Director Jordan Peele shares what classic films inspired his new movie 'NOPE'

Backstage with 'NOPE' director Jordan Peele

BackstageOL's Dave Morales sits with director Jordan Peele to talk about what inspired his new thriller 'NOPE'.

After directing two critically acclaimed movies, Jordan Peele is preparing for the release of his third film as he steps into the alien-invasion genre with his new thriller NOPE.

The story follows a brother and a sister, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, who work as caretakers at a California horse ranch that face a mysterious force affecting everyone around them. Praised as an incredible storyteller, Peele gives credit to the team behind the camera for their captivating stories.

"The story and the storytelling is something that’s done by a whole group of amazing, talented artists," said Peele.

Peele shared with Dave Morales how the classic film stories from his childhood inspired his latest creation. The director took inspiration from many films but says it all started with one.

"It probably started with ET, it was so formative and so different. What Spielberg was able to do was take a sci-fi premise and bring magic to it and that’s something a few people have been able to do," stated Peele.

Classic Inspiration

ET wasn’t the only Spielberg film Peele praised. He also shares his appreciation for the movie Close Encounter of the Third Kind.

"Such an awe-inspiring cinematic feat and I think the ambition with a flying saucer film and taking that on, he brought the appropriate ambition to it and so I felt a sort of responsibility to take on that ambition and do things in my style," Peele told Morales.

Sci-fi films weren't the only source of inspiration for Peele, he drew from western films too.

"I’m a big fan of Unforgiven, one of my favorites, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Once Upon A Time was actually pretty formative for this one as well," he shared.

Peele notes that ‘NOPE’ isn’t your typical western it might be seen as, but about how audiences typically view the wild west.

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"I don’t know at what point that became at the forefront, but I think the movie is not a western itself, but it is in many ways about the Hollywood take on the Wild West and the spectaclization of it," Peele remarked.

NOPE starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer is in theaters on July 22.