It looks like Jordan Peele will be focused on telling Black stories for a long time.
When speaking in a conversation series at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in East Hollywood the Oscar-winning filmmaker revealed he doubts that he will ever create a movie that follows the story of a white protagonist.
“I don’t see myself casting a white dude as the lead in my movie,” said Peele, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Not that I don’t like white dudes. But I’ve seen that movie.”
Peele also acknowledged the privilege of being allowed to chose whose experience is centered in the stories he tells without suffering professionally.
“The way I look at it, I get to cast Black people in my movies,” Peele said. “I feel fortunate to be in this position where I can say to Universal, ‘I want to make a $20 million horror movie with a Black family.’ And they say yes.”
Universal
Saying yes to Peele is a smart choice for any studio. His latest effort, the record-breaking Us where a Black family is forced to fight against a group of deranged doppelgängers, brought in $70 million in its opening weekend on a $20 million budget.
Peele isn’t only making films centering Blackness, but he’s also ensuring Black press are prioritized — a rarity in Hollywood. The director told ESSENCE ahead that it didn’t “make sense” if Black audiences didn’t see Us first.
“If a version went out there into the world without Black people seeing it first, I would’ve had a problem,” he added.Check out Us in theaters now.