Jordan Peele Announces His Directorial Follow-Up to Get Out
If DVD boxsets were a thing in the future, there would someday be a Criterion Collection dedicated to Jordan Peele horror films. That is something that we never could have conceived of 3 years ago, but in a post-Get Out world, it absolutely delights us. Peele has announced his next tale of terror will be titled simply Us, and even teased us with some stunning artwork.
We barely just learned of the existence of Us, and yet the buzz is already huge. Variety reports that Peele, who will write and direct, is courting the top talent in Hollywood. Black Panther’s Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke are in talks along with The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss. That’s some heavy hitting, and while no one knows a thing about the film’s plot yet, we can pick up a few clues.
Get Out brilliantly hinged on social commentary, but Peele infused comedic elements into the script. Us might leave the laughs at the door. Nyong’o, Duke, and Moss are some of the most versatile talents in Hollywood, but they have focused most of their careers on dramatic material. Us might be a darker and grittier tone.
Our next clues come from the movie’s poster. Somewhat symmetric ink splotches that resemble a Rorschach test are made of human faces at closer glance. The mere mention of the psychological test points to headier material. Rorschach is all about perspective and hardwired bias. Could Peele be exploring how we see people and things? The faces are also looking away from each other, so it’s likely the characters don’t see eye to eye. Also, this is the stretchiest of stretches, but the face on the right really looks like Nyong’o. Could it confirm the casting news?
The black and white poster art might point to Peele further exploring race relations through his art. The filmmaker penned a deal with Universal Pictures last year for a series of projects. We are desperate to know if this is somehow a sequel to Get Out, or in the same universe. Maybe we have entered an entire Peele universe and didn’t even know it. Beware of the sunken place.
— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) May 9, 2018
Peele is nothing short of a genius. Following a daring and insightful body of work on Key and Peele, he became a pioneer of the intelligent horror movement. So much so that Get Out has even inspired a college course analyzing the film’s themes. We will be keeping close tabs on every step of this project.
According to the poster art, Us opens next March.
Featured Image: Writer/director/producer JORDAN PEELE on the set of Universal Pictures’ “Get Out,” a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of “The Visit,” “Insidious” series and “The Gift”) and the mind of Peele.
