The Shocking Event That Makes Nope Feel Even More Real According To Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele's directorial efforts have the distinct renown for being fantastical, original stories that also dive right at the heart of modern issues. Everything from racism in America to class disparities can end up tied into his "Twilight Zone"-like tales through his mix of characters and compelling thematic undertones. 

"Get Out" and "Us" both enjoyed massive box office success and now, Peele is following up his one-two punch of horror-thriller hits with "Nope." The movie stars "Get Out" lead Daniel Kaluuya, "Scream Queens" actress Keke Palmer, and "The Walking Dead" alum Steven Yeun. Like most of Peele's films, much of the plot has been saved for the actual viewing experience. The summer 2022 tentpole follows brother and sister OJ (Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Palmer), siblings who run a horse farm for film productions, as they and others are visited by a mysterious and dangerous force from some ominous-looking clouds.

The "Nope" trailers suggest an experience that will include Peele's typical mix of comedy and horror, as well as the head-on collision between the fantastical and the all-too-real his movies offer. There is one actual real event though that the write-director recently told the Associated Press made his film feel more authentic and scary and is even referenced in the flick itself.

In April 2020, the Pentagon declassified videos taken by U.S. Navy pilots that captured UFOs, or unidentified flying objects (via CNBC). One video was taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, and the Department of Defense said the release was to confirm that the footage, which had already been circulating online, was real. In their statement, the Department of Defense said the flying objects remain unidentified.

While it's no confirmation of anything specific, the videos can make the imagination run wild — and run wild Peele's imagination did, though he also took note of how little the footage actually affected people's lives. "It's one of the reasons, I guess, I can proudly say this movie is based on a true story. But what was most nerve-wracking or scary to me about the whole thing is that you'd like to think that when actual video proof of UFOs comes out that something would change in our lifestyle, not it's really business as usual," he said in a promotional interview (via Associated Press). 

Peele said the videos did impact him though and made the story of "Nope" feel real and more relevant. "It made it very real, very much in the moment," the director said.