Everything We Know About Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ So Far
Nope is poised to be one of this summer’s hottest horror releases. Scratch that. Nope. It’s going to be the hottest horror release this summer, with audience anticipation for Jordan Peele’s latest outing at an all-time high. After the phenomenal one-two punch of both Get Out (an Oscar winner, mind you) and Us, audiences are eager to see where Peele goes next. Early promotional materials, including an extended teaser, are as vague as audiences are used to. There’s gorgeous scenery, Keke Palmer, some dustbowls, and lots of frightened horses. What it all means remains tantalizingly unclear, though in case you need more, we’ve assembled everything we know about Nope so far.
1. It’s About Aliens
Jordan Peele might not be everyone’s favorite (though I remain incredulous as to how). But there’s no denying he’s imbued modern horror with the kind of blockbuster anticipation only the likes of the MCU can muster. Cloverfield was an outlier, with the demands of cinema returns mandating as much revealed as possible to guarantee butts in seats. Peele, conversely, is relishing in the secrecy no differently than he did with both Get Out and Us. The latest teaser was enough to generate interest without spoiling the likely surprises in store.
That being said, at 2022’s CinemaCon, Peele did, in fact, confirm that fans have gotten it right. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Peele has confirmed the alien storyline alongside a preview of forthcoming footage to be released soon. That being said, Us was technically a home invasion movie. But, it savagely (and brilliantly) carved out an identity all its own. That is to say, even with extraterrestrial confirmation, there’s little doubt Peele has considerably more in store for audiences.
2. It’s Got an All-Star Cast
Keke Palmer has long been a hidden treasure in horror. In both Scream: The TV Series and Scream Queens, her supporting roles have arguably been the best, deftly balancing humor and genuine pathos. Palmer headlines Peele’s latest alongside a who’s who of horror favorites. Daniel Kaluuya of Get Out fame will be playing her brother, while The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun plays Brian. There’s no telling what Brian’s role is, though if the trailer is any indication, it isn’t good. Alien Resurrection’s Michael Wincott joins them as Craig while soap opera darling Donna Mills co-stars as Bonnie. What it all means remains to be seen, though the cast here certainly generates a resounding “Yep.”
3. It’s Shot in IMAX
Director Jordan Peele has been quite vocal about the look of Nope, a movie poised to be his best-looking yet. New footage revealed out of CinemaCon reportedly looks incredible, with the 65mm IMAX shoot allowing Peele to capture “incredible images” he wasn’t capable of before. The story and visuals appear in perfect sync, with Peele remarking to the CinemaCon audience, “I’m going to personally thrive on the amount of times that we hear ‘Nope’ in the theater.”
4. We Might be Totally Wrong
More speculative than anything else, what few extraterrestrial confirmations exist might still be throwing audiences off the scent of what Nope is truly about. Always wickedly subversive, there’s no telling how or why the alien presence figures into Nope, presuming it even is an alien presence in the conventional sense. Given his work on CBS’s Twilight Zone, there’s bound to be more than one delicious twist. Maybe the aliens are good guys? Maybe Julianne Moore will appear and Nope is secretly a sequel to The Forgotten? Hell, maybe Ridley Scott is finally ready to return to the Alien cinematic universe and Peele will have Xenomorphs raining down on Keke Palmer’s ranch. Whatever the case, given Peele’s pedigree, even the presence of answers poses more questions than usual.
5. It’s Important for the Genre
In Radio Silence’s Scream reboot, Mikey Madison’s Amber Freeman remarks, “What’s wrong with elevated horror? I mean, Jordan Peele fu**ing rules.” Killer or not, she’s right. In terms of representation and access and opportunity behind and in front of the camera, Jordan Peele’s filmography, small as it is now, has been profoundly important. In an era where representation still resembles a fool’s errand, with executives and filmmakers too often choosing the default, Peele’s filmography has been a welcome reprieve from what genre filmmaking has been. Daniel Kaluuya had his career supercharged, and Lupita Nyong’o reminded audiences why she’s one of the most talented actors working today in Us. While the genre has a way to go, Peele’s influence on black horror cannot be understated.
Well, Dread readers. Are you excited for Nope? If not, what’s your most anticipated horror movie of the summer? If you are, what theory do you think is most likely? Keep the conversation going over on Twitter, and remember, say “Yep” to horror every day.
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