Key Takeaways
- Zendaya revealed on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” that she has long wanted to collaborate with director Ryan Coogler.
- She said she has admired his work since Fruitvale Station and described it as a “beautiful and powerful film.”
- Both stars have packed 2026 schedules, making a potential collaboration unlikely in the near future.
Zendaya has worked with plenty of extraordinary people throughout her already legendary career, but there’s still one dream collaboration she hasn’t crossed off her list: Ryan Coogler. In an excerpt from her upcoming appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” the Challengers star shared why the Oscar-winning filmmaker is someone she’d still love to work with.
“Who is someone who you haven’t worked with yet that you’d want to work with?” Hudson asked, before joking, “Is there anybody left?” Zendaya paused for a moment, then answered, “Oh goodness, you know, I would love to work with Ryan Coogler.” She went on to say she’s “felt this way” since 2013’s Fruitvale Station, which she described as “such a beautiful and powerful film.”
She continued, “I’m from Oakland too, and I remember when that happened. And so, he means so much to the world, but he also means so much to us. I always joke, I’m like, ‘I know I don’t know you, but I feel like you’re my cousin.’ You know what I mean? He sounds like my family. His accent is so strong and so Oakland, and he just makes beautiful work. Absolutely beautiful work.”
Hudson then said what plenty of people (including us!) were probably thinking: “Please make that happen. We definitely need to see that!” Check out the clip below, then catch the full episode on Friday (April 3).
A huge 2026 for both Zendaya and Ryan Coogler
Though we’re only a few months into 2026, both Zendaya and Coogler are already having a huge year, and they’ve each been on an incredible run for a while now. She is currently in press mode for The Drama, her upcoming film with Robert Pattinson. Just over a week later, she’ll be back as Rue for the long-awaited Season 3 premiere of HBO’s “Euphoria.”
Over the summer, audiences will get to see Zendaya in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, both of which come out in July. Then, as the year winds down, the Emmy winner is slated to return as Chani in Dune: Part Three, which arrives Dec. 18.
Coogler, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most historic award season runs in recent memory with Sinners, which picked up Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes, and more. He’s also working on Hulu’s “The X-Files” reboot, which he’s expected to write and direct the pilot for. So, saying the two could make a major box-office hit together, or at the very least create a great film, would almost be an understatement.
Could Zendaya and Ryan Coogler team up in the future?
Only time will tell if these two entertainment powerhouses ever get the chance to work together. One thing we do know, though, is that it probably won’t happen anytime soon. In a recent interview with Fandango, Zendaya said she may need to “go into hiding for just a little bit” after such a jam-packed year. On the other hand, Coogler became a dad of three not too long ago.
So, it may take a minute to happen, but we’d love to see what they come up with together, especially considering the kind of work Coogler has made with longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan.