The first trailer for The Monkey, a supernatural horror film based on Stephen King’s short story, has been released.
Directed by Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), the film stars Theo James (The White Lotus) in dual roles as twin brothers Hal and Bill. The cast also features Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk), Elijah Wood (The Lord of The Rings), Laura Mennell (Batwoman), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek), Rohan Campbell (The Hardy Boys), Colin O’Brien (Dear Edward), and Corin Clark (Upload).
The official logline teases: “When twin brothers Bill and Hal discover their father’s old toy monkey in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths begins. The brothers attempt to discard the toy and move on with their lives, eventually drifting apart over the years.”
The teaser trailer showcases eerie footage, including a sinister toy monkey, hidden in shadow, winding up to play a drum in front of a blood-soaked James.
As his character removes his glasses, the camera cuts to the film’s title, followed by a chilling close-up of the monkey’s teeth, before fading to black.
Perkins, known for his recent horror films Gretel & Hansel (2020) and Longlegs (2024), also serves as screenwriter for The Monkey. The film is produced by James Wan, Michael Clear, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Chris Ferguson.
Wan, under his Atomic Monster banner, is a notable figure in the horror genre, co-creating Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun, and M3GAN. He is also attached to produce another Stephen King adaptation, Salem’s Lot, alongside Clear.
Neon acquired the distribution rights for The Monkey after a competitive bidding war at the Marché du Film in May.
The Monkey is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 21, 2025.
