This past weekend, Jordan Peele conquered the sophomore slump with the launch of an incredible success. More than two years removed from the launch of Get Out, the filmmaker has now absolutely horrified audiences everywhere with Us, and it's proven both a critical and box office hit. It's pretty incredible when you think about it, however, because the movie was actually made start-to-finish in about a year - and the writer/director behind it wasn't entirely confident going in that it could be done properly within that time frame.
Following the theatrical release of Get Out, Jordan Peele could really just move directly into his next project, primarily because of his directorial debut's success. The quality of the feature kept him fully invested in it and discussing it for more than a year, and it meant that he wasn't able to get to work on Us in earnest until early 2018. This was actually a serious concern for the filmmaker, who revealed his thoughts on the matter during an interview with Polygon:
When I was doing the Oscar campaign for Get Out, it sort of took me out of the creative process for several months. Us really got creatively going in full after that, last March, about a year ago. It turns out I can make a movie from start to finish in about a year, although a lifetime of imagery was tapped for it.
There is no part of Us that feels like it was in any way a rushed production, and, in fact, the complete opposite is true. This is a movie that audiences are going to be digging into and rewatching for years to come, and films like that usually take years of delicate creation to fully create. The fact that Us was made in such a limited time frame truly only makes the finished product that much more impressive.
Obviously Jordan Peele isn't the first filmmaker to start and finish a movie in twelve months, and it's worth noting that Us isn't exactly a giant, CGI-filled blockbuster, but one has to keep in mind that every film is taxing experience to get made - no matter how big or how small. Peele clearly had to exude a ton of creative energy to get the work done, and it paid off in a huge way - but one also has to wonder if it's a pace he could or should keep up.
It really all comes down ultimately to Jordan Peele's comfort. If he feels that he can confidently make a movie every other year, giving himself 12 months for creation and 12 months for promotion, that's wonderful. If, however, that proves to be too much for him, hopefully he will get the opportunity to slow down and work at a more reasonable pace. The guy certainly has a lot on his plate (let's not forget he's producing the new Twilight Zone for CBS All Access, as well as a fresh take on Candyman), so if he needs to take some extra time to be the best filmmaker he can be, I can't imagine there is any fan out there who would hold it against him.
Jordan Peele has not yet given any clues as to what he's planning as his third feature, but you can be sure that we will be waiting for updates with bated breath. In the meantime, Us is now playing in theaters everywhere.
