Monkeypaw Productions Cuts Three From Development Team

Overview

• The company let go of three development staffers, leaving a four-person team that is still taking new submissions.
• People familiar with the move describe a refocus driven by Jordan Peele’s plan to be more hands-on in development.
• Monkeypaw keeps its first-look deal with Universal, which gives the studio first choice on projects, though sources say Peele’s 2024 renewal was scaled back.
• Recent output has been light, with 2022’s Nope followed by Him, which failed at the box office, while 2021’s Candyman was already underway before the 2019 Universal deal.
• Peele’s next film remains in development with its planned dates first pushed to 2026 and then removed from studio schedules.