly placed in handcuffs in January 2022 when a Bank of America teller thought the director to be a criminal based on his appearance and his submission of a hand-written note. The employee stated that the acclaimed filmmaker had entered the bank dressed in a thick sweater, large sunglasses and a protective face mask. Coogler reportedly slipped a note to the teller which read, "I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I'd like to be discreet." Police officers were then called to the scene and proceeded to detain Coogler and two associates waiting outside in an SUV.
Speaking to Variety about the incident, Coogler said, "This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on." Based on the police report, Coogler was not charged with anything and was quickly released from the custody of the authorities. A filed police report suggests that Coogler requested the badge numbers of all officers present at the scene. No one was harmed during the incident.
Coogler is an acclaimed filmmaker known for making a slew of popular blockbuster movies in recent years. Beyond directing the Academy Award-nominated film Creed, the filmmaker became a household for his work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther. He's currently working on several major projects, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Creed III.
Speaking to Coogler's role in bringing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to life, star Lupita Nyong'o said that the director's reshaping of the sequel to honor the late Chadwick Boseman is incredibly respectful. "But at the same time, we have a leader in Ryan, who feels very much like we do, who feels the loss in a very, very real way as well," said Nyong'o.
After several major issues with the film's production, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently slated to hit theaters on Nov. 11 2022. Creed III is expected to release on Nov. 23, 2022.
Source: TMZ