“Get Out” director Jordan Peele now has a two-year first-look deal with Universal Pictures, the studio announced Wednesday.
Under the new deal, Universal will release Peele’s next film, an untitled social thriller, which he will write, direct and produce. That project will have a much larger budget than the $5 million spent on his last hit, but the deal will also have Peele work with “Get Out” producer Jason Blum on more microbudget projects as part of a wide range of titles Peele will create through his Monkeypaw Productions banner.
“Through extraordinary imagination and fearless humor, Jordan has proven himself to be a game-changer who is driven to tell stories that are as commercially entertaining as they are disruptive and provocative,” Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley said in a statement Wednesday. “The entire Universal family takes great pride in his incomparable filmmaking debut, and feel fortunate that this studio will be Jordan’s home for many years to come.”
Monkeypaw was founded in 2012 by Peele to produce “Key & Peele,” his hit Comedy Central TV series he starred in alongside Keegan-Michael Key. In addition to “Get Out” and “Key and Peele,” Monkeypaw previously produced the pair’s 2016 comedy “Keanu” and is slated to produce a comedy series starring Tracy Morgan for TBS.
“Get Out” was a smash hit for Universal and Blumhouse, grossing $194 million and becoming the highest-grossing movie made by a black writer-director in his debut feature. The film received near universal acclaim from critics and audiences for weaving social themes and horror tropes together.
Peele and Monkeypaw Productions are represented by CAA, Principato-Young and Jared Levine.