Stephen King enthusiasts, get ready! The most eagerly anticipated film adaptation of one of King’s short stories called “The Monkey” is set to be released in theaters on the February 21, 2025. Osgood Perkins is expected to direct this horror movie that will be released by Neon to adapt the terrifying story from Stephen King.
Image source: SCREENRANT
A Star-Studded Cast Brings King’s Story to Life
The cast of “The Monkey” looks quite impressive and consists of such famous actors as Theo James, Elijah Wood and Tatiana Maslany. This talented trio is all geared up to bring alive the spirit of King’s 1980 short story of two twin brothers, Hal and Bill who stumble upon a cursed toy monkey in their attic that brings death to their community.
Osgood Perkins at the Helm
This Stephen King adaptation is helmed by director Osgood Perkins, who worked on “Gretel and Hansel”. Perkins’ participation raises the stakes even higher, especially given the hype around his new horror ‘Longlegs’ with Nicolas Cage.
Image source: SCREENRANT
In a recent sneak peek, Perkins explained that “The Monkey” will be less serious than “Longlegs,” and will contain elements of comedy. This approach might help ‘The Monkey’’ stand out from all other King adaptations and can attract a wider audience.
How Will ‘The Monkey’ Stack Up Against Recent King Adaptations?
The recent years have given a mixed bag of Stephen King adaptations to the big screens. Many have failed in trying to adapt his work while others have succeeded.
Here’s how some recent adaptations have fared:
“The Boogeyman” (2023) – Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 60%, Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 66%
“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” (2022) – Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 45%, Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 50%
“Firestarter” (2022) – Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 10%, Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 47%
“Children of the Corn” (2020) – Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 12%, Rotten Tomatoes Audience: 38%
There are several positive aspects about ‘The Monkey’; good cast, an up-and-coming director, new settings and approach to Kings stories. This could have assisted it in maintaining the upward trend from “The Boogeyman” experienced in the year 2023.
Conclusion
Even if a trailer for ‘The Monkey’ is potentially still months off, the film ‘The Monkey’ has been slated for a February 2025 release, providing a sufficient amount of time for the production team to deliver a good and scary movie adaptation. With more success in the horror genre as Osgood Perkins, “The Monkey” possesses great potential to establish him as one of the most acclaimed directors akin to Mike Flanagan.
Adaptations of his work have been hit and miss over the years, but with the talent of the cast, the concept and the fact that this is yet another adaption of King’s work; ‘The Monkey’ is one of the most anticipated horrors of 2025. Those interested in horror and the works of Stephen King will be interested to follow its development in the coming months.
FAQs
Q1: When is “The Monkey” scheduled to be released?
A: The film is set to be released in theaters on February 21, 2025.
Q2: Which company is distributing the film?
A: Neon is set to distribute “The Monkey.”
Q3: Has Osgood Perkins mentioned anything about the film’s tone?
A: Perkins has stated that “The Monkey” will be less serious than his other work and will contain elements of comedy.
Q4: Is there a trailer available for “The Monkey”?
A: As of the information provided, a trailer has not yet been released. It may still be months away given the 2025 release date.
Amit Gupta is a 2016 graduate of Delhi University, India. After working over a decade as an additional writer at TheScoopVilla, he decided to start his own news publication. He mainly focuses on Bollywood News, Hindi and South Indian Movies, Web series articles and editorials. He likes to cooking and play cricket in his free time. Follow On Facebook.