Following collaborations on global horror hits Us and Get Out, Universal Pictures and filmmaker Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions have signed an exclusive five-year production partnership.
The studio is developing Peele’s next two films which he will direct, write, and produce. Peele and Monkeypaw, headed by president Win Rosenfeld, also champion and produce original films from other filmmakers.
The company produced Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, and is in production on Candyman, which Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) will direct from a screenplay by Peele and Rosenfeld. Universal will distribute Candyman globally and has set a June 12, 2020 North American release date.
Get Out starring Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener and Alison Williams opened in 2017 and earned $255.4m worldwide, grossing $79.4m internationally including $15.6m in South Korea, $12.7m in the UK and $9.1m in France.
Peele won the best original screenplay Oscar and the film garnered nominations for picture, director, and actor for Kaluuya. It remains the highest-grossing film by a feature debut director based on an original screenplay unadjusted for inflation.
Earlier this year Us launched and went on to amass $255.1m at the global box office, of which $80.1m came from the international arena. The film earned $13.1m in the UK, $11.1m in South Korea, and $6.7m in Australia. Awards contender Lupita Nyong’o stars alongside Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss.
Us delivered the highest North American opening weekend for an original horror film, and the highest opening ever for an R-rated film on $71.1m.
“Jordan has established himself as a premier voice and original storyteller with global appeal,” said Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley. “He is leading a new generation of filmmakers that have found a way to tap into the cultural zeitgeist with groundbreaking content that resonates with audiences of all backgrounds. We also share an important goal with Monkeypaw when it comes to increasing representation on-screen in the characters that are portrayed, the stories that are told, and the people who tell them.”
“It would not have been possible to make Get Out and Us without the endless trust and support we received from Donna Langley and the team at Universal,” said Peele. “Their willingness to take risks and their commitment to original content makes them the perfect collaborative partner for Monkeypaw. I couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead,” said Peele.
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