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With Jordan Peele’s new movie, Us, now playing in theaters, I recently sat down with Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex to talk about making the buzzed about film. During the interview they talked about what they appreciated about Peele’s script and the layers of subtext that he incorporates, how the film is a step toward redefining the black family as the All-American norm, what it was like working with Peele on set, how Peele tailors his creative process to what each individual actor needs, how much did they dig into the mythology and the iconography of the script, what it was like filming the intense and challenging scenes, and a lot more.
Check out what they had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the official synopsis. Us also stars Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker.
Finally, if you are planning on seeing Us, I would strongly recommend not reading any reviews or learning too much about the story before seeing the film. Peele has crafted something special and the less you know the better. Us is also one of those rare films that you’ll want to talk about the second it ends. If you’ve seen the film, I’ve listed some articles you might want to check out below.
Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex:
- What was it like seeing the film with the SXSW audience?
- How have they described the film without giving away the twists and turns?
- What did they appreciate about Peele’s script and the layers of subtext he brings?
- Talk about how the film is a step toward redefining the black family as the All-American norm.
- Working with the prosthetics and practical effects on set.
- What it was like filming the intense and challenging scenes.
- What it was like shooting a scene with yourself and how Peele would read with them in those scenes.
- How much did they dig into the mythology and the iconography of the script?
- Duke talks about the symbolism of the script.
- Talk about how Peele tailors his creative process to what each individual actor needs.
- Does Us take place in the same universe as Get Out?
One last thing, I’d also like to take a moment to give special thanks to our Collider Studio partner, A-List Communications. At the Supper Suite venue in Austin, libations were flowing courtesy of El Tesoro Tequila, Blue Moon Belgian White, and Hint Water. Without these fine folks, we wouldn’t be able to share conversations about movies like Sword of Trust with all of you, so another big thank you to our partners for their support.
For more on Us:
Image via Universal
Here is the official synopsis for Us:
Set in present day along the iconic Northern California coastline, Us, from Monkeypaw Productions, stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide Wilson, a woman returning to her beachside childhood home with her husband, Gabe (Winston Duke), and their two children (Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex) for an idyllic summer getaway. Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family. After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers (Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon), Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway.
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Us pits an endearing American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves. Writer and director Peele produces for his Monkeypaw Productions alongside Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, and Monkeypaw’s Ian Cooper.
