Summary
In a sea ofStephen Kingadaptations, Osgood Perkins’s upcominghorrormovieThe Monkeyhas already stood out, and it hasn’t even been released yet. Now the legendary sci-fi/horror author is sharing his thoughts on the film.
JoBloreported that King posted aboutThe Monkeyon his Threads account and had nothing but positive things to say. So far, fans have seena chillingThe Monkeyteaser,a terrifying trailer that shares more details, and evena clip that is dark and violent. Audiences know that the story centers aroundtwins named Bill and Hal (Theo James) who realize that a toy monkey is more evil than it appears.
King wrote on his Threads account:
“You’ve never seen anything like THE MONKEY. It’s batsht insane. As someone who has indulged in batshttery from time to time, I say that with admiration."
It’s always good news when King is a fan of an adaptation of one of his works. Ever sinceCarriewas released in 1976, there have been several King adaptations every year… for better or for worse. There have been some misses over the years, including the TV seriesUnder The Domethat never got off the ground story-wise andthe confusingIn The Tall Grass. Now it seems like there are more King adaptations in the works than ever before.Mike Flanagan is working on aCarrieTV showalong withThe Dark Toweranda movie based on the short storyThe Life of Chuck. King often lets fans know how he feels about a movie right before it’s released, and it’s nice to hear he’s on board withThe Monkey.
In the past, King has been honest about the movies based on his beloved stories. When he spoke toAmerican Film Magazinein 1986, he saidhe didn’t love the 1984 adaptation ofFirestarter. He said, “It’s flavorless; it’s like cafeteria mashed potatoes. There are things that happen in terms of special effects in that movie that make no sense to me whatsoever.”
Based on King’s and Perkins’s comments, it’s clear thatThe Monkeyis a dark and intense story with some humorous moments as well. Perkins not only wrote and directedThe Monkeybut isalso playing a small part.The actor, whose resume includes portraying Young Norman Bates in the 1983 horror moviePsycho IIand Fynn Bachman in 2022’sNope, toldIGN:
“[My] next movie is called Stephen King’s The Monkey, and it’s a comedy. I will play the a**hole uncle who adopts the kids, and I have a couple scenes and it’s fun."
The Monkeywillbe in theaters on February 21st, 2025, and it’s adapted from King’s short story that was published in 1980. It’s exciting that many of King’s short stories are being made into movies. Of course, manyother King stories deserve to be adapted. If early buzz is any indication,The Monkeywill be a big success, and hopefully there will be even more King adaptations in the near future.
