In Ryan Coogler’s upcoming 2025 thriller Sinners, Michael B. Jordan pulls double duty as twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore — two characters who often share the screen, talk, fight, and even physically interact. But what sounds like a digital headache for any filmmaker was pulled off with a mix of classic technique and bleeding-edge tech.
To start, the team used the tried-and-true split-screen method: Jordan would perform as one brother, then again as the other, with the same camera movement precisely repeated in both takes. These were then stitched together in post-production to create seamless twin performances — a method dating back decades, but still powerful when done right.
But for moments when the twins go nose-to-nose — or fist-to-fist — the production turned to the 'halo rig', a futuristic-looking head harness fitted with 10 to 12 cameras. This array captured a full 3D model of Jordan’s facial expressions, which were then digitally applied to a body double. The result? Interactions between Smoke and Stack that feel entirely real, right down to the flicker of an eyebrow.
