Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is getting involved in another comic book movie. But only as a producer this time, at least for now. Coogler, his wife Zinzi Evans and his Fruitvale Station collaborator Sev Ohanian have signed on to produce an adaptation of the comic book Bitter Root at Legendary.
The comic was created by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, and Chuck Brown. It’s set during the vibrant Harlem Renaissance of 1924 and follows a fractured family of formerly proficient monster hunters who must face an unimaginable evil that descends upon New York City. Per Deadline:
“For generations, the Sangeryes have hunted and cured those infected by a supernatural force that feeds off the prejudice of the era, transforming human beings into hideous monsters.
But their heyday has faded, and with most of the family dead and the surviving Sangeryes at odds between saving or killing these creatures, the remaining Sangeryes must overcome the wounds of the past in the hopes of thwarting an invasion”.
It’s easy to understand the contemporary interest in a comic that focuses on the shifting focus of prejudice and hate. It will be interesting to see those themes adapted into a comic book movie. So far there are only five issues of Bitter Root, with the most recent issue arriving back in March. Just one week later Legendary acquired the rights.
Coggler is currently writing Black Panther 2, which is tentatively planned for a 2022 release. He’s also producing the Space Jam sequel. The timing of Bitter Root‘s development probably means that Coogler will be too busy with Black Panther to direct it himself, which is a shame. But hopefully he, Evans and Ohanian can find a worthy director to helm the timely story.
#Peace.Love.BitterRoot
