"HIM" Teaser Trailer: Jordan Peele-Produced Football Horror Delves into the Dark Side of Ambition, Starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans
Peele produces this psychological nightmare about the dark side of fame, as a young football star’s pursuit of perfection pushes him beyond his limits.
Jordan Peele just might have had one of the most unique journeys to becoming a filmmaker. It’s a trajectory rarely seen in Hollywood. Peele not only came from the world of comedy—sketch comedy, to be precise—but he was, and still is, considered one of the most talented comedians of his generation. But when Peele released Get Out in 2017, his first feature film for which he earned an Oscar for Best Screenplay, Peele almost instantaneously emerged as one of the preeminent new voices in horror.
His pivot to horror not only surprised movie audiences and fans alike but also reshaped his career in a way few could have predicted. When anyone sees Jordan Peele’s name now or the title card “a film produced by Jordan Peele,” one’s automatic reaction is to think of horror, not comedy. It's an amazing accomplishment in shifting one's reputation and career goals successfully.
With only three feature films under his belt and numerous films he has produced under his Monkeypaw production banner, Peele has built a successful name brand for himself. So much so, that it seems moviegoers are eagerly anticipating any of his new horror projects, whether he is directing them or not.
With HIM, the latest horror film coming from Monkeypaw Productions, Jordan Peele serves as a producer, overseeing filmmaker Justin Tipping’s sophomore feature effort. It’s a sports drama but with a horror twist.
Tyriq Withers, from the CW series The Game, stars as a young, promising football quarterback who has just been invited to do football drills at a dynasty team’s high-tech training facility, where he will be personally taught by a legendary quarterback on the verge of retiring. This would be the perfect opportunity for the rising star to learn from one of the greats and possibly earn a spot as his number one protege.
Marlon Wayans, coming off memorable dramatic performances in the Air drama about the making of Air Jordan and the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, plays the aging football star who mentors the young quarterback, offering valuable lessons on what it takes to succeed in the world of professional sports.
So, where does the horror come in?
Well, it seems that at this isolated football compound, the pursuit of perfection becomes a psychological nightmare, as the pressure to succeed pushes this young football star to his limits … and beyond.
To chase greatness, one must confront not only their own fears and insecurities but also the terrifying consequences of what happens when the drive for success goes too far. Fame and glory are not just the goals, but the reasons some souls are willing to sacrifice everything for the taste of success, no matter the cost.
Like we mentioned, HIM is directed by Justin Tipping, who first broke onto the scene with his 2016 Sundance sensation Kicks. Since then, Tipping found himself working in television, directing episodes of shows like Black Monday, The Chi, and Dear White People.
Tipping also co-wrote the screenplay with Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie (creators of the sci-fi crime series Limetown), which reportedly landed on the 2022 Black List, an annual survey of the most-liked unproduced screenplays judged by studio executives and Hollywood consultants.
The film also features an eclectic supporting cast that includes alternative comic Tim Heidecker, Australian comic Jim Jefferies, and MMA heavyweight fighter Maurice Greene, along with hip-hop phenoms Guapdad 4000 and Grammy nominee Tierra Whack—all three making their feature film debuts.
HIM is slated to hit theaters on September 19th.
Watch the first official teaser trailer above, which starts off like some highly stylized football commercial about personal excellence but quickly shifts tone, turning into a Lynchian fever dream.
Official Synopsis:
What would you sacrifice to become the greatest of all time?
From Oscar® winner Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw Productions, producers of the landmark horror films Get Out, Us, Candyman and Nope, comes a chilling journey into the inner sanctum of fame, idolatry and the pursuit of excellence at any cost, featuringan electrifying dramatic performance from Marlon Wayans (Air, Respect).
HIM stars former college wide-receiver Tyriq Withers (Atlanta, the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer) as Cameron Cade, a rising-star quarterback who has devoted his life, and identity, to football. On the eve of professional football’s annual scouting Combine, Cam is attacked by an unhinged fan and suffers a potentially career-ending brain trauma.
Just when all seems lost, Cam receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), a legendary eight-time Championship quarterback and cultural megastar, offers to train Cam at Isaiah’s isolated compound that he shares with his celebrity influencer wife, Elsie White (Julia Fox; Uncut Gems, No Sudden Move). But as Cam’s training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma begins to curdle into something darker, sending his protégé down a disorienting rabbit hole that may cost him more than he ever bargained for.
