Jordan Peele is dusting off his ten-gallon hat and sharpening his spurs for a potentially powerful docuseries about Black cowboys of the Wild West. Peele’s goal with his new project is to change the public perception of the Old West and the people who contributed to its identity. The docuseries is getting set up at Peacock, with Peele executive producing. Reports say the project aims to “dismantle the whitewashed mythology of the cowboy” and elaborate on themes featured in Peele’s 2022 invasion thriller Nope.
Peele is teaming up with By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem’s Keith McQuirter, who joins the untitled Black cowboy docuseries as showrunner and executive producer.
Here’s the official description for Jordan Peele’s Black cowboy docuseries:
“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.”
Cinematic stories about Black cowboys have risen in Hollywood, with Peele’s Nope being a recent highlight. Other titles that come to mind include Ricky Staub’s 2020 drama Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin as an estranged father and son reconnecting in a Philadelphia community of Black cowboys. 2012’s Django Unchained could find itself moseying along the genre. Still, Jeymes Samuel’s The Harder They Fall is undoubtedly a rough ride with Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler, Edi Gathegi, Chase Dillon, DeWanda Wise, and Danielle Deadwyler leading the cast.
“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 UTAS 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,” said Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe.
I’ll be interested in following Peele for his Black cowboy docuseries when it moseys onto Peacock. How about you?