Stephen King’s stories often inspire movies and TV shows, but the author has been open about not always liking the way his work is adapted. One of his stories, The Monkey, is getting a fresh take with some noticeable changes.
The film, directed by Osgood Perkins (known for Longlegs), will feature Theo James from The White Lotus Season 2. James will play twin brothers, Hal and Bill, in this adaptation of King’s 1980 short story. While it keeps the creepy vibes and bloody moments King is known for, Perkins added some dark humor to the mix. In an interview with Empire (shared by ScreenRant), Perkins explained his vision for The Monkey and shared how King reacted to the changes.
The Longlegs director shared that even though he changed the movie’s tone, Stephen King didn’t mind. The story still keeps its bloody and creepy elements, even with touches of dark humor. He said,
Stephen King had no notes, and didn’t tell me to change anything. And [Atomic Monster] said, ‘It’s f**king great.’ To my delight, because James Wan does not typically make comedies. I was clear from the start that this wouldn’t be jump scares, it wouldn’t be really dark — it was gonna be heartfelt and redemptive. A good time at the movies.
The director shared that Atomic Monster, James Wan’s production company, owned the rights to The Monkey and originally had a “very serious script.” He said,
They [Atomic Monster] had a very serious script. Very serious. I felt it was too serious, and I told them: ‘This doesn’t work for me. The thing with this toy monkey is that the people around it all die in insane ways. So, I thought: Well, I’m an expert on that.’ Both my parents died in insane, headline-making ways.
The director also talked about his parents, who were both part of the entertainment world. His father, Anthony Perkins, famous for playing Norman Bates in the Psycho series, died in 1992 from AIDS-related pneumonia after keeping his illness private for two years. His mother, Berry Berenson, who worked as a model and actress, tragically passed away on 9/11 as a passenger on the first plane that struck the World Trade Center.
Osgood shared more about his perspective, saying,
I spent a lot of my life recovering from tragedy, feeling quite bad. It all seemed inherently unfair. You personalize the grief: ‘Why is this happening to me?’ But I’m older now and you realise this sh*t happens to everyone. Everyone dies. Sometimes in their sleep, sometimes in truly insane ways, like I experienced. But everyone dies. And I thought maybe the best way to approach that insane notion is with a smile.
He also talked about the inspirations behind the movie, saying,
The patron saints of this movie were Richard Donner, John Landis, Robert Zemeckis and [Looney Tunes animator] Chuck Jones. [Zemeckis’] Death Becomes Her was a big [reference] — that kind of cartoonish horror splatter.
Osgood Perkins received a lot of praise for his work on the Nicolas Cage movie Longlegs. However, the director made it clear that his new movie is very different from the 2024 thriller. Although its release is still a month away, early reactions to the film have been overwhelmingly positive. Critics have praised its dark humor, gory scenes, and standout performances.
Russ Milheim from The Direct thinks this movie will keep audiences “glued to their seats,” saying it’s a great pick for fans of Final Destination. Drew Taylor from TheWrap enjoyed the film too, calling it “funny, scary, poignant,” and comparing it to the 1984 classic Gremlins. Joey Magidson described the movie as “savagely funny and savagely gory,” adding that it’s a “bloody good time.”
The Monkey features a talented cast, including Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Colin O’Brien (Dear Edward), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek), and even director Osgood Perkins in a role that hasn’t been revealed yet.
The movie is set to release in theaters on February 21, 2025.
Source: Screenrant