Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, better known as the sketch comedy duo of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele, have found a home for their first joint film project, Keanu. The pair will start production on Keanu next spring for New Line Cinema, Deadline reports.
Although the two have a history of working together dating back to their MADtv days, as well as appearing in the television series Fargo earlier this year, this will be the first time Key and Peele co-star in a film together. The two comedians have taken separate turns in film before now, Key lending his voice for The Lego Movie and appearing in Let’s Be Cops, and Jordan Peele appearing in both Wanderlust and Little Fockers.
Keanu is the story of a cat kidnapped by a street gang, and the two friends who pose as drug dealers in order to infiltrate the criminal underworld and rescue their beloved kitten. Peter Atencio, the director known for giving Comedy Central’s Key & Peele a cinematic look, is in talks to direct for New Line. He has one feature to his credit, a 2010 low-budget horror movie entitled The Rig.
While Keanu is slated to be the pair’s first film together, the two have a slew of other projects in development, including a Police Academy reboot, a feature based off “Mr. Garvey” – a popular substitute teacher skit from their show – and a potential Judd Apatow comedy.
Keanu was written by Jordan Peele along with fellow Key & Peele writer Alex Rubens.