Excitement among fans has surged with the debut of the first trailer for “The Monkey,” a supernatural horror film inspired by a short story from Stephen King. Directed by Osgood Perkins, recognized for his work on “Longlegs,” the film features Theo James, known from “The White Lotus,” in a dual role as twin brothers Hal and Bill.
Joining him in the ensemble cast are notable actors such as Tatiana Maslany from “She-Hulk,” Elijah Wood of “The Lord of the Rings,” Laura Mennell from “Batwoman,” Christian Convery of “Sweet Tooth,” Sarah Levy from “Schitt’s Creek,” Rohan Campbell from “The Hardy Boys,” Colin O’Brien of “Dear Edward,” and Corin Clark from “Upload.”
With Perkins at the helm, this supernatural horror narrative follows Theo James as he portrays twin brothers Hal and Bill in a gripping tale. The premise is particularly chilling: when the brothers stumble upon their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, it sets off a chain of terrifying events. Seeking to escape its dark grip, Hal and Bill attempt to rid themselves of the toy and move forward, but as the years pass, their lives diverge.
The teaser trailer presents a haunting image of a shadowy monkey preparing to play a drum set before a bloodied Theo James. As he gradually removes his glasses, the camera transitions to the film’s title, culminating in a close-up of the menacing creature’s teeth before the screen fades to black.
Perkins has previously made his mark in the horror genre with films such as “Gretel & Hansel” in 2020 and “Longlegs,” which premiered on July 12, 2024. He also takes on the role of screenwriter for this project, with a producing team that includes James Wan, Michael Clear, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Chris Ferguson.
James Wan, celebrated for co-creating successful franchises like “Saw,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle,” “The Nun,” and “M3GAN,” is producing “The Monkey” under his Atomic Monster banner.
In addition, he is involved in another adaptation of Stephen King’s work, “Salem’s Lot,” in collaboration with Clear. Following a competitive bidding process for domestic distribution rights at the Marché du Film last May, Neon has successfully secured the film for release.