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Jordan Peele admits he almost didn’t direct Get Out, and shares moment that changed his mind

'A white director couldn't do this'

Oreoluwa Adeyoola
9th June 2026, 17:45
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Comedian-turned-director Jordan Peele recently revealed he wasn’t meant to direct his debut film, Get Out.

Back in 2017, we were introduced to the directorial genius of Jordan Peele. The established comedian, known for Key and Peele, wrote and directed Get Out, which is already a modern horror classic. But in an interview with Proximity Media, Ryan Coogler’s production company, Peele revealed he almost didn’t direct his breakout hit.

via Universal Pictures

“I thought, ‘Why would anyone let me direct something for my first time?’ You know that stigma, I’m a first-time director? I start writing this, I get into the party sequence- pre-auction, they’re acting creepy, before he goes off,” he explained.

The scene is where the famous “get out” confrontation with Lakeith Stanfield’s character happens, after Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) snaps a picture of him with the flash on.

@proximitymedia

We almost lived in a world without a Jordan Peele directed GET OUT 😵‍💫 Full audio-only convo with Ryan Coogler 🤝🏾 #InProximity out now on YouTube #JordanPeele #RyanCoogler #GetOut #film

♬ original sound – Proximity Media

“Just that experience of being black in a white space and feeling your blackness radiate in everybody’s minds,” the director continued.”So when I’m writing that, I’m like, ‘Ooh, I’m getting this,’ and then I realised, ‘Wait- a white director can’t do this. ‘ Ryan Coogler doesn’t exist to me yet, who can pull this off? I’m the only person that can pull this off.”

Ryan Coogler had been directing at this point, but it was a year before Black Panther came out, which really put him on the map. Jordan contacted Sean McKittrick, one of the producers of Get Out and president of production company Darko Entertainment.

“So I called Sean and said, ‘Look. I’m loving what’s happening here but I think I have to direct ‘. He didn’t hesitate, he was like, ‘Okay’. And then from that moment forward it was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait – I get to direct my own movie now?”

Thankfully, Jordan was allowed to direct Get Out, and went on to create two more iconic horror films, Nope and Us.

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