Jordan Peeles horror-thriller "Us" will launch the 26th edition of the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) on March 8.

"Us" follows a family confronted by a group of doppelgangers. It stars Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, and Elisabeth Moss. Nyong'o and Duke play a couple who are taking their children to their beach house, reports variety.com.

The movie is the first project under Peele's first-look deal with Universal Pictures, which he signed with his Monkeypaw Productions last year after his "Get Out" grossed a massive $255 million worldwide. "Get Out" didn't just become a box office sensation - it also scored an Oscar nomination for best picture and landed Peele a statue for best original screenplay.

Peele directed "Us" from his own script and produced alongside Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, and Monkeypaw's Ian Cooper. "Us" will open in North America on March 15. It's the first solo production project from Monkeypaw.

"We are crazy excited to world premiere the most anticipated film of 2019 from the creative powerhouse that brought us 'Get out'," said Janet Pierson, director of film for the festival.

"We honestly couldn't imagine a more perfect film to kick off the 2019 SXSW Film Festival."

It's the second year in a row that SXSW will open with a horror movie. John Krasinski's thriller "A Quiet Place" launched the festival last year.

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