Jordan Peele breaks down the meaning behind the title of his new horror movie Nope. Peele's previous titles, Get Out and Us, helped turn the comedian into one of the most exciting filmmakers in Hollywood. Described as "social thrillers," his movies bring both jump scares and social commentary in equal measure. Peele's next film, Nope, unveiled its official title last year and immediately sparked a great deal of speculation, particularly in regards to its title. Nope will arrive in theaters this July.
The plot details of Nope are still shrouded in mystery. What is known is that it revolves around James and Jill Haywood, Hollywood ranch owners played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, who become witnesses to what appears to be an alien invasion. The first Nope trailer, which dropped in February, didn't feature much more than a small introduction to these characters and some snippets of disturbing imagery. Nevertheless, it was enough to set the internet ablaze.
During Universal Pictures' panel at CinemaCon (for which Screen Rant was in attendance), Peele came out to greet the audience and promote Nope. He professed his love of movies that feature ominous stories, stating that "the discovery and the surprise of it is part of the fun." Peele then went on to explain why his next movie has the title it has. Much like that of his first movie Get Out, the title of Nope is meant to reflect what the audience is thinking. Read his full quote below:
"The film is a ride. The title speaks to the idea of the audience reacting to what they're thinking and feeling in the theater. When you tell people it's a scary movie a lot of time they say NOPE. So I want to acknowledge those people with the title and bring them in. This is about the person who thinks they don't love the horror movie. To show them that maybe they do."
Also revealed was the fact that Nope was shot in both 65 mm and IMAX, which allowed the director to “capture incredible images” using new methods that he says have never been seen before. Following the presentation, a new trailer for Nope was unveiled; after, Peele asked the audience to be discreet and not reveal any details of the footage, as it is not going to be seen by the rest of the world “for several more weeks.” The Universal panel would then go on to feature new looks at Halloween Ends, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Jurassic World Dominion.
With Peele standing in Hollywood as a name to look out for, he has now reached the point where any film he directs will instantly create buzz among the moviegoing community. This has been seen throughout all of Nope's promotional campaign so far, and the fervent speculation that arose over its title is the perfect demonstration of Peele's status. It's interesting to hear how, after all the major theories that cropped up, Nope is just a reference to how some people react to horror. Palmer's character even says as much in the Nope trailer, amusingly. Seeing as so much of this movie is being kept under wraps in regards to its plot, it looks like it will be another interesting ride for audiences to enjoy.
Source: Universal
