Jordan Peele is one of the most exciting directors working today, as he’s managed to establish such a unique style with just two movies, and that signature style is on full display in Nope. The newly released movie sees the beloved horror director apply his social commentary and satirical sensibilities to an alien invasion film, and some critics have called it his best yet.
However, while Peele is one of the few great filmmakers who still delivers original movies, tons of Redditors think his next project should be a remake. Between a Stanley Kubrick classic, a cult hit about a killer clown, and a couple of John Carpenter movies, Peele could bring something new to these horror tentpoles.
The People Under The Stairs (1991)
Wes Craven was one of the greatest horror directors of his time, and he created some of the most iconic horror franchises ever, including The Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. But the filmmaker has a couple of misfires in his filmography too. The People Under the Stairs is a horror comedy about two robbers who get trapped in a strange house, and while it’s entertaining enough, the concept has much greater potential.
This Reddit user thinks Peele could take a stab at the remake, noting “The People Under the Stairs is Wes Craven’s best idea. The movie itself, unfortunately, was a bit lacking. Peele could really flesh out this story and make it his own. He could actually improve on the original!” Though he wasn’t attached to direct, according to Collider, Peele had actually planned to produce a remake of the 1991 movie for universal, but nothing has come of it.
Maniac Cop (1988)
While it might be an unpopular opinion, this deleted user doesn’t think that Peele has proven himself as a great director yet. However, the Redditor admits that the filmmaker is funny, and he could make a great Maniac Cop remake. The user explains, “If he wants to be impactful culturally and relevant artistically, Maniac Cop should be his next endeavor.”
There’s no denying that Peele has already established himself as a relevant writer-director, especially considering his movies are full of social commentary. But, the Redditor makes a good point that Maniac Cop could be a great project for the filmmaker. The movie is about a murderous ex-police officer who comes back from the dead to kill everyone who wronged him, and it could make for another perfect vehicle for Peele’s topical commentaries.
Vampire In Brooklyn (1995)
User BusinessPurge points to 1995’s Eddie Murphy-starring Vampire in Brooklyn as the movie that Peele should remake. While it isn’t one of the best vampire movies ever made, Murphy is typically hilarious as the last vampire alive who must find a mate to prevent the extinction of vampires.
It sounds like the Redditor wants to see a sequel to the 1995 movie more than a remake, noting, “I’d love to see Eddie and Peele work together, on that or anything else” If Eddie Murphy was to return, he could work with Peele to make such a unique legacy sequel, and the only way a Vampire in Brooklyn 2 could make a splash is if it had something important to say.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space has such a ridiculous concept, as the movie’s title is pretty self-explanatory. But there’s no way a film like that can be successful without being satirical. The 1988 film is a comedy horror, but the slasher flick has the potential to be an edgy, riveting, satirical masterpiece rather than the B-movie-influenced romp it ended up being.
User Primetime22 thinks Peele could bring the remake home, commenting, “Jordan Peele could make a great Killer Klowns from Outer Space movie.” With Peele seemingly going into space in the newly released Nope, it wouldn’t be surprising if a satirical sci-fi horror about clowns became his next project. But it also sounds like just as much of a Key & Peele sketch.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Redditor Fuwaldah thinks that Night of the Living Dead is in need of a remake and that Peele should be at the helm. The 1968 movie revolutionized the horror genre and was the first contemporary zombie flick. However, while Night of the Living Dead is a classic story and the original film is iconic, it’s also very flawed, both in terms of story and effects.
Peele could provide the surgical work the film needs and fix up the narrative in a remake better than any other director working today. The movie is currently in the public domain (which is why the film has had countless remakes), which means that any joe schmoe can direct a remake of the movie in their garage. So nothing is keeping Peele from making his version of the classic.
The Shining (1980)
User Hobawitnes s thinks Peele should remake the slow-burn horror movie The Shining. The Redditor posits, “I don’t know if The Shining can get any better, but I’d love to see his version of it. I bet he’s one of the only directors who could appropriately fit some comedy in it.” The Shining is one of the most well-crafted horror movies ever made and remaking a Stanley Kubrick-directed movie is almost blasphemy.
However, given how the 1980 classic takes so many liberties with the source material and couldn’t be more different from Stephen King’s novel, Peele’s version could be a more faithful interpretation. And as Peele loves to insert topical social commentaries into his films, what’s more topical than someone struggling with self-isolation?
They Live (1988)
Reddit user EarthExile thinks that Peele should remake the exciting sci-fi action horror They Live. So many movies influenced Get Out, whether it’s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner or The Stepford Wives, and there might be a little bit of They Live in there too. The movie follows a man who learns that the social elite is actually aliens who have taken the form of humans.
The 1988 John Carpenter-directed movie is full of action, including tons of comedy violence, which is something that Peele hasn’t attempted yet. It’d be hard to deliver a remake that’s different enough from the original, as the 1988 movie is so over-the-top, but the Redditor thinks Peele can make it political, asking, “Is Political Horror a thing?”
Candyman (1992)
User Nobodycares2022 wants to see Peele direct a remake of 1992’s Candyman, adding, “A better one than what we got.” The Redditor is referring to the remake that arrived just last year, and though he didn’t direct the movie, Peele produced the 2021 remake, which had a middling reception from critics and general audiences.
If Peele was more hands-on or if he directed it himself, the movie would undoubtedly have been more interesting. However, as fans have so many questions after 2021’s Candyman, it might be better if Peele took over the reins for a sequel.
The Thing (1982)
It seems like a lot of Redditors want to see John Carpenter’s filmography remade. Along with They Live, Axemblue99 thinks Peele should remake 1982’s The Thing. There was already a recent remake of the movie that arrived in 2011, which was secretly a prequel to the 1982 movie, as it ends where the original movie begins.
So, instead of remaking the same film, Peele could tell a new story where the terrifying alien parasite terrorizes a new group of people. It could do something unique with the franchise, a trick that the remake/prequel missed.
The Sentinel (1977)
The Sentinel is a supernatural horror movie about a model who moves into a brownstone building, but she has second thoughts when she meets a blind priest. The model slowly realizes that the building is haunted and there’s a reason why a holy man watches over it.
The movie is one of the most chilling and spine-tingling movies of the 1970s and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as The Exorcist and The Omen. Reddit user MovieMike007 thinks it’s time for a remake and that Peele should direct it. While it sounds more like a property that James Wan could bring into the 21st century, it’d be great to see Peele tackle a supernatural premise.
