Jordan Peele’s filmmaking strategy is ‘doing what he’s not supposed to do’

Writer, director, and producer Jordan Peele is drawn to film projects that challenge him to step outside of his comfort zone.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Academy Award winner opened up about the things that get his creative juices flowing.

“All I know is that I need to start with a big risk. I need to start with something that I’m not supposed to do, something I don’t know if I can do yet. And then the project that comes from that is somewhat aspirational.

With Get Out, it started with this notion of ‘I have to entertain, even if I have no money to do it.’ And so it has to be about the journey that I’m taking the audience on. That’s become what people expect from my movies, and so it’s been very important to preserve that sense of mystery.”

Peele was speaking at a fascinating round table discussion with several members of the cast of NOPE, including Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, and Brandon Perea, where the multi-hyphenate talent shared new details about his latest sci-fi horror movie, and the ways it intersects with real life fears.

His previous films Get Out and Us are constructed around the pernicious consequences of othering, and from what he disclosed in the interview, it seems that NOPE will continue to explore this theme in the context of an alien encounter.

Peele previously revealed that he is happiest working in the realm of horror and suspense, and has no plans to explore other film genres anytime soon. Considering that some fans recently named him the greatest horror movie director in the history of film, it’s clear that he’s found his niche.