Jordan Peele Taps Keke Palmer To Star in The Director’s New Secret Project

Justin Kroll
·3 min read
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Update: Sources now tell Deadline Daniel Kaluuya is in negotiations to co-star with Palmer as first reported by The Illuminerdi. If deal closes, it would mark a reteam for Peele and Kaluuya, who worked together on Get Out.

EXCLUSIVE: Following the massive success of his first two feature films, Jordan Peele’s next feature film looks to be falling into place as the Oscar-winner has found the star of the untitled pic. Sources tell Deadline that Keke Palmer will star in Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated next project from the Get Out and Us director. Besides directing and writing the pic, Peele will also produce alongside Ian Cooper for their Monkeypaw Productions. The project falls under Monkeypaw’s exclusive five-year deal with Universal.

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Like all of Peele’s film’s, plot details are being kept under lock & key with no idea what it is about or who Palmer will be playing. Universal Pictures will release the film on July 22, 2022.

Peele’s first two films from Monkeypaw and Universal, which he produced, directed and wrote, 2017’s Get Out and 2019’s Us, became commercial and critical smash hits, with both films together grossing more than $500 million worldwide. On top of the box-office success for Get Out, Peele took home the Oscar for best Original screenplay with the film also being nominated for best picture.

Peele had been spending the fall meeting with talent for the film before coming across Palmer for the lead role. The two already had ties together going back to Peele’s days on the Key & Peele show and after meeting Palmer for his latest project, was quick to offer her the lead of his next project. The film would mark Palmer’s biggest role to date after parts in Pimp and Hustlers.

She just wrapped filming Steel Springs Pictures’ Alice opposite Common and Johnny Lee Miller from writer and director Krystin Ver Linden. She is currently lending her voice to “Maya” in Disney+’s revival of the The Proud Family and “Rochelle” in Netflix’s new Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources after appearing in Season 5 of Big Mouth. In 2020, she received an Emmy nomination for her work as a host on ABC’s GMA3: Strahan, Sara and Keke, and she also released two hit EP’s, Virgo Tendencies: Part 1 & 2 from her own Big Bosses Record Label. Palmer is represented by 3 Arts Entertainment and Hertz, Lichtenstein & Young.

Senior Vice President of Production Sara Scott and Creative Executive Tony Ducret will oversee the project on behalf of Universal.

Last year, Monkeypaw released the celebrated Lovecraft Country for HBO (named one of AFI’s Top 10 of the Year, receiving Golden Globe, SAG, and WGA nominations) and Hunters for Amazon (also nominated for a Golden Globe). Universal Pictures’ release of MGM and Monkeypaw’s highly anticipated feature remake Candyman, comes later this year. The film is directed by Nia DaCosta, co-written by DaCosta, Peele and Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfeld, and produced by Peele and Ian Cooper.

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