Conventional history can, sometimes, be misleading as it tells mostly, the story of the past from the eyes of those who have been “victorious” in one sense or the other. Much has been lost to the passage of time, much of it will not be recovered. However, Jordan Peele is set to make his mark in offering authentic historical truths as regards the Old West. The Oscar-winning filmmaker is set to produce a documentary series that promises to overturn the public perception, and accepted history of the Old West. The upcoming docuseries which is set for Peacock will explore the history of Black cowboys while it “dismantles the whitewashed mythology of the cowboy.”
Per Deadline, the new untitled docuseries is set to draw inspiration from certain themes in Peele‘s most recent film, Nope, which starred Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as horse-wrangling siblings attempting to capture evidence of a UFO. The new cowboy series is collaboration between Peele‘s Monkeypaw Productions label and Universal Television Alternative Studio. Its production comes as part of the filmmaker’s overall deal with Universal Studio Group and marks Monkeypaw‘s first documentary. The official description for the docuseries reads: “The untitled Black cowboy docuseries will rewrite a foundational piece of American history, unmasking the forces that erased the identity of the Black cowboy from frontier history and present. Stories of real cowboys will take viewers on a thrilling odyssey that connects to the heart of the resurgence of Black cowboy culture that we see today across music, art, fashion and film in a three-part series to premiere on Peacock.”
Universal Studios and Peele have enjoyed a pretty lucrative partnership with Nope and the Oscar-winining Get Out some of the partnership’s success stories. Looking ahead to this latest project, Pearlena Igbokwe, Universal Studio Group chairman, added in a statement:
“ Nope gave a nod to the deep history of Black cowboys in America, and this docuseries offers a full exploration of their lives and contributions to today’s cultural landscape. Told through the singular lens of Jordan Peele, this series is every bit as entertaining as it is enriching. It’s been a thrill for [Universal Television Alternative Studio] to collaborate with Jordan, Monkeypaw, Keith and the team on what is a truly special project, and we’re excited to share it with fans.”
Who is Behind Peele’s Upcoming Docuseries?
While Peele produces the untitled Black cowboy docuseries, Keith McQuirter, who is credited with directing By Whatever Means Necessary: The Godfather of Harlem, will serve as showrunner, director and exec producer on the series. Peele will serve as executive producer on the series alongside Win Rosenfeld, Jamal Watson, Keisha Senter and Liz Yale Marsh. The docuseries will also see Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men executive producer, Sacha Jenkins, return in the same role.
Nope is Peele’s most recent film, and is available to stream on Prime Video.
via Collider