Osgood Perkins’ latest project, “The Monkey,” has revealed its first teaser featuring Theo James and Elijah Wood. The 44-second preview shows James, bloodied and horrified, reacting to a sinister toy monkey.
Adapted from Stephen King’s short story, “The Monkey” revolves around twin brothers Bill and Hall, both portrayed by James, who discover their father’s old toy monkey in the attic of their childhood home. The toy’s ominous presence triggers a series of violent deaths.
The brothers initially discard the monkey in an attempt to move on, but as the fatalities resume, they must reunite to destroy the malevolent toy once and for all.
James’ co-stars include Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany, Laura Mennell, Canadian child actor Christian Convery, Sarah Levy, Colin O’Brien, and Rohan Campbell. Perkins’ film follows his recent horror success, “Longlegs,” a demonic detective slasher featuring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, which overtook A24’s “Talk to Me” as the top-grossing indie horror film in North America.
The screenplay for “The Monkey” was co-written by Perkins and King. The film is produced by Fred Berger, Ali Jazayeri, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Chris Ferguson, David Gendron, John Friedberg, and Peter Luo, with Dave Caplan, Jason Cloth, and Michael Clear overseeing production. James Wan, known for the “Conjuring” Universe and co-creator of the “Saw” and “Insidious” franchises, also joins as a producer.
Atomic Monster, C2 Motion Picture Group, Black Bear, Range Media Partners, and Stars Collective Films Entertainment Group are behind the film, which Neon will distribute in the U.S.