Stephen King is thrilled that his short story, The Monkey, is getting a modern makeover in 2025. The movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey is written and directed by Osgood Perkins. It was launched into movie theatres across the United States in February 2025 to lure Stephen King’s readers to watch the tale unfold.
The Monkey was written by Stephen King in 1980. It was first published in the Gallery magazine and was also included in his collection Skeleton Crew. Within a few years of being accessible to horror fans, The Monkey was nominated for a British Fantasy Award under the best short story category in 1982 for its bone-chilling plot.
James Wan joined the horror project as a producer. His involvement has helped Osgood Perkins create an impactful viewing of one of Stephen King’s finest works. Presented by NEON, the horror movie stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy.
The Monkey makes $14 million on opening weekend
Box office collections have reached an astounding $14 million on opening weekend for The Monkey. Domestically, movie ticket sales for Stephen King’s short story adaptation placed it in second position. Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World took the first position by grossing a total of $28 million. The action movie was almost beaten by The Monkey and its opening weekend numbers, giving Stephen King fans a sense of hope to revive the horror genre in the upcoming months.
Osgood Perkins had achieved a similar feat with the release of his previous film, Longlegs, that made $22.4 million on its opening weekend. Last year, Longlegs had earned up to $127 million worldwide and could hit a bigger target for The Monkey in 2025.
Hal Shelburn, played by Theo James, is the central character of the film. Readers who are fans of The Monkey were excited to see the toy being portrayed accurately to scare audiences in theatres. According to the short story written by Stephen King, the toy monkey haunts Hal Shelburn and brings misfortune and death to his household.
The toy monkey is discovered in the house by Hal and his twin brother Bill. Young Hal begins to observe an eerie pattern after finding the toy including the demise of his babysitter and the death of his mother. To rid himself of the travesty caused by the toy, Hal dismantles the toy monkey and disposes it.
Years after these dark incidents have occurred, Hal’s son, Petey, stumbles on the toy. Hal must destroy the toy monkey before it manages to take his family away from him. Most of the horror movie was shot in Canada.
Director Osgood Perkins delivers a horror masterpiece
Osgood Perkins is an experienced horror director with several of his movies being remembered by American audiences. The trailer of his new movie, The Monkey, received more than 43 million views on the internet during the first day of being uploaded. It was released in 3,200 theatres to attract fans of Stephen King and his short stories.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it an approval rating of 79% on its website. As the director of the movie adaptation, Osgood Perkins replaced the musical instruments of the toy with a drum and a stick. These changes have given a fresh approach to the horror movie and its effect on moviegoers.
There are comedic elements involved with The Monkey that can provide unexpected angles to the horror movie. Critics of horror cinemas have mentioned Osgood Perkins and his directorial techniques as impressive in multiple media publications. Online casino games on trending websites and digital platforms have used a similar method of using comedy to draw visitors.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter marked the directional debut of Osgood Perkins. He has also directed movies like Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs, and The Girl in the Photographs. As an actor, Osgood Perkins played a younger version of Norman Bates in Psycho II at the start of his career in Hollywood. La Cucina, Legally Blonde, and Not Another Teen Movie, are a few of the films that Osgood Perkins has appeared in the past. He frequently works with Hollywood stars like Lucy Boynton and Tatiana Maslany.
The Dark Tower adaptation might be next for Stephen King
In a recent interview with Stephen King, he has addressed his readers that he is involved in the development of Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower. During the promotions of The Monkey at the IGN Fan Fest 2025, the horror writer confirmed that he is writing new material for The Dark Tower that will be adapted into a TV series.
The epic saga was published between 1978 – 2012. It covers the story of a gunslinger named Roland Deschain and his journey towards a tower. Known as Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower series of books features several novels, comics, an online game, and a film sequel.
Audiobook versions of The Dark Tower are available in multiple languages including English, Polish, and French, for horror fans. Frank Muller and George Guidall have narrated The Dark Tower series of audiobooks, making them easier to listen to. Stephen King has earned several accolades for his contribution to horror including the Life Achievement Award at the 2007 Canadian Booksellers Association and the Literary Award at the 2010 Los Angeles Public Library.
