Jordan Peele took the world of horror by storm with the release of his film Get Out in 2017. Nominated for four Oscars, it was clear that he was in the horror genre to stay. He followed that up with another horror film titled Us in 2019, containing the same level of detail and social commentary as the last. Most recently, he released a trailer for his 2022 film: Nope. Much about the plot of the film itself has been kept securely away from the public, increasing excitement and suspense for the awaiting audience.
The film is slated to be released on July 22, 2022, but the timeline for this film began much before that. Back in November of 2020, Universal gave the then untitled film its release date, and details have been few and far between to reach the public since then. July of 2021 brought the world a poster, and not too much else was released until the trailer with the Superbowl a couple weeks ago.
Speaking of release, Nope will only be released in theaters. The film was shot partially on IMAX cameras, making the transition to regular streaming services an unknown. Though this may be a disappointment to some, it may help the film come to life in a way it can’t on a television screen.
Many people, Peele fans or not, are wondering what to expect with his new film. Much of the plot we know can be summed up with general horror tropes: small town people, abnormal events, etc. We know the stars of the film (notably Daniel Kaluuya also cast in Get Out, Steven Yeun and Keke Palmer), we know the general setting, but what we do not know is the antagonist. Theories of aliens have been surfacing from all corners of the internet from horror fans around the world, but really, who knows? Peele could have anything up his sleeve. Even with the current trailer, the plot remains unknown.
Peele has proven his commitment to creating not just film, but pieces of art. Nope is sure to be the third of many thrilling, chilling, and thought provoking horror films he has a hand in. Are the fan theories true? Will we get any more pieces of the plot before July? We won’t know until it happens, but one thing is certain: The horror community will be eagerly anticipating its release.
Screenshot from Nope teaser trailer