Did Jordan Peele Fire His Team After Losing Weapons? Here's What We Know

"Weapons" is a magnificent movie, no two ways about it. Zach Cregger's follow-up to 2022's "Barbarian" is a perfect blend of mystery, horror, and brutal comedy, held together by a fantastic story and performances that are amazing across the board. Cregger's film has a cool, offbeat vibe that brings to mind the work of another modern horror luminary, Jordan Peele. 

As it happens, Peele and "Weapons" do share a connection. As Looper's explainer on "Weapons" noted before the movie dropped, the word in the trades had been that the "Get Out" and "Nope" director actually wanted to produce "Weapons." There's also been talk that when this didn't work out, Peele fired his team. But did that actually happen? Or is it one of those showbiz stories that has gotten exaggerated with each telling? Frustratingly, the answer is that we may never know for sure — unless someone on the inside decides to spill the beans.

A lot of the Peele story comes from a 2023 report by Deadline, which chronicled the bidding war over "Weapons." Per the report, New Line ended up winning with its $38 million deal, while Universal and Peele's production company, Monkeypaw, offered somewhere around $31 million. From that point on, the report admits that their information about Peele's subsequent reaction involves hearsay. He may have chosen to skip the project. He might have been furious. The latter theory remains unconfirmed, but there's some interesting background information that may (or may not) be related. Shortly after "Weapons" went to New Line, Peele dropped his two longtime managers at the Artists First talent management company — one of whom also represents Cregger. 

"Weapons" is an imaginative horror movie that definitely seems right up Jordan Peele's alley. The origins and plan of "Weapons" villain Aunt Gladys are complex and interesting, and Amy Madigan's performance makes for a chilling, mysterious antagonist who would probably be right at home exchanging experiences with Peele's own "Get Out" baddies. Perhaps because of this — not to mention his involvement in the bidding war — the timing of Peele parting ways with his longtime managers Joel Zadak and Peter Principato is the sort of thing that would get people talking.

Unfortunately, this mystery isn't the kind that will unveil the truth in a shocking third-act twist. Because the situation between Peele and Artists First is a business deal, there's no telling what contracts and non-disclosure agreements are involved. This is why there's a pretty good chance that this particular chapter in the untold truth of Jordan Peele will remain unclear to everyone who's not directly involved with it. For now, the closest thing we have to a quote comes courtesy of Zach Cregger, and it sums up the situation pretty well. "That's not for me to talk about," the director stated about the matter in a 2025 interview with IndieWire.