The NBA playoffs kick off today! Universal Pictures marked the occasion by dropping a new teaser for Jordan Peele's forthcoming new film, Nope, featuring eight-time NBA All-Star Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

As we've reported previously, Peele has cemented his status as the current master of thought-provoking horror, starting with Get Out, his surprise box office hit that earned more than $250 million and snagged Peele an Oscar for best original screenplay—the first time the award has gone to a Black recipient. Get Out is a subtle exploration of racial tensions that quietly reveals its horrifying premise and builds to an inevitably bloody conclusion. In Peele's 2019 follow-up, Us, the theme wasn't so much racial tension—it was exploring, in Peele's words, the myriad ways in which "we are our own worst enemies."

The first trailer dropped in February—very moody and atmospheric but offering very few details. (There might be aliens involved, or Peele wants us to think there are as a bit of misdirection.) Trailers for Peele's films never reveal too much, since much of the pleasure of his movies comes from their frequently bizarre twists.

All we know thus far about Nope is that Daniel Kaluuya (who was nominated for an Oscar for Get Out) asJames Haywood, Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Black Panther) as Jill Haywood and Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as Brian. All are "residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery." The cast also includes Michael Wincott as Craig, Brandon Perea as Kevin, Barbie Ferreira as Danielle, and Donna Mills as Bonnie Clayton.

The new 30-second teaser recreates elements of that first trailer. We see Curry in an empty barn on an isolated horse ranch. He drops the needle on a record and proceeds to shoot a few baskets. But then the power suddenly goes out. A curious Curry heads to the barn entrance just as the wind kicks up and we see an ominous shadow fall across the scene as he stares at the sky.  Whatever he sees isn't reassuring. He pulls up his hoodie and walks off with a curt, “Nope.”

Verdict: the highly photogenic Curry won't be winning an Oscar any time soon, but it's a cute meme-worthy marketing move by the studio. Nope hits theaters on July 22, 2022. Based on what we've seen so far, we're still saying "Yep."

Source: Ars Technica

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