‘Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan Discusses His Directing Debut

The villain of 'Black Panther' is getting ready to take over the other side of the camera.

Michael B. Jordan
Image via Getty/Rich Polk
Michael B. Jordan

As an actor, Michael B. Jordan has been attached to some of the biggest names in entertainment over the past year. He starred in Ava DuVernay's extended video for Jay Z’s song “Family Feud,” he plays the villain alongside an all-star cast for the upcoming Black Panther, and Creed 2 featuring Jordan and Sylvester Stallone is slated for release in November.

Now, the actor is shifting his creative focus to the other side of the camera with a new Brisk ad and his upcoming feature-length directing debut The Stars Beneath Our Feet. Jordan has produced and co-directed several projects through his company Outlier Society, but this new Black Panther-inspired ad released today marks his first solo directing gig.

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In an interview with Deadline, Jordan discussed some differences between the two creative mediums and what he’s learned with from working with some great directors. “I think I was most surprised by how quickly the day goes,” he said. “As an actor you’re waiting a lot to be called to set, to be ready to go. When you’re the director on the other side of the camera, they’re coming to you for all the questions. There really is no break for you."

Jordan is still in the preliminary stages of drafting a script for The Stars Beneath Our Feet. The project is “a little farther down the line" but will be his focus after his current acting commitments wrap up.

“My schedule has gotten pretty crazy the last couple of years and for the next year or so, so [I'm] trying to find the right time to put everything together," he said. “I’ve learned that directing takes a lot of work, and I want to really be able to focus. I want to put my all and my everything into it until it’s finished, until it’s done and not worry about having to act in this and going over there and do that. I really want to be locked in and focused, so I want to clear some things off my plate first and then be able to give this project the attention that it deserves and needs.”

 

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