Keanu
2016 · United States · 100 min
- Director
- Peter Atencio
- Screenplay
- Jordan Peele, Alex Rubens
- Producer
- Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Paul Young
- Music
- Steve Jablonsky
- Production company
- New Line Cinema, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Monkeypaw Productions
Cast
What it is about
Two cousins, Rell and Clarence, see their stolen kitten become the reason they infiltrate a street gang to get it back. What starts as a makeshift rescue pulls them into a tangle of drug dealers, gangsters and hitmen, and they must improvise their way out of one problem after another without losing their sense of humor.
How it was made
New Line Cinema announced the project in October 2014 with Peter Atencio directing. Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, who also star, produced it, marking their first feature as lead actors after five seasons of their sketch series Key & Peele. Many outlets initially assumed it was a parody of John Wick, but Atencio has said the two films were developed independently. Keanu Reeves eventually lent his voice to the kitten. Shooting took place in New Orleans from June to July 2015.
Reception and legacy
Critics gave it generally positive reviews, and the film was a commercial success, grossing about $20 million against a $15 million budget. It premiered at the South by Southwest Festival in March 2016 and opened in North American theaters in April. Peele joked on Reddit that a sequel would feature twice as many deaths as John Wick 2.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
Trained kittens
Seven tabby kittens were used on set. They were trained for three weeks with treats, meat-flavored baby food and laser pointers, and all were adopted by the end of production.
Key's cat allergy
Keegan-Michael Key is allergic to cats, so he had to take medication in order to work with them on set.
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