Nope, the latest terror from the mind of Jordan Peele, is available now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital via Universal. Among the special features is Shadows: The Making of Nope, a 56-minute behind-the-scenes featurette providing valuable insight into the production.
In addition to key cast and crew members, some “below the line” workers are interviewed for additional context. (When was the last time you heard from a second assistant camera? Well, Nope‘s Emily Amos is present!) Here are eight things I learned from the Nope documentary…
1. Gordy’s attack is a metaphor
Gordy’s attack was the first scene shot for the film. Much has been speculated about the upright shoe, which goes unmentioned in the special features, but Peele notes how the scene signifies the exploitation of purity. “I think the DNA of the movie has this big question about the human addiction to spectacle and what happens when money becomes involved in that.”
Producer Ian Cooper delves into the potent metaphor, “That Gordy disruption disrupts the structure of the film, and it’s telegraphing the disobedience of what happens when you try to, like Jean Jacket, wrangle a wild animal.”
“My hope with the Gordy moment is that it’s one of the most horrific things we’ve seen on film and yet we don’t dislike Gordy,” Peele adds with a laugh. Mission accomplished.
2. The UFO-themed Fry’s store actually existed
Fry’s Electronics was known for its kitschy themed décor, perhaps none more so than its Burbank, California location. Opened in 1995, it featured a sculpture of a flying saucer crashing into its façade, among other monstrous oddities inside.
The serendipitous announcement of the big-box chain closing prior to production allowed the film to shoot both interiors and exteriors at the location. The art department outfitted the store with various working televisions and computer monitors to make it look active.
3. Jordan Peele reworked the script for Steven Yeun
When Steven Yeun was cast as Jupe, Peele reworked the script after discussing the character with the actor. “We talked a lot about the character and what it means, how to approach it,” the filmmaker explains.
Yeun adds, “Originally I don’t think it was written perhaps for an Asian-American as myself, so we had to kind of rework a lot of what might be a little more authentic and true to that experience. We talked a lot about his family. We spoke about what drives him, and ultimately the trauma he’s holding within him that I think isn’t just exclusive to being Korean-American but also just being a child star. We got into some crazy stuff,” he chuckles.
4. Jordan Peele reworked the script for Brandon Perea too
Yeun wasn’t the only actor who inspired Peele to rewrite the script. Brandon Perea, who plays Angel, reveals, “I remember Jordan was just like, ‘What you brought to the table was so different then what I had written, so in order to fit that into the movie I’d have to rewrite the entire script.'” And that’s precisely what he did, much to Perea’s surprise.
Angel was also inspired by Peele’s assistant turned co-producer, David Torres. He observes, “Jordan pulled some of my personality traits and applied them to Angel. Now I would argue it’s not one-for-one, but there are pieces that speak to me.”
5. The production designer was actively pursued
It’s not uncommon to hear about directors, writers, and actors being specifically sought out for projects, but rarely does the production designer get the spotlight. Ruth De Jong had previously collaborated with Peele on Us but was actively pursued due to other past experience.
Cooper comments, “Ruth is an inspirational production designer, someone who we dogmatically pursued for us. I wanted someone who’d worked with Terrence Malick, P.T. Anderson, David Lynch. I wanted someone who has dealt with uncanny, dealt with hyperbole, but all through this lens of groundedness. What I love so much about Ruth is she has no interest in horror movies, and that is exactly what you want in a production designer of a horror movie.”
6. Jupiter’s Claim was built from scratch
While most productions would find an existing Western town to use for the Jupiter’s Claim location, Peele insisted on building the fictional theme park from scratch. “My favorite thing about Jupe’s Claim, and something we were really kind of particular about, is the idea that it’s got to be a special, cinematic moment but can’t feel like something that doesn’t exist. It has to feel like something we found, that you could visit.”
The production built it, complete with a working steam train ride and a petting zoo, at 3/4 scale. De Jong describes it as “a bit of a Western town on acid.” The Jupiter’s Claim set can now be seen as part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s studio tour.
7. Daniel Kaluuya didn’t know how to ride a horse
Daniel Kaluuya‘s character of OJ Haywood spends several scenes on horses, but the actor didn’t know how to ride one prior to production. He had a month to learn, during which he not only picked up a new skill but also discovered a deeper connection with his character.
He shares, “I think I was in the process of me learning how to ride and just understanding how still I have to be in order to get close to a horse in a way that they’ll respect me; that kind of taught me that you’ve got to be very still, you’ve got to be very calm, you’ve got to be very sure. I really wanted to bring that to the character. He’s just on his own planet.”
8. The sky dancers have symbolic meaning
The sky dancers (AKA inflatable tube men) serve as both a detection system and lures for the film’s alien creature, but there’s also symbolic meaning behind them.
Peele divulges, “Aesthetically speaking, they kind of represent another theme in the sort of exploitation of what’s beautiful and what’s natural,” he chuckles. “And the human imprint on our environment. In a lot of ways, they also come to represent the lost souls of the exploited.”
It took the art department four and a half hours to lay out 65 sky dancers for the film’s finale, which were rigged with wireless controls.
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