| Founded | January 31, 2012 (age 14) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jordan Peele |
| Hq location city | Los Angeles, California |
| Hq location country | United States |
| Industry | Film · Television |
| Key people |
|
| Website | monkeypawproductions.com |
Monkeypaw Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Jordan Peele in January 31, 2012.[3] It is known for producing horror films, such as Get Out, Us, Candyman, Nope, and Wendell & Wild, as well as other films, such as Keanu and Monkey Man.
On October 1, 2019, the company signed a 5-year exclusivity deal with Universal Pictures.[4]
Overview
In 2012, Jordan Peele launched Monkeypaw Productions and released the comedy series Key & Peele on January 31, 2012, on Comedy Central.[5] After the series ended in 2015, Peele and Keegan-Michael Key wrote the script for the action comedy film Keanu which was released on April 29, 2016, by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.[6]
On September 21, 2015, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his directorial debut feature film Get Out, a social horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams which was released on February 24, 2017, by Universal Pictures.[7] Following the success of the film, Peele signed a two-year, first-look deal with Universal. The deal was made with the intention of highlighting stories and creatives from marginalized communities.[8]
On November 3, 2015, it was reported that Henry Selick was developing Wendell & Wild, a stop motion animated horror comedy film based on an unpublished book by Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman.[9][10] The film was set to star Key and Peele, the latter also being a writer and producer on the film.[9] In March 2018, the film was picked up by Netflix.[11] The film premiered at TIFF on September 11, 2022, and was later released on October 28, 2022.[10]
On May 16, 2017, it was announced that the company and Bad Robot were producing a horror television series titled Lovecraft Country for HBO and Warner Bros. Television Studios. The series was based on and served as a continuation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. The pilot was written by Misha Green, who served as the showrunner for the series. Peele, J. J. Abrams and Ben Stephenson served as executive producers.[12] The series premiered on August 16, 2020.
On May 8, 2018, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his second feature film Us, a horror film starring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss. The film was released on March 22, 2019, by Universal Pictures.[13] In 2019, Us was featured in a maze for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights and in 2022 as part of the terror tram.
On November 9, 2020, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his third feature film Nope, a science fiction horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun was released on July 22, 2022, by Universal Pictures. The original set of Jupiter's Claim, the fictional theme park featured in the film was added permanently as a part of Universal Studios Hollywood's Studio Tour. The set became the first Studio Tour attraction to open the same day as a film's release.[14] In 2022, Nope was featured at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights as part of the terror tram with Us.
On September 1, 2021, Monkeypaw and Peele signed a multiyear TV deal with Universal Studio Group ending a previous first-look deal with Amazon Studios. The deal brought both film and television output under a partnership with Universal.[15]
On March 20, 2023, it was announced that Peele would write and direct his fourth feature film. It was scheduled to be released on December 25, 2024, by Universal Pictures, but was removed from Universal's schedule due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, before being rescheduled to October 23, 2026. On September 2, 2025, the film was removed from Universal's 2026 release schedule.[16][17][18]
In 2023, Monkeypaw participated in the bidding war for Zach Cregger's mystery horror film Weapons, in conjunction with Universal Pictures, but after losing the auction, Peele parted ways with longtime managers Joel Zadak and Peter Principato, the latter of whom was also Cregger's manager.[19][20]
On April 23, 2025, it was reported by Deadline that three vice presidents and four to five junior staffers were laid off.[21] In May 2026, the company also laid off three members of its development team, continuing with four remaining members in the department.[22][23]
Feature films
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 29, 2016 | Keanu | Peter Atencio | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| February 24, 2017 | Get Out | Jordan Peele | Universal Pictures |
| August 10, 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Spike Lee | Focus Features |
| March 22, 2019 | Us | Jordan Peele | Universal Pictures |
| August 27, 2021 | Candyman | Nia DaCosta | |
| July 22, 2022 | Nope | Jordan Peele | |
| September 2, 2022 | Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. | Adamma Ebo | Focus Features |
| October 28, 2022 | Wendell & Wild | Henry Selick | Netflix |
| April 5, 2024 | Monkey Man | Dev Patel | Universal Pictures |
| September 19, 2025 | Him | Justin Tipping |
Short films
| Release date | Title | Director(s) | Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2022 | Moshari[24] | Nuhash Humayun | Little Big Films Monkeypaw Productions Left Handed Films |
| June 7, 2025 | Neverland[25] | Ti West | Republic Records Wicked Awesome Records |
| September 6, 2025[26] | Imago | Ariel Zengotita | Universal Pictures |
| Morty | Chandler Crump | ||
| The Pigs Underneath | Charlie Dennis | ||
| Thick Skin | Helena Hawkes | ||
| Spilled Milk | Jared Leaf |
Television series
| Year(s) | Title | Creator(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2015 | Key & Peele | Keegan-Michael Key Jordan Peele | Comedy Central |
| 2018–2021 | The Last O.G. | John Carcieri Jordan Peele | TBS |
| 2019 | Weird City | Charlie Sanders Jordan Peele | YouTube Premium |
| Lorena | Joshua Rofé | Amazon Prime Video | |
| 2019–2020 | The Twilight Zone | Simon Kinberg Jordan Peele Marco Ramirez | CBS All Access |
| 2020–2023 | Hunters | David Weil | Amazon Prime Video |
| 2020 | Lovecraft Country | Misha Green | HBO |
| 2024 | Scare Tactics | Scott Hallock Kevin Healey | USA Network |
| 2025 | High Horse: The Black Cowboy[27] | Jason Perez | Peacock |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Creator(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Quiet Part Loud | Jordan Peele Mimi O'Donnell Win Rosenfeld | Spotify |
| Chutzpah: Hunters Presents True Stories of Resistance | Jordan Peele David Weil |
Books
| Publication date | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| November 26, 2019 | Get Out: The Complete Annotated Screenplay | Jordan Peele |
| October 3, 2023 | Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror | Various Authors |
| September 3, 2024 | Us: The Complete Annotated Screenplay | Jordan Peele |
Video games
| Year | Title | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | OD | Kojima Productions | Xbox Game Studios |
References
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 12, 2017). "Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Sets Win Rosenfeld As President". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ "Monkeypaw Productions". www.monkeypawproductions.com. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ "Jordan Peele". Variety. February 23, 2017.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 1, 2019). "Jordan Peele & His Monkeypaw Productions Ink Exclusive 5-Year Deal With Universal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Kaitlin Reilly (March 15, 2018). "Key & Peele Are Getting The Band Back Together… In Hell". Refinery29. Vice Media Group.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 12, 2016). "Warner Bros Moves Key & Peele Starrer 'Keanu' Back One Week – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Pederson, Erik (October 4, 2016). "'Get Out': Universal Dates Jordan Peele's Blumhouse Chiller & Unleashes Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Kit, Borys (May 3, 2017). "'Get Out' Filmmaker Jordan Peele Signs First-Look Deal With Universal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Flores, Terry (November 3, 2015). "Henry Selick, Key & Peele Developing Animated Feature 'Wendell and Wild' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ Hodges, Jake (September 4, 2022). "'Wendell and Wild': Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far". Collider. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 14, 2018). "Netflix Wins Stop-Motion Animated 'Wendell And Wild': Henry Selick, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key Aboard". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 16, 2017). "'Get Out's Jordan Peele Teams With WBTV, HBO & Bad Robot For 'Lovecraft Country' Drama Series; Misha Green Writing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 8, 2019). "Jordan Peele's 'Us' To Hit Theaters A Week Later After Landing SXSW Opening Night Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^ Jupiter's Claim from Jordan Peele Movie 'Nope' Comes to Universal Hollywood's Studio Tour
- ^ Porter, Rick (September 1, 2021). "Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions Moves Overall TV Deal to Universal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 20, 2023). "Universal Dates Two Movies From Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw For 2024". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ Stenzel, Wesley (December 22, 2023). "Jordan Peele's next movie pulled from 2024 release calendar". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (17 June 2024). "Jordan Peele's Fourth Directorial Lands October 2026 Theatrical Release". Deadline. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 2, 2023). "Behind The Scenes Of Zach Cregger's Extraordinary 'Weapons' Auction & Its Aftermath: The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived February 3, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
- ^ Abraham, Mya (2025-05-01). "Jordan Peele Parted Ways With His Management Team After Losing 'Weapons' Bidding War". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (23 April 2025). "Monkeypaw's Development Team Hit With Layoffs". Deadline
- ^ Kit, Borys (2026-05-05). "Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions Cuts Down Development Team". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived 2026-05-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (2026-05-05). "Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions Lays Off 3 Staffers". TheWrap. Archived 2026-05-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ^ Yossman, KJ (28 November 2022). "Jordan Peele, Riz Ahmed to Executive Produce Nuhash Humayun's Live-Action Short 'Moshari' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived 28 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Navarro, Meagan (April 22, 2025). "Kid Cudi and Ti West Reunite on "Neverland" Music Video Produced by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 5, 2025). "Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Shares Spooky First Look at No Drama Horror Shorts Ahead of TIFF Premiere". Variety. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ Jordan Peele's 'High Horse: The Black Cowboy' Documentary Gets Peacock Premiere Date; First Trailer