Jordan Peele And Issa Rae Jump Into ‘Sinkhole’ At Universal Pictures
Jordan Peelehas quickly become an acclaimed filmmaker thanks to his filmsGet OutandUs, andIssa Raehas turned into an in-demand star thanks to her Emmy-nominated HBO seriesInsecure. Now the two are bringing their sizzling talents together for a new movie that sounds like it could easily be an episode ofThe Twilight Zone.
Universal Pictures has snagged the rights toLeyna Krow’s short storySinkhole, which follows a family who move into their dream home, but there’s one gaping oddity: a sinkhole in the backyard that somehow fixes broken and destroyed things.
Deadline has word on Universal picking up the rights to make theSinkholemovie after beating out 10 other studios in a bidding war featuring several different packages with filmmakers and stars attached. Jordan Peele is on board to produce withWin Rosenfeldthrough their Moneypaw production banner, and the project is being developed as a star vehicle for Rae, who will also produce through her own Issa Rae Productions withMontrel McKayandSara Rastogi. Krow is executive producing withAlex Davis-Lawrencefrom the literary journalMoss, which is where the story was originally published
The most interesting part ofSinkholecomes from what happens if something like a person was put into the sinkhole. How would a “broken” person return from the sinkhole? The movie will answer that question by diving into perceptions of female perfection and identity in society. Deadline adds that the story “has the trappings of a grounded, psychological sci-fi/horror, but the subplot is a commentary on the human condition through the lens of female identity.” You can ready thefull short story over hereif you’re interested in knowing more.
Peele is no stranger to approaching social issues under the guise of both comedy and genre filmmaking. Not only did his sketch comedy showKey & Peelehilariously shine a light on a variety of topics, butGet OutandUsdealt with racism and and class in an insightful way. Meanwhile, Issa Rae’s HBO seriesInsecurehas done on outstanding job at tackling life, love, and more from the perspective of a Black woman. With Peele and Rae working together, we’re bound to get something provocative and compelling.
As of now, there’s no director attached to the project, and since Universal only just landed the screen rights, it’s still in the early stages of development. But we’ll be sure to keep our ear to the ground for more details as they become available.
