As anyone who's heard me talking about film over the years knows I am a huge fan of how Marvel Studios have transposed their comic book universe to the big screen.

So it gives me great pleasure to report that the latest edition to the canon Black Panther is a rip-roaring

success, an even greater pleasure to welcome director Ryan Cougler and executive producer

Nate Moore to the program. I'm Edith Bowman and you're listening to Soundtracking, the Screen

Music Podcast in partnership with the EE BAFTAs. You'd have to go a long way to find a more

suitable movie for us to discuss. For starters, there's the accompanying album, which was masterminded

by Kendrick Lamar and features the likes of Anderson Pack, James Blake and Vince Staples.

Then there's the wildly inventive and original score,

courtesy of Ryan's long-time collaborator, Ludwig Gornson,

who also worked with him on Fruitvale Station and Creed.

It was a real labour of love for Ludwig who spent a considerable amount of time in Africa,

working with local musicians to capture

authentic instrumentation, tone and rhythm. And as you're about to hear, we think it was time

very well spent. Ryan Cugler, welcome to soundtrack and congratulations on your absolutely epic,

awesome new film. Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here

talking with you. Can we start with the story? Because you've created this film. Obviously,

the character is there, the comics are there, but the story, how you molded it and how you wanted to tell it, is you.

I worked with a lot of incredible collaborators on it. You know, like my co-writers, Joe Robert Cole and Marvel Studios, you know, made the film in concert with them, you know, the whole time.

Kevin Feigy, Moody Esposito, Victoria Alonzo, and Nate Moore.

And it was a collaborative effort.

But it was also simultaneously a project and a story that, you story that was personal to me as well,

you know, and dealt with some themes that I wanted to explore.

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