Jordan Peele is one of the hottest filmmakers working today. His movies have been huge hits at the theaters and his brand can sell movies. His two directing efforts – Get Out and Us – have made over $500 million worldwide. Now, Peele and his company, Monkeypaw Productions, have inked a “five-year exclusive production partnership” with Universal Pictures.
Universal filmed entertainment group chairman Donna Langley announced the deal, which reportedly includes upfront compensation, operational costs for Peele and Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfeld, and new backend box office percentages. Langley said in her statement that Peele has “established himself as a premier voice and original storyteller with global appeal.”
The deal will see all of Peele’s movies released at the studio for the next five years. That includes the Nia DaCosta-directed Candyman, a reimagining of the horror classic that was co-written and produced by Peele. Some original films are also on the schedule and Peele has teased a horror film he said would be scarier than both Get Out and Us.
The relationship between Peele and Universal has been beneficial for both. Peele said in his statement, “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. 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.”
In 2017, Peele received the Academy Award for best original screenplay for Get Out, as well as nominations for best picture, best director, and a best actor nomination for Daniel Kaluuya. The film made $255 million worldwide on a budget of $4.5 million. That made Get Out the highest-grossing movie ever for a debut writer-director with an original screenplay.
