Jordan Peele and Method Man come to Philly to discuss ‘Keanu’ | The Triangle

Jordan Peele and Method Man come to Philly to discuss ‘Keanu’

April 11, National Pets Day, actor-comedian Jordan Peele and rapper Method Man visited Le Cat Cafe to promote their upcoming comedy film, “Keanu.”

“Keanu” tells the story of recently-dumped slacker Rell (Jordan Peele) who finds happiness when a cute kitten winds up on his doorstep. After the cat is stolen, Rell recruits his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) to help him retrieve it from a local gang managed by a man named Cheddar (Method Man). Armed with guns and a gangster attitude, it doesn’t take long for the hapless duo to land in big trouble.

This will be Key and Peele’s debut on the big screen and first major production after the conclusion of their comedy sketch series “Key & Peele” on Comedy Central.

In a roundtable interview at Le Cat Cafe, Peele discussed his transition from doing five-minute sketches on the show to writing and starring in a feature film.

“The biggest difference with [making a movie] is that you have to sustain a story and make people care about the characters. It was a fun challenge [Keegan and I] were ready for. You can tell by the references we make in our sketches that we love movies. This time, we wanted to make something original and classic,” Peele explained.

As for future projects, Peele’s pleasant experience making “Keanu” inspired him to continue his filmmaking journey.

“I don’t think [Keegan and I] will ever stop making movies together; we have too much fun doing it! […] And I just directed a horror movie called ‘Get Out.’ I’m editing it right now,” he continued.

Co-star Method Man attested to the “fun times” on set. Describing the light-heartedness of fellow actors and staff, Method Man added,“The people we worked with never had a bad day. We always smiled and laughed — even though it was hot as shit in New Orleans! So if you see our foreheads shiny as hell in the movie, that’s because we were actually sweating!”

After the interviews, both actors sat and spoke with visitors who bombarded them with curious questions — like any person would if they had a chance to speak with a celebrity. Peele was laid back in answering people’s questions. Method Man, on the other hand, expressed his goofy, raunchy side. “I’ve never been surrounded by so much pussy in my life,” the former Wu-Tang Clan member said, when asked about what he thought about Le Cat Cafe. This was in reference to the overwhelming number of cats in the locale.

Le Cat Cafe, located in Brewerytown, was furnished to look like the residence of Keanu, Rell’s adorable small grey kitten. Decorations included a small red carpet, “Keanu” gold chains and movie poster cookies, kitten stuffed animals and a huge, stylized sign outside that read, “KEANU’S KRIB.”

When it’s not hosting promotional events, Le Cat Cafe is a unique coffee shop filled with rescued cats ready for adoption. Visitors can play with the cats at the cafe and, if considering adoption, learn about their personalities before they adopt the cat(s). For more information, visit their website at lecatcafe.org.

As for “Keanu,” the R-rated comedy hits theaters Friday, April 29. It has received paws-itive reviews from critics and early viewers. And as one of those lucky audience members who has watched an early screening, I have to say that if you’re a fan of their sketch-comedy series, then you’re in for a meow-nificent time!