Barry Michael Cooper, New Jack City screenwriter, dies at 66

Barry Michael Cooper, the screenwriter behind legendary movies like New Jack City and Above the Rim, has died.

He was 66.

Passing details for Barry Michael Cooper

According to PEOPLE, Cooper passed away in Baltimore, Maryland.

No cause of death was revealed pending an autopsy.

Barry Michael Cooper’s revered writing and film career

Cooper was a writer, director, producer, and director, best known for his iconic screenplays for the films New Jack City, Sugar Hill, and Above the Rim.

His work not only shaped the narrative of a generation but also left a lasting mark on popular culture.

Photo Source: Instagram

Journalist

Cooper began his career as a journalist working for The Village Voice before moving on as an investigative reporter for the New York City alt-weekly from 1980 to 1989.

Screenwriting

He then transitioned to screenwriting with his debut film feature, New Jack City, which starred Wesley Snipes and Ice-T. Cooper wrote two other movies that released in 1994, Sugar Hill and Above the Rim, all of which are known as his “Harlem trilogy” focusing on Black characters living in N.Y.C.’s Harlem neighborhood, where Cooper was born and raised.

As a screenwriter, Cooper is credited on a total of eight films, television series and video games, including as a co-writer on video game NBA 2K16 and Spike Lee’s 2017 Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, a remake of Lee’s debut 1986 film of the same name. Cooper also worked on the series as a producer.

Barry Michael Cooper as a director

He also lent his creative talents as a director, debuting in 2005 the movie titled Blood on the Wall$. In 2019, he directed a short film titled Guilt… He also directed music videos for artists like Tevin Campbell and Grand Daddy I.U. in the 1990s.

Cooper leaves behind a son Matthew, reports Variety.