This past March, Universal set an untitled fourth film from the writer/director Jordan Peele for release on Dec. 25, 2024. A summer shoot was planned for the film, but unforeseen was an impending writers and actors strike.
Sadly and expectedly, last month, Universal removed the film from its 2024 release slate. I’d be shocked if we get to see this one this year. 2025 seems much more likely. I keep looking for a production date, but nothing has popped up yet.
Peele was a recent guest on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, and spoke about the film, vaguely, but suggested he’s “clear” on what it will be, and that the script is a personal favorite of his.
“This has been… obviously, it’s been an interesting year because the writer’s strike had had me in a state of listening, and that’s where I need to be,” he began cautiously. “I do feel like my next project is clear to me, and I’m psyched that I have another film that, you know, could be my favorite movie if I make it right.”
Peele is the writer-director behind “Get Out,” “Us” and “Nope” — he’s one of the major filmmaking finds of the last 5 or so years.
Like all projects directed by Peele, this one comes in total and utter secrecy. As with Peele’s last few, we probably won’t even know what it’s about until it gets released.
Some have theorized that it might be a sequel to “Get Out,” but I can’t see that happening, just yet. Peele had also teased last year that he wanted to make a sequel to “Nope.” I would bet that this next film is an original.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.