Movies

Stephen King Adaptation No One Expected or Asked For Will Premiere Soon

Stephen King Adaptation No One Expected or Asked For Will Premiere Soon
Image credit: Legion-Media, Netflix

We’re not even sure how they’re going to pull this one off, but the star cast is ready.

Hollywood is obviously hellbent on adapting every last one of Stephen King ’s stories to big and small screens. The prolific author might find himself struggling to keep up with moviemakers at one point, drowning in Carrie remakes of varying quality… And if you think we’re kidding, you’re only halfway right, because we have some news.

Apparently, one of the least famous King stories is also making its way to the screen, and we’re honestly not sure if it even can be properly adapted — or if it should.

Another Obscure King Adaptation Emerges

Primarily known for his 2020 horror take on Gretel & Hansel, Osgood Perkins is ready to present his first attempt at adapting a Stephen King story. To the director’s honor, he chose quite an unknown and overlooked novella from the King of Horror’s vast library — his personal twist on the infamous “possessed doll” horror trope.

The short story titled The Monkey was first published in its current version in Skeleton Crew in 1985, and its structure seemingly leaves little place for adaptation. Nevertheless, Perkins has brought together quite a star crew: from Elijah Wood and Theo James to Tatiana Maslany and Christian Convery, quite a few actors have decided to take part in this new Stephen King movie.

Stephen King Adaptation No One Expected or Asked For Will Premiere Soon - image 1
Theo James from The Gentlemen ( 2024)

What’s Up with The Monkey Adaptation?

For those of you who don’t know The Monkey (which should be pretty much everyone), it follows two brothers whose possession of a cursed cymbal-banging monkey toy led to their family members dying off. In the finale — spoiler alert — one of them throws the toy into the lake, with news later revealing an astonishing number of fish deaths.

It’s hard to imagine how this straightforward novella could be adapted for the big screen in a compelling way, but Osgood Perkins is clearly confident in his abilities. From what we’ve gathered, the movie has made quite an impression on the Cannes audience.

The Monkey will hit the theaters in summer 2024, so get ready for some cursed action and terrifying toys haunting your dreams.