Sacramento State alum Ryan Coogler is a finalist for Time Person of the Year

The latest honor for Sacramento State alum Ryan Coogler is a big one.

The “Black Panther” director has been announced as one of the 10 finalists for Time Person of the Year, the magazine announced Monday morning.

Coogler, 32, received widespread critical acclaim for the film, which was released in February and has grossed more than $1.3 billion at the U.S. box office.

Coogler is the only name on the list without a primarily political or activist background. The other nine finalists are: President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Robert Mueller, Christine Blasey Ford, Jamal Khashoggi, Moon Jae-in, Meghan Markle, the March for our Lives activists of Stoneman Douglas High School and families separated at the U.S. border.

Coogler also directed “Creed” (2015) and “Fruitvale Station” (2013).

The Oakland native studied at Sacramento State.

Time magazine named “the silence breakers” behind the Me Too movement as 2017’s Person of the Year.

This story was originally published December 10, 2018 at 10:36 AM.