Universal has removed director Jordan Peele’s new movie from the October 2026 release slate after it had already been delayed, leaving both fans and critics alike to speculate on the future of the project.
Jordan Peele’s New Movie was having Trouble from the Start
Jordan Peele’s new movie was announced In March of 2023. It’s said to be a horror thriller and doesn’t yet have a title.
Though the plot is still unknown, the film is stated to be a follow-up to his highly successful 2022 film Nope. Peele has stated that, if executed correctly, the new movie might end up being his favorite.
Jordan Peele discusses his movie Us – YouTube, Universal Pictures All Access
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On a podcast with Conan O’Brien, the director opened up about his feelings on the film.
“I do feel like my next project is clear to me,” he told the host, “and I’m psyched that I have another film that, you know, could be my favorite movie if I make it right.”
Jordan Peele’s film project was announced just two months before the Writers Guild of America strike kicked off, which would proceed from May 2nd through September 27th of 2023.
Through the strikes, the WGA strong-armed the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers into making various changes. These changes included items such as: increasing the minimum wage, altering the terms of employment for writers, and it even added regulation attempting to prevent the use of writers’ material to train artificial intelligence.
After this agreement was made, the protest ended, and work within the film industry resumed.
As a consequence of these months of interruption and uncertainty, a number of new movie projects had to be pushed back, including Jordan Peele’s.
The film was postponed to an October 2026 release, a substantial delay from its original 2024 debut. Universal replaced the December film slot with Nosferatu, which was written and directed by Robert Eggers and distributed under Focus Features.
Peele’s Casting Philosophy Sparks Debate
While the reasons for the film’s indefinite delay remain unclear, some critics point to Peele’s own casting philosophy as a potential factor in the uncertainty surrounding his projects and studio willingness to move forward.
The director made headlines in 2019 when he stated: “I don’t see myself casting a White dude as the lead in my movie. Not that I don’t like white dudes. But I’ve seen that movie.”
Peele defended his stance as a creative choice to highlight stories Hollywood often overlooked. But detractors argue it’s still race-based casting, which has led to accusations of a double standard. After all, if a White filmmaker said they would never cast a Black lead, it would ignite immediate outrage.
This ongoing debate adds another layer to the conversation about Peele’s next project—and whether the director’s outspoken approach to representation is helping or hurting his relationship with studios like Universal.
Fans Receive no Updates Regarding the Film
Following these decisions, fans of Peele started to get worried about the fate of the film.
It seems concerns were completely justified, as the film has been completely removed from Universal’s schedule.
With its removal from the 2026 release slate, the project seems to currently be in limbo, though sources say Peele is still working on it.
Cameras are not yet rolling, however.
Jordan Peele sits for an interview on The Tonight Show – YouTube, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon
Neither Jordan Peele nor Universal have given a new timeline for the movie, and any reasons for the indefinite delay are completely unknown, leaving the public with nothing to do but speculate on the films fate.
The sports horror film Him is still set to release on September 19th of this year, which Peele is directing.
Are you looking forward to Jordan Peele’s new movie, or do you think it will quietly disappear into irrelevancy? Sound off in the comments below and share your thoughts!
That Park Place Editor in Chief Marvin Montanaro contributed to this report.
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F**k this racist piece of s**t!
He was a funny guy, and I was a fan, but the hypocrisy is mindboggling. But this is the popular MESSAGE in Hollywood. It is OK when the racism goes the “right” way. In fact, the Academy REQUIRES racist casting for Oscar consideration, Peele was just ahead of the game.
I guess there’s another guy whose woke movies should be voted down.