‘The Monkey’ Trailer: Theo James Faces Deadly Primate in Stephen King Adaptation From ‘Longlegs’ Director

The first trailer for “The Monkey,” a supernatural horror film based on the short story by Stephen King, has been released.

The film, directed by “Longlegs” filmmaker Osgood Perkins, stars Theo James (“The White Lotus”) as twin brothers Hal and Bill. The cast also includes 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”).

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“When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years,” the logline teases.

Footage from the first teaser trailer revealed a menacing monkey, camouflaged by shadows, winding up to play a drum set in front of a bloodied James. His character slowly removes his glasses as the camera pans to the film’s title, followed by a close-up shot of the creature’s teeth before fading to black.

Perkins’ latest installments in the horror genre have included the 2020 film “Gretel & Hansel” and, most recently, “Longlegs,” which was released on July 12, 2024. He also serves as screenwriter, with James Wan, Michael Clear, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Chris Ferguson serving as producers.

Wan, who produces under his Atomic Monster banner, is the co-creator of “Saw,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle,” “The Nun” and “M3GAN.” He is also set to produce another upcoming King adaptation, “Salem’s Lot,” in collaboration with Clear.

Neon is set to distribute the film following a bidding war for domestic rights at the Marché du Film last May.

“The Monkey” will be released in theaters on Feb. 21, 2025.

Watch the trailer below.

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