Jordan Peele's upcoming sci-fi horror, Nope, has certainly been the talk of the town. Since the release of its teaser poster last summer, fans have been eagerly awaiting more news about Nope and what can be expected of Peele's third movie. Thus far, only the basic premise is known, but it has been revealed that Nope will be R-rated, like Peele's previous movies: Get Out and Us. After the success of Us back in 2019, Universal Pictures announced a five-year exclusive production partnership with Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions. Their goal, as Anthony D'Alessandro of Deadline Hollywood surmised, was to focus on "original, auteur-driven genre movies."
Nope began filming in the summer of 2021 in Santa Clarita, California, with successful cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Her, The Fighter, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) on board to shoot the movie. Dutch-Swedish national Hoytema reportedly shot with Kodak film, including 65mm film in IMAX format, hearkening back to Peele's auteurist style. Following the release of the trailer back in February this year, both fans and critics have been quick to point out that Nope might be very different from Peele's previous films and that the marketing team is trying to throw audiences off. Bloody Disgusting's John Squires said it was "entirely possible that Nope isn't at all the movie it thus far appears to be," making fans wonder whether Peele is hiding a very on-key twist.
Nope's Confirmed Cast Includes Returning Favorites
Much to fans' delight, favorite Daniel Kaluuya has been confirmed to be starring as protagonist OJ Haywood, while Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice, Akeelah and the Bee) will star as his on-screen sister, Emerald. Kaluuya is a British actor whose breakout performance was as the lead character in Peele's directorial debut, Get Out. While Kaluuya didn't appear in Us (most likely due to commitments working on Queen & Slim), it's certainly good to see that he will be returning for Nope, and it suggests that he and Peele will enjoy a long-lasting working relationship.
Jesse Plemons, who starred in last year's Oscar winner The Power of the Dog, was initially set to star in Nope but turned down the role in favor of starring in Scorcese's Killers of the Flower Moon. However, other confirmed cast members include Steven Yeun as Ricky "Jupe" Park, Brandon Perea as Angel Torres, Michael Wincott as Antlers Holst, Wrenn Schmidt as Amber Park, Keith David as Otis Haywood Sr., Donna Mills as Bonnie Clayton, Oz Perkins as Fynn Bachman, Andrew Patrick Ralston as Tom Rogan/Brett Houston, and Jennifer Lafleur as Phyllis Mayberry/Margaret Houston.
Nope's Premise May Closely Relate To Get Out And Us
Given the success of Jordan Peele's previous movies, it's fair to suggest a lot is riding on Nope. Not only does he have fans and Universal to impress, but Peele has also become one of the faces of the new auteur horror cinema, following in the footsteps of greats such as Stanley Kubrick and John Carpenter. Favoring creepy, skin-crawling horror over cheap jump scares and thrills, Peele's work is intelligent and unsettling. His debut, 2017's Get Out, was one of the best films of the year and followed Kaluuya's Chris after he decided to visit his white girlfriend's parents for a weekend getaway. Although they seem normal at first, he soon discovers their sinister schemes, which involve transplanting their brains into the bodies of younger, more athletic Black citizens. Get Out's excellent casting, which included Allison Williams, LaKeith Stanfield, Caleb Landry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Lil Rel Howery and Catherine Keener, set a precedent for Peele's films to follow.
Peele's second movie, Us (2019), was just as creepy as Get Out but moved away from social commentary in favor of more thriller elements. The movie follows Adelaide Wilson and her family after they are attacked by mysterious figures, who the family discovers are exact lookalikes of them. In a fight for survival, the family finds that these clones are only a few of hundreds and that they are slowly taking over their town. Us starred the likes of Kenyan-Mexican actor Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave), Winston Duke (Black Panther), and Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale).
So, what can audiences expect from Peele's latest movie, Nope? Well, in true Jordan Peele-style, the movie has been titled wonderfully, with a short and snappy title to really get across the feeling of the story. Thus far, the trailer has revealed that the plot will follow residents of an isolated town who witness a mysterious and abnormal event. Nope will primarily follow the Haywood siblings after the objects falling from the sky result in the death of their father as they attempt to capture video evidence of an unidentified flying object. Yet, the movie's antagonist remains a mystery, with many fans wondering whether Peele will pull another characteristic plot twist. Jeremy Mathai of /Film speculated after the release of the trailer earlier this year: "[the trailer] immediately lit the internet on fire and sent fans scurrying for answers as to whether the main antagonist of the film could really be alien invaders from outer space." Perhaps there will be a twist; the so-called alien invaders won't exist, and the town will simply be a secret government experiment. That sounds about right for Peele.
Audiences can certainly expect thrills, well-timed jokes and sweeping Californian landscapes. Moreover, there will undoubtedly be excellent performances from the veteran cast, with fans and critics alike looking forward to young Kaluuya's next role. Whether Nope will be a good ol' alien invasion movie or another allegory for social commentary remains unclear, but Nope will definitely make a splash when it hits theaters.
To find out what it's actually about, Nope releases in theaters on July 22.