Summary
- The Monkey had to change toy from cymbals to a drum after Disney had trademark ownership due to Toy Story 3.
- The horror movie stars Theo James alongside Elijah Wood and other big names in the industry.
- The Monkey is set in the 90s because an initial 80s plan seemed overdone thanks to Stranger Things.
Stephen King fans are in for a treat this month as The Monkey will soon be released, which will endeavor to bring the 1980 short story finally to life on the big screen. Ahead of director Oz Perkins’ upcoming adaptation, The Monkey had to make a big change to its story and that’s all thanks to one popular Pixar movie.
The new comedy/horror movie is by Osgood Perkins, who many will remember from his 2024 film Longlegs, which starred a very strange Nicolas Cage as an elusive serial killer as well as Maika Monroe as Lee Harker, an FBI agent assigned to the case. The Monkey‘s narrative revolves around two twin brothers who discover a vintage toy monkey in their attic, but instead of it being cute and entertaining, this particular monkey is at the center of a host of horrifying deaths. As the brothers try to leave the past where it belongs, years later the cursed toy is up to its old tricks again and begins its killing rampage once more. The movie adaptation stars Divergent actor Theo James, who plays both of the twins, along with The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, Black Orphan‘s Tatiana Maslany, and Severance‘s Adam Scott.
Related
26 Scariest Dolls In Horror Movies
Evil dolls have been a popular horror movie trope for years, but which movies have created the scariest dolls so far?
Toy Story 3 Was the Reason The Monkey Director Had To Change Horror Movie
In an exclusive article by Games Radar, director Osgood Perkins revealed he was told that Disney owned the rights to the original look of the monkey toy that the film originally used, which meant that he had to change the toy from one that clanged cymbals together to beating a drum instead. The reason for this? Well, the monkey toy appeared in Toy Story 3, which meant that Disney had a trademark on cinematic depictions of toy monkeys playing cymbals, so it obviously couldn’t be used, especially in a horror movie.
“When I was given the assignment, the producer said, ‘Oh, by the way, Disney owns the cymbals, because of [the toy monkey in] Toy Story,'” Perkins revealed. “So it couldn’t be cymbals. What if it was a drum? It’s one of those things where a limitation becomes an opportunity. If you’re making movies and you’re not up for that adage, then you’re in real trouble!.” Thankfully, Perkins wasn’t put off by the change and, in the end, thought that the monkey banging on a drum was a much better idea anyway, giving it a more sinister touch. “I was like, ‘Hey, that’s awesome. The drum is better.’ The drum is like a marching drum. It’s like, ‘Drum roll, please!’ before something happens. That’s better than cymbals. So thanks, Disney. I prefer it!”
Perkins also explained why The Monkey is set in the 90s, rather than any other decade. Initially, the director wanted the movie to be set in the 80s because it “felt very Stephen King” to him, but he then changed it due to Stranger Things getting in on the idea beforehand. The Monkey also saw some other challenges as its promo trailer was rejected by numerous TV networks due to “excessive violence”.
The Monkey opens in theaters on February 21, 2025.
Related
Stephen King Let Fans Know What To Expect From The Monkey (& It Sounds Great)
The Monkey, Osgood Perkins’s highly-anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, is being released soon, and King shared his thoughts.
The Monkey
- Release Date
-
February 19, 2025
- Runtime
-
98 Minutes
- Director
-
Osgood Perkins
- Writers
-
Osgood Perkins
- Producers
-
John Rickard, Natalia Safran, Ali Jazayeri, Chris Ferguson, Fred Berger, Giuliana Bertuzzi, James Wan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, John Friedberg, Jason Cloth, David Gendron, Michael Clear, Jesse Savath, Peter Luo, Dave Caplan
Source: Games Radar