Jordan Peele Launches Initiative to Find the Next Great Horror Filmmaker

Since his 2017 directorial debut, Get Out, Jordan Peele has continued to build a name for himself as one of the most exciting and compelling voices in horror. But Peele's not just out to tell his own stories. Through his Monkeypaw Productions banner, he's helped guide projects ranging from Candyman to Lovecraft Country to the screen. Now, Peele and Monkeypaw are taking things to the next level.

Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw, TIFF, and Universal announce "No Drama" Initiative

This week, Monkeypaw announced "No Drama," a new initiative created in partnership with the Universal Filmmakers Project and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to guide up and coming filmmakers as they produce short films with the potential to be expanded into features. Applications for the program, which will support up to six filmmakers in its first year, are now open, and the short films produced will be screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. And best of all for genre fans, the focus of the project is on monster stories of all kinds, continuing Peele's streak of great genre curation.

“A good monster story comes from a perspective that’s very personal and very vulnerable. It’s a story that is so deeply personal that you think no one else can relate to it,” Peele said in a statement, via Deadline. “That’s exactly the purpose of ‘No Drama’ – to challenge filmmakers to turn their deepest fears into fun, thrilling stories that need to be told.”

For More on Jordan Peele:
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How Get Out Kickstarted Jordan Peele's Horror Career

Writer/producer/director Jordan Peele on the set of Nope (2022) Photo: Universal Studios

Filmmakers accepted into the first year of No Drama will be given access to Monkeypaw's filmmaking team through roundtables, workshops, and other development resources to help them craft their short films. Along the way, they'll be able to build their personal networks, have access to full-scale Hollywood production resources, and of course, get the chance to generate a concept that could be turned into a feature film.

Applications for the first year of "No Drama" are open right now through Monkeypaw, and will be open until the end of February.

"No Drama" is the latest in an ever-growing line of new genre projects for Peele, whose most recent feature, Nope (currently streaming on Peacock), was released by Universal in 2022, and his next, still-untitled new film will drop in 2025. Monkeypaw's next major release, Monkey Man, was directed by Dev Patel, and hits theaters in April. 

Suddenly in the mood for a dynamite Jordan Peele movie? Nope is streaming on Peacock now!