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Fresh off the success of one of the most terrifying horror movies of 2024, “Longlegs,” director Osgood Perkins is back with an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 short story “The Monkey,” and now we have the first trailer for the project. The highly-anticipated horror movie will see Perkins bring his brand of terror to King’s tale of a cursed monkey toy that kills off people with a simple clap of its cymbals. Perkins writes and directs this adaptation of “The Monkey,” which also has a killer cast including Theo James (“The White Lotus”), Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”), and Elijah Wood.
The new trailer follows a teaser for “The Monkey” that was released back in August and gives us a great look at Perkins’ latest project. The writer/director has previously delivered lower-budget fare in the form of “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House,” and “Gretel & Hansel.” Taking on King’s short story is his biggest project yet, even though the budget is reportedly only around the $10-$11 million mark. Perkins also isn’t the only horror aficionado involved, with James Wan producing this King adaptation.
Thus far official news about exactly what this dream team had in-store has been sparse, but the new trailer reveals a lot more about the film, promising a mix of Perkins’ signature gloom with a little more pizzazz (and some dark humor, too).
Theo James almost throws up in the trailer for The Monkey
The trailer for “The Monkey” reveals that Osgood Perkins’ version of the titular toy uses a drum instead of cymbals, but is no less deadly than the monkey in Stephen King’s short story. The clip begins with someone ominously turning the wind-up mechanism on the monkey toy, before Theo James’ voiceover warns us all of the object’s immense power. “For the longest time there was nothing,” he says, “But then, it appeared. A beast not from this earth. Smiting the ones who deserved it, the ones who didn’t, and everyone in between.” The trailer then gives us a look at some of the multiple deaths throughout “The Monkey,” many of which demonstrate this film’s grim humor — a fresh addition to Perkins’ repertoire which will make this a particularly interesting watch for fans of the director.
While the trailer isn’t quite the marketing masterclass NEON put on for “Longlegs,” it does a great job of building anticipation for Perkins’ next project, showcasing what looks to be some stunning cinematography alongside the “really f***ed up” deaths, as James’ character puts it. The trailer teases several of these, including a gruesome teppanyaki restaurant kill and a grisly scene which is only hinted at but evidently has James’ character struggling to keeps the contents of his stomach down. The trailer for “The Monkey” also came with a new description of the film, which reads:
“When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.”
“The Monkey” is set to hit theaters on February 21, 2025.
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