- Ryan Coogler’s upcoming film, “Sinners,” is a unique genre-bender, mixing a Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta story with a terrifying vampire invasion.
- Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw makes history as the first woman to shoot a feature film on 65mm IMAX, a decision inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.”
- The production faced a near-disaster when a crucial IMAX camera jammed moments before capturing a pivotal “magic hour” shot, threatening to derail a key sequence.
- Actor Jack O’Connell’s grand entrance as the vampire Remmick was meticulously designed to evoke a classic Western, subtly hinting at his supernatural abilities long before they are fully revealed.
A High-Stakes Vision for a New Kind of Horror
Director Ryan Coogler is swinging for the fences with “Sinners,” a film that plunges audiences into the Mississippi Delta during the oppressive Jim Crow era. The story follows identical twins, played by Michael B. Jordan, who return to their hometown to build a juke joint after a run-in with the Chicago mob. But as the sun sets, a far more ancient evil emerges: vampires who descend upon the town, turning opening night into a bloodbath. To bring this audacious vision to life, Coogler reteamed with his go-to cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who was immediately captivated by the script’s unique power.
The Risky Gamble on IMAX 65mm
The visual language of “Sinners” underwent a significant evolution. Initially, Coogler considered returning to the Super 16 format of his debut, “Fruitvale Station.” However, the technical demands of depicting identical twins pushed them toward the more stable 35mm format. The game changed entirely when the studio suggested large-format cinematography. Coogler and Arkapaw tested both 35mm and 65mm IMAX in the California desert, inspired by the expansive look of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” The test screening results were undeniable. “After you see what you created, you can’t unsee that stuff,” Arkapaw noted, cementing their decision and making her the first female cinematographer to shoot a feature on 65mm IMAX film.
Crafting a Vampire’s Unforgettable Entrance
One of the film’s most critical sequences is the introduction of the vampire Remmick, played by Jack O’Connell. Arkapaw revealed it was one of her favorite scenes to shoot, originally written as the movie’s opening. “He’s very good at just writing things that jump off the page and get people excited,” she said of Coogler’s script. The scene, which now appears midway through the film, was conceived as a classic Western entrance. Remmick drops into frame against a desolate farmhouse, seeking refuge and claiming to be pursued. The shot was designed to be grand and unsettling.
A Hint of the Supernatural
“It was important for Ryan that you give a hint at the fact that he can fly,” Arkapaw explained. The crew had O’Connell jump off a box close to the camera, creating a subtle, gravity-defying effect that suggests his character possesses otherworldly powers long before his vampiric nature is confirmed.
Disaster Averted at Magic Hour
Shooting this stunning entrance during the fleeting moments of magic hour was a race against time. The setting sun was not just an aesthetic choice; it was crucial to the story’s vampire lore. The pressure mounted when, just moments before capturing a key shot of a character on horseback silhouetted against the dropping sun, the IMAX camera jammed. The crew scrambled to fix the complex machinery, managing to get it rolling again just before the sun dipped below the horizon. The near-miss highlights the immense challenges of shooting on film in such an ambitious format, but the result is a breathtaking, crane-shot-filled sequence that Arkapaw says makes the format “sing.”
Image Referance: https://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/sinners-cinematographer-jack-oconnell-entrance-imax-1236558441/