Osgood Perkins is back with a bang. Adding to his highly anticipated ‘Longlegs,’ the director has another ace up his sleeve with the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey. Set to hit theaters in February 2025, this film promises to be both nostalgic and chilling.
Stephen King’s Iconic Tale Comes to Life
‘The Monkey’ features an intriguing premise that’s sure to grip horror fans. First published in 1980 in Gallery magazine and later incorporated into King’s 1985 short story collection, Skeleton Crew, this story follows twin brothers Hal and Bill. They discover their father’s old toy monkey, which seems to trigger a series of gruesome deaths. Attempting to escape its curse, they dispose of the toy only to find themselves haunted again years later. Now, it’s up to them to destroy it for good before more lives are lost.
News Direct from Osgood Perkins
Perkins, known for his direction in The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, opened up about the film in a recent interview. He emphasized the unique tone he’s aiming for: It’s gonna feel more like Misery or Creepshow or Gremlins or American Werewolf. It couldn’t be less like Longlegs… It’s sorta like, if Robert Zemeckis had just like a little bit of acid and made a Stephen King picture about a monkey toy.
A Stellar Cast Joins the Fray
Aiding in bringing this dark tale to life are some well-known names. Among others, we have Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black
, and Elijah Wood from The Lord of the Rings.
With such talent on board, expectations are high for gripping performances that do justice to King’s intense storytelling. As James Wan remarked,
Stephen King is the godfather of the horror genre…it’s always been a dream to help bring one of his stories to life.
An Insight into Production Insights and Inspirations
The film stands out not just because of its story but also due to its presentation. Perkins’ approach is something that might surprise many. Despite its dark content, Perkins sees it as quite accessible: It’s very extreme but it’s very funny. It’s very father-son redemption, it’s very touching, it’s very nostalgic, it’s very Stephen King.
The Release and Anticipation
The combination of Perkins’ direction and King’s storytelling is set to attract viewers across generations when it releases under NEON early next year. Fans eager for more insights can even catch additional details in the upcoming FANGORIA #24, set to feature more on Perkins’ Longlegs.
This adaptation joins the ranks of several other successful films inspired by King’s work, making it one of the most awaited releases of 2025.
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