American production company
Monkeypaw Productions is an American film and television production company founded in 2012 by Jordan Peele.[3] The company is known for producing horror films, such as Get Out, Us, Candyman, Nope and Wendell & Wild. In 2019, the company signed a 5-year exclusivity deal with Universal Pictures.[4]
Overview
In 2012, Jordan Peele launched Monkeypaw Productions and released the comedy series Key & Peele on January 31 on Comedy Central.[5] When the series ended in 2015, Peele and Keegan-Michael Key wrote the script for the action comedy film Keanu which was released on April 29, 2016, by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.[6]
On September 21, 2015, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his directorial debut feature film Get Out, a social horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams which was released on February 24, 2017, by Universal Pictures.[7] Following the success of the film, Peele signed a two-year, first-look deal with Universal. The deal was made with the intention of highlighting stories and creatives from marginalized communities.[8]
On November 3, 2015, it was reported that Henry Selick was developing Wendell & Wild, a stop-motion adult animated comedy horror film based on an unpublished book by Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman.[9][10] The film was set to star Key and Peele, the latter also being a writer and producer on the film.[9] In March 2018, the film was picked up by Netflix.[11] The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, and was later released on October 28, 2022.[10]
On May 16, 2017, it was announced that the company and J. J. Abrams's Bad Robot Productions were producing a horror television series titled Lovecraft Country for HBO and Warner Bros. Television Studios. The series was based on and served as a continuation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. The pilot was written by Misha Green, who served as the showrunner for the series. Peele, Abrams and Ben Stephenson served as executive producers.[12] The series premiered on August 16, 2020.
On May 8, 2018, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his second feature film Us, a horror film starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss. The film was released on March 22, 2019, by Universal Pictures.[13] In 2019, Us was featured in a maze for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights and in 2022 as part of the terror tram.
On November 9, 2020, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his third feature film Nope, a science fiction horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun was released on July 22, 2022, by Universal Pictures. The original set of Jupiter's Claim, the fictional theme park featured in the film was added permanently as a part of Universal Studios Hollywood's Studio Tour. The set became the first Studio Tour attraction to open the same day as a film's release.[14] In 2022, Nope was featured at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights as part of the terror tram with Us.
On September 1, 2021, Monkeypaw and Peele signed a multiyear TV deal with Universal Studio Group ending a previous first-look deal with Amazon Studios. The deal brought both film and television output under a partnership with Universal.[15]
On March 20, 2023, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his fourth feature film. It was scheduled to be released on December 25, 2024, by Universal Pictures, before it was removed from Universal's schedule due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[16][17]
