The Big Picture
Dev Patel, the award-winning actor and director, is set to bring Indian masala action to Hollywood in
Monkey Man
, a film that pays tribute to the legend of Hanuman.
Monkey Man
, originally set for a Netflix release, will now have a theatrical release under Universal Pictures in 2024, backed by producer Jordan Peele’s decision.
With Patel as the lead actor, director, and writer,
Monkey Man
promises to be culturally fit and tells the story of a young man seeking vengeance in the streets of Mumbai.
The award-winning and academy-award-nominated actor and director, Dev Patel, the star of Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, is all set to bring some Indian masala action to Hollywood in the new trailer of Monkey Man. The Jordan Peele-produced film pays tribute to the legend of Hanuman, the mythical monkey god. Interestingly, the official trailer released just last month brought forth a combination of familiar vibes — think Chris Hemsworth-starring Extraction and Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer. The film follows the story of a young boy who grows up in tyrannical economic conditions, only to grow up training as a fighter who eventually fixates his moral compass to take out his rage on the city’s sinister elite.
Patel, who has received numerous accolades for his world-class performances over the years, is back as an all-rounder as he stars as the lead in the film, sits in the director’s chair, and has also written the film. Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), however, helped him pen the screenplay. The best part? Although Money Man marks a directorial debut for Patel, we can be confident that the film will be super close to being culturally fit — a boy filled with vengeance will grow up in the streets of Mumbai as his childhood trauma unfolds and puts him face-to-face with men who took everything from him.
Patel’s large following from India will also help pull both Indian cinema lovers and Hollywood fans to theaters on April 5, 2024. The film features an international cast including Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher, and Makarand Deshpande.
‘Monkey Man’ Was Originally Set for a Netflix Release
Monkey Man was initially set for a Netflix release after the streaming giant acquired the global rights to the film in 2021 for $30 million. It was originally announced for release in 2022 and then 2023 but remained undated for a while. The shift away from Netflix to a theatrical release under Universal Pictures in 2024 was influenced by the actor-comedian Peele, who, after viewing the film, decided it deserved a theatrical release — the adrenaline-filled, action-loaded trailer backs up his decision! Peele’s production company, Monkeypaw Productions, in partnership with Universal Pictures, then acquired the film from Netflix.
So are we going to see a John Wick in Mumbai this year? Find out for yourself when Monkey Man slides into theaters on April 5, 2024. You can check out the new trailer below.
Monkey Man
A recently released ex-felon living in India struggles to adjust to a world of corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.
Release Date April 4, 2024
Runtime 113 minutes