Jordan Peele changed everything in 2017. Before that, he was the funny guy from Key & Peele who did a spot-on Barack Obama impression. Then Get Out dropped. Suddenly, the guy making us laugh about "Continental Breakfasts" was making us sweat in our theater seats. Since then, the phrase directed by Jordan Peele has become a sort of shorthand for "you aren't ready for this."
But honestly? We’ve been waiting a while. His last directorial effort, Nope, came out back in 2022. It’s now early 2026, and the Hollywood rumor mill is spinning faster than a UFO over a horse ranch. People are asking: Where is the fourth film? Why did Universal pull it from the 2024 calendar, and then the 2026 calendar?
The truth is a bit more complicated than just "he's busy."
The Mystery of the Fourth Film
If you’ve been tracking the trades, you know the drama. Universal originally had an untitled Jordan Peele project set for Christmas Day, 2024. That would have been a hell of a holiday gift. But then the strikes happened. The industry ground to a halt. When the dust settled, the movie was pushed to October 23, 2026.
Then, in late 2025, it vanished again.
Universal pulled it from the schedule entirely. Why? Because Peele is a perfectionist. Insiders suggest he actually scrapped his original idea and started over. He’s "pulling a Tarantino," as some critics put it. He wants the fourth film to be his best, and he isn't going to rush it just to hit a marketing window.
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While we wait, his production company, Monkeypaw, hasn't been quiet. They just released HIM in late 2025—that football horror movie starring Marlon Wayans. It didn’t set the box office on fire, let's be real. It made about $13.5 million on its opening weekend. But it proved that Peele is still committed to the "social thriller" vibe, even when he's just producing.
What Makes a Movie Feel "Jordan Peele" Anyway?
It’s not just the jumpscares. Most horror directors rely on loud noises. Peele relies on the "uncomfortable silence."
Think about the Sunken Place. It’s not a monster under the bed. It’s a void. It’s a metaphor for being paralyzed while people take over your life. That’s the core of everything directed by Jordan Peele. He takes a social anxiety—like meeting your partner's parents or feeling ignored by history—and turns it into a physical threat.
- The Visual Language: He loves recurring symbols. Rabbits in Us. The teacup in Get Out. The "bad miracle" in Nope.
- The Humor: He hasn't lost his comedy roots. He uses laughs to make you lower your guard. Right when you think you're safe because you're chuckling at Lil Rel Howery, the floor drops out.
- The Casting: He famously told a crowd at UCB that he doesn't see himself casting a white lead. He wants to center Black stories in genres where they were usually the first to die.
Breaking Down the Big Three
| Film | Primary Theme | The "Gimmick" |
|---|---|---|
| Get Out | Liberal Racism | The Sunken Place / Hypnosis |
| Us | Privilege & Underclass | The Tethered / Doppelgängers |
| Nope | The Spectacle | Alien "Predator" / Gordy's Home |
Each of these films did something different. Get Out was tight and psychological. Us was a sprawling, weird home invasion. Nope was a massive IMAX spectacle that felt like a twisted version of a Spielberg blockbuster.
The "Diminishing Returns" Argument
You’ll hear some people say Peele is "falling off." They point to the box office numbers. Get Out and Us both cleared $250 million. Nope did about $172 million.
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Is that a failure? No. $172 million for an original R-rated sci-fi horror is actually incredible in the 2020s. Most original movies die on arrival. Peele is one of the only directors left who can get people into a theater based on his name alone. He’s in that Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino tier where the "brand" is the director, not the IP.
Critics were a bit more split on Nope, sure. It was dense. It was about cinematography and the "gaze." It wasn't as easy to digest as a guy being trapped in a basement. But that’s what makes his work endure. People are still arguing about what the monkey sequence in Nope actually meant. That’s staying power.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Work
People keep calling him "the next Alfred Hitchcock."
Honestly, that’s a bit lazy. Hitchcock was a master of suspense, but Peele is doing something more anthropological. He's looking at how we treat each other. He’s obsessed with the idea of "The Other."
In Us, the monsters aren't from space. They’re us. They’re the people we choose to forget so we can live our nice lives. If you go into a movie directed by Jordan Peele expecting a standard slasher, you’re going to be disappointed. You have to look at the background. Look at the shirts the characters are wearing. Listen to the background noise. Everything is a clue.
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What's Next for Monkeypaw?
Even without a confirmed date for his next directorial project, Peele is busy. He’s working with Hideo Kojima on a video game called OD. If you know Kojima (the Metal Gear Solid guy), you know that's going to be the weirdest thing ever made.
There’s also the remake of The People Under the Stairs in development. And a few secret TV projects.
But we all want that fourth movie. Rumors say it might star Daniel Kaluuya again. Others say Janelle Monáe. Some even think it’s a sequel to Get Out, though I'd bet against that. Peele seems more interested in building new nightmares than revisiting old ones.
Actionable Tips for the Peele Fan
If you're trying to keep up with his work or get into the "Peele-verse," here is what you should actually do:
- Watch with subtitles: His dialogue is packed with double meanings you might miss if the theater is loud or your speakers are bad.
- Follow the "Monkeypaw" banner: Not everything he produces is a masterpiece (looking at you, HIM), but it usually points to where his head is at.
- Read the annotated screenplays: He released "Get Out: The Complete Annotated Screenplay." It explains all the hidden stuff you missed.
- Ignore the "horror" label: Treat them as social satires first. You'll enjoy them more if you aren't just waiting for a guy with a knife to pop out.
The wait for the next film directed by Jordan Peele is frustrating. We want it now. But in an era of endless sequels and "content" that feels like it was made by an algorithm, a director who takes four years to get a script right is something to celebrate.
Go back and re-watch the Gordy sequence in Nope. Look at the way the shoe is standing up. Then realize that Peele hasn't even hit his peak yet.
To stay ahead of the next release, keep an eye on Universal's 2027 slate. If history repeats itself, we'll get a cryptic poster with a one-word title and no explanation about three months before it drops. Until then, we’re all just sitting in the Sunken Place, waiting.