Jordan Peele solidifies exclusive five-year deal with Universal

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The top movies at the box office might be sequels and comic book movies, but director Jordan Peele is proving there’s still a massive market for original movies, with this year’s US being another smash hit under the writer/director’s belt. On a business level, this has made a lot of money for distributor Universal, and they’ve now done the wise thing and signed Peele and his Monkeypaw productions to an exclusive five-year deal that will have the studio releasing all of his movies during that time.

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The news was announced today by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley (via Variety). "[Peele has] established himself as a premier voice and original storyteller with global appeal," she said in a statement. "He is leading a new generation of filmmakers that have found a way to tap into the cultural zeitgeist with groundbreaking content that resonates with audiences of all backgrounds.”

An exact figure wasn’t given, but the report claims that the amount is in “the stratosphere of the nine-figure overalls” akin to what Netflix and Warner Bros. is dishing out to creators like Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, and J.J. Abrams. Sources are saying this total amount includes compensation upfront for Peele and producing partner Win Rosenfeld, as well as backend box office percentages.

While nine-figures sounds like a hefty price tag, Peele’s movies have made just as much at the box office. Both of his movies, GET OUT and US, were made for a combined $25 million (before promotion), but made north of $500 million at the global box office. On top of that, GET OUT was nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Picture, and winning Best Original Screenplay for Peele. His newest doesn’t have the same awards buzz floating around it, but it could sneak in some nominations here and there, especially for Lupita Nyong'o’s incredible work.

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Peele put out a statement as the news broke, saying, "It would not have been possible to make ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ without the endless trust and support we received from Donna Langley and the team at Universal. Their willingness to take risks and their commitment to original content makes them the perfect collaborative partner for Monkeypaw. I couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead."

Peele currently has two new movies in development that will be included under the deal, both of which he is writing, directing and producing. What the deal doesn't include is the new CANDYMAN movie he's producing, which is being directed by LITTLE WOODS' Nia DaCosta. 

Peele achieved something truly difficult in following up his incredible first movie with a second that was damn near just as good, and one that made just as much money. Universal is smart by signing a deal with him for more movies, because if Peele is anything — as proven in comedy and horror — it's inventive. The man likely has loads of new ideas for horror flicks, and with such a big distributor behind him, we can look forward to seeing what excellence he has in store for the next few years.