BLACK PANTHER (2018) Cast & Crew

Director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler, with cast Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, and Danai Gurira

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CAST & CREW

RYAN COOGLER (Director/Screenplay by) is a filmmaker from the East Bay Area, California. In 2011 his student short film "Fig," which followed a young street prostitute's fight to keep her daughter safe, won the Director's Guild of America Student Filmmaker Award, as well as the 2011 HBO Short Filmmaker Award. "Fig" was broadcast on HBO. Coogler most recently directed "Creed," starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan.

His feature length screenplay "Fruitvale," based on the 2009 BART police shooting of Oscar Grant, was selected for the 2012 Sundance January Screenwriter's Lab. In 2013, he directed his own screenplay in the newly titled, critically acclaimed film, "Fruitvale Station."

Coogler still lives in the Bay Area where in addition to making films, he works as a counselor at Juvenile Hall in San Francisco. He earned his MFA in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California in May 2011.

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A native of South Carolina, CHADWICK BOSEMAN (T'Challa/Black Panther) graduated from Howard University and attended the British American Dramatic Academy at Oxford, after which he began his career as an actor, director and writer. He made his feature film debut in Gary Fleders' drama "The Express," playing football great Floyd Little. His breakout performance came in 2013 when he received rave reviews for his portrayal of the legendary Jackie Robinson in Warner Bros' "42." The film, which had the highest-grossing debut for a baseball movie in Hollywood history, tells the story of Robinson's history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford.

In 2014, Boseman once again garnered critical praise for his portrayal of James Brown in Universal Pictures' "Get on Up." The biopic, which also stars Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Dan Akroyd and was directed by Tate Taylor ("The Help"), chronicles Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history. Boseman received the 2014 CinemaCon Male Star of Tomorrow Award, was named one of the Top 10 Best Movie Performances of 2014 by Time Magazine and was awarded a Virtuous Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for his portrayal of Brown.

Boseman made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the African Super Hero "Black Panther" in Marvel Studios' "Captain America: Civil War," in May 2016. Following "Black Panther," he will reprise the role again for Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity War" in May 2018.

He most recently starred in the title role of Open Road Films' "Marshall" alongside Josh Gad. The film tells the story of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases as the Chief Counsel to the NAACP. His other feature film credits include: the revenge thriller "Message from the King," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and garnered Boseman the Vanguard Honor for Achievement in Performance Award at the festival, the independent psychological post-war drama "The Kill Hole" and Summit Entertainment's "Draft Day," opposite Kevin Costner.

Boseman and his writing partner, Logan Coles, have written the script for Universal Pictures' "Expatriate," an international thriller set around a 1970s plane hijacking. Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") has recently signed on to direct the project, in which Boseman will star. The duo has also sold an untitled pitch based on the life of Reverend Jeffrey Brown who fought to decrease gang violence to Paramount Pictures.

Boseman's theater directing credits include: "Dutchman," "Wine in the Wilderness," "Indian Summer," "Spear in the Sun," "Colored Museum" and "Six Hits." For the screen he wrote, directed and executive produced the short film "Blood Over a Broken Pawn." His theater acting credits include "Romeo and Juliet," "Macbeth," "Breathe," "Learning Curve," "Willie's Cut and Shine," "Rhyme Deferred," "Bootleg Blues," "Zooman and the Sign" and "Urban Transitions," for which he won an AUDELECO Award for Best Supporting Actor. Additional writing credits include "Deep Azure," which was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best New Play and is published in the Hip Hop Theater Anthology "Say Word"; "Hieroglyphic Graffiti," which was produced at the National Black Theatre Festival and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival; and "Rhyme Deferred" (cowriter), which appears in the Hip Hop Theatre Anthology "The Fire This Time."

Boseman resides in Los Angeles.

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Last fall MICHAEL B. JORDAN (Erik Killmonger) wrapped production on HBO Films' adaptation of "Fahrenheit 451." Jordan, who also serves as an executive producer, stars opposite Michael Shannon. Directed by Ramin Bahrani, the film is expected to be released later this spring.

Recently, Jordan starred in Ryan Coogler's "Creed," alongside Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson for MGM and Warner Brothers Pictures. Among the many accolades that the film received, Jordan was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and the NAACP's Entertainer of the Year Award. It was recently announced that he will return for a sequel, for which he will also serve as an executive producer. "Creed 2" is slated to be released on November 21, 2018.

Later this year, Jordan will star in "Just Mercy" for Broad Green Pictures, which is based on the book by Bryan Stevenson. This adaptation will be directed and produced by Destin Crettin and Gil Netter, respectively. It will be based on Stevenson's true story of being young lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative.

It was recently announced that he will star in "A Bittersweet Life" for Twentieth Century Fox. The film will be directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and will be an action-thriller remake of the cult classic 2005 Korean film. Additionally, Jordan is scheduled to reunite with Ryan Coogler on "Wrong Answer," which will tell the true story of how Atlanta high school educators participated in an intricate, systemic standardized-test cheating scandal in 2013. The film is scheduled to be released by New Regency and Plan B.

On the production side, Jordan recently developed Outlier Society Productions, which he launched in 2016 with a multiyear first-look deal with Skydance Media. It is through Outlier Society Productions that Jordan is slated to make his feature film directorial debut and produce the film adaptation of the David Barclay Moore novel "The Stars Beneath Our Feet." He is also slated to executive produce a forthcoming untitled drama series for the Oprah Winfrey Network from "Moonlight" writer Tarell Alvin McCraney that will center around a 14-year-old prodigy who must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out.

It was recently announced that Jordan will executive produce the animated Skydance project "Super Day Care." He will also executive produce the sci-fi family drama "Raising Dion" for Netflix and is attached to star in and produce a reboot of "The Thomas Crown Affair" for MGM.

Jordan's first leading film role was when he starred as Oscar Grant in Coogler's award-winning "Fruitvale Station." The film also starred Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz and was produced by Forest Whitaker. The picture was chosen as one of the Top Ten Films at the 2013 National Board of Review Awards, where Jordan took home the award for Breakthrough Actor. On behalf of the film, Jordan also won the 2013 Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Actor.

Other film credits include Twentieth Century Fox's "Fantastic Four," Twentieth Century Fox's box- office hit "Chronicle," Focus Films' "That Awkward Moment" and the George Lucas-produced film "Redtails." Jordan also has starred in three critically acclaimed television dramas: "The Wire," "Friday Night Lights" and NBC's "Parenthood."

Outside of the acting sphere, Jordan is currently engaged in branding partnerships with Nike, Piaget, AT&T, Brisk Creators Classic and Marvel Contest of Champions. He is also the voice of Acura. Additionally, Jordan is actively involved with Lupus LA, which raises awareness and funds for local Los Angeles Lupus patient programs, local rheumatology fellowships and research projects for their national research partner, the Lupus Research Alliance.

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LUPITA NYONG'O (Nakia) made her feature debut in Steve McQueen's Academy Award winning film "12 Years a Slave" alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. For her portrayal as Patsey, Nyong'o received the Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress as well as multiple accolades including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics' Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, NAACP Award and the 2013 Hollywood Film Awards New Hollywood Award.

Nyong'o recently wrapped production on Australian zombie comedy-horror crossover "Little Monsters" opposite Josh Gad and Alexander England. England plays a washed-up musician, Dave, who goes on his nephew's school trip as he has a crush on the teacher, Miss Caroline (Nyong'o). Dave's intentions are complicated by the presence of the world-famous kids show personality, Teddy McGiggle (Gad), who also has eyes for Miss Caroline. A sudden zombie outbreak then throws the trip into chaos. Abe Forsythe writes and directs.

In 2016 Nyong'o starred in Mira Nair's "The Queen of Katwe," opposite David Oyelowo and Madina Nalwanga. Based on the bestselling book of the same name, the Disney film is an inspirational true story about Phiona Mutesi who overcomes abject poverty to become an international chess master. Her portrayal of Phiona's fierce yet tender mother, Harriet, earned her a nomination for an NAACP award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

Also in 2016, Nyong'o lent her voice to Jon Favreau's "The Jungle Book" as Raksha, with Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Sir Ben Kingsley and Christopher Walken.

Nyong'o earned a Tony nomination for her 2016 Broadway debut in Danai Gurira's play "Eclipsed." It tells the story of five extraordinary women brought together by the upheaval of war in their homeland Liberia. Prior to moving to Broadway, the play had a limited run at the Public Theatre. "Eclipsed" was nominated for a further five Tony Awards, including Best Play, and won in the category of Best Costume Design.

In December 2015, Nyong'o starred in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens, alongside Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. Nyong'o brought to life Maz Kanata, the motion-captured character. The film was distributed by Disney on December 18, 2015. She reprised this role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson, which Disney released on December 15, 2017.

As a filmmaker, Nyong'o is set to produce and star in the onscreen adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's bestselling novel "Americanah," the sweeping love-story that spans three continents of Ifemelu and Obinze, two Nigerians who face the complexities of race and identity away from home and each other.

Nyong'o served as the creator, director, editor and producer of the award-winning feature-length documentary, "In My Genes." The documentary follows eight Kenyans who have one thing in common: they were born with albinism, a genetic condition that causes a lack of pigmentation. In many parts of the world, including Kenya, it is a condition that marginalizes, stigmatizes, and even endangers those who have it. Though highly visible in a society that is predominantly black, the reality of living with albinism is invisible to most. Through her intimate portraits, Nyong'o enables viewers to see their challenges, humanity and everyday triumphs.

In 2019, Simon & Schuster Books will publish "Sulwe," Nyongo's debut book. Colorism, or the preferential treatment of those with lighter skin, is an issue across the globe, and impacts children from a young age. Nyong'o herself has experienced the harmful effects of colorism, and has spoken about how it hurt her self-image as a child. In "Sulwe," an illustrated children's book, she candidly shares the consequences of growing up in a world that favors lighter skin, offering a healing story that will entertain children from all backgrounds while providing a story that helps them see beauty in themselves and others.

Nyong'o graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program where her additional stage credits included playing Perdita in "The Winter's Tale" (Yale Repertory Theater), Sonya in "Uncle Vanya," Katherine in "The Taming of the Shrew," as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah."

She currently resides in New York.

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DANAI GURIRA (Okoye) is an award-winning playwright and actress. As a playwright, her works include "In the Continuum" (OBIE Award, Outer Critics Award, Helen Hayes Award); "Eclipsed" (Tony Award nomination: Best Play; NAACP Award; Helen Hayes Award: Best New Play; Connecticut Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Production of a Play) and "The Convert" (six Ovation Awards, Los Angeles Outer Critics Award).

Gurira's newest play "Familiar" received its world premiere at Yale Rep in 2015 and premiered in New York at Playwrights Horizons in February of 2016. She is a recipient of the Sam Norkin Award at the 2016 Drama Desk Awards, a Whiting Award, a Hodder Fellow and has been commissioned by Yale Rep, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons and the Royal Court. She is currently developing a pilot for HBO.

As an actor, Gurira has appeared in the films "The Visitor" and "Mother of George," and she also played Isabella in NYSF's "Measure for Measure" (Equity Callaway Award). She currently plays Michonne on AMC's "The Walking Dead" (NAACP Image Award nomination) and recently wrapped production on the Tupac Shakur biopic "All Eyez on Me."

Gurira was born in the U.S. to Zimbabwean parents and raised in Zimbabwe. She serves as an ambassador for Bono's ONE campaign and is the founder of LOGpledge.org, an awareness-building campaign focused on the plights of women and girls around the globe. She is also the co-founder of Almasi Arts, which works to give access and opportunity to African dramatic artists.

Gurira holds an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

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