Keke Palmer Opens Up About How Nope Is Different Than Get Out And One Thing She Always Appreciates About Jordan Peele’s Films

Keke Palmer stars in Nope.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Nope is shaping up to be the horror event of Summer 2022. The trailer alone showed Jordan Peele’s horror pedigree taking a funny and mysterious tone as a group of residents witness an unexplained event. One reason moviegoers are excited about the upcoming release is Keke Palmer. And she's just as excited about the movie as viewers. The actress revealed her appreciation for Peele’s films and opened up about how the horror film differs from Ge Out.

The multihyphenate let out her inner fangirl while being interviewed by Entertainment Weekly. Like most talent involved in a Peele movie, the actress kept the details about her character Jill Haywood concealed. She did tease her role will be an amalgamation of “many cool character archetypes.” All viewers know is that Jill is a rancher. She was excited to play a lead role where race isn’t a factor. Eventually, the conversation turned to her appreciation for Peele’s films, including her current work.

I think Jordan has done a great job in all his films of talking about something. Get Out, obviously — a lot of that had to do with a conversation around racism, but then Us is about class, and with Nope you’ll take whatever you take from that. But I just love how with everything he does, while there will be Black leads, the gag isn’t always that you’re Black.

Much like the actress-singer said, having Black leads doesn’t mean the movie has to focus strictly on race while still offering commentary on issues aligned with the Black experience. Each film allows the talent and storytelling to guide audiences along to the eventual twist. The Oscar-winning director can deal with sensitive issues without being heavy-handed or glazing over them.

She did divulge that the upcoming release, much like earlier Jordan Peele efforts, is “a commentary on something grander.” Just like her role in the horror film, the Hustlers actress was mum about the film’s plot. While not much has been said about the film, viewers already know Palmer headlines an all-star cast, including Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun. The film has been described as a “pop nightmare” and “expansive horror epic” as it reimagines the summer movie. All the secrecy surrounding the film was front and center as the Oscar-winning director unveiled some footage at CinemaCon. So, it’s bound to be as impressive as his first two outings.

Viewers will get to see the actress in full effect when Nope drops in theaters on July 22. While Peele fans wait for the horror film to arrive in theaters, there are a plethora of Keke Palmer movies and TV shows you can watch in the meantime. Besides the Jordan Peele release, the Emmy winner has a few projects dropping in 2022, including the Pixar prequel Lightyear.

Adreon Patterson
News Writer

A boy from Greenwood, South Carolina. CinemaBlend Contributor. An animation enthusiast (anime, US and international films, television). Freelance writer, designer and artist. Lover of music (US and international).