Keke Palmer is joining Jordan Peele’s ever-growing troupe of actors, starring in the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s latest secret project at Universal Pictures.
“Get Out” star Daniel Kaluuya is also in talks for a role in the film, which would mark a sweet reunion for the actor and director, who set Hollywood aflame with their first collaboration, which earned $255 million at the box office and four Oscar nods, including Best Picture.
Peele won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for “Get Out” in 2018, while Kaluuya was nominated for the best actor Oscar for his performance. The new project also marks the actor’s second recent “Get Out” reunion; Kaluuya appeared with the horror film’s co-stars LaKeith Stanfield and Lil Rel Howery in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which debuted in theaters and on HBO Max over the weekend.
Palmer will headline the new project, which is set to be released in July 2022.
Since her breakout role in “Akeelah and the Bee” at age 12, Palmer has been an entertainment fixture and multihyphenate entertainer (actor, singer/songwriter, producer and television host). The actor starred in 2019’s hit film “Hustlers,” opposite Jennifer Lopez, and just wrapped filming on “Alice,” with Common and Jonny Lee Miller. She is currently the voice of “Maya” in the Disney Plus revival of “The Proud Family’ and “Rochelle” in Netflix’s “Big Mouth” spinoff “Human Resources.”
The film, written and directed by Peele and produced alongside Ian Cooper for their Monkeypaw Productions, is part of the company’s five-year exclusive deal with Universal. SVP of production Sara Scott and Tony Ducret will oversee the project on behalf of Universal. Like Peele’s first two projects for Universal — “Get Out” and 2019’s “Us” — details are being kept completely under wraps.
Monkeypaw Productions (alongside MGM) is also behind Universal Pictures’ highly-anticipated feature remake of “Candyman,” from director Nia DaCosta, which is expected later this year. DaCosta, Peele and Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfield co-wrote that project, produced by Peele and Cooper.
Palmer is represented by 3 Arts Entertainment and Hertz, Lichtenstein & Young.
Deadline was first to report news of Palmer’s casting in the project.
