Jordan Peele’s third installment to his already critically-acclaimed filmography credits hits theaters next month. Following the Oscar-winning Get Out and the box office smash success of Us comes Nope, a mysterious UFO-centered story. Nope reunites Peele with Get Out leading man Daniel Kaluuya, fresh off his Best Supporting Actor win at the 2021 Academy Awards, and Lightyear star Keke Palmer, who previously worked with the director on an episode of Key & Peele. Kaluuya and Palmer star in Nope as OJ and Emerald Haywood, a sibling duo attempting to capture video proof of an unidentified flying object.
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Speaking on the dynamic of the two leading stars, Peele described the progression of OJ and Emerald’s relationship as going in a complete 180 throughout the film.
“It’s about their ability to go from not connecting to acknowledging they have always seen each other,” Peele said in a new featurette. “This film’s about many things, but in its core, this movie is about a brother and sister.”
The relationship, as close as it really is, you might not really be able to tell until s–t really hits the fan,” Palmer added.
“There’s an innate love for each other,” Kaluuya chimed in. “A brother and sister being friends. They’re certainly being real. I have rarely seen that.”
Peele continued with high praise for Kaluuya, calling him his “all-time favorite actor.”
“He’s somebody that forced me to push to unlock further things in the character,” Peele said.
The applause continued for Palmer, as Peele described her energy as a “spark.”
“She has this spark [and] she just crushes,” Peele said.
Palmer revealed more details about her character, emphasizing that she’s full of charm despite her lack of knowledge on the world around her.
“Emerald Haywood doesn’t really have a lot going on, doesn’t really know everything she’s talking about, but she’s got charisma,” Palmer said. “She really doesn’t know where she’s going.”
Peele and company have high hopes for this next film. The director has described it as a “horror epic” that is meant to evoke a “very audible reaction in the theater,” while supporting star Brandon Perea (The OA, Doom Patrol) believes Nope will change cinema.
“People are going to be flipped upside down because they are not going to expect this from Jordan,” Perea continued. “Because I was reading this expecting something else, and then I was like, ‘Oh! That is like, way different than anything he’s ever done. Good! Surprise us.’”
Nope hits theaters on July 22.
