The action thriller Monkey Man, starring Dev Patel in his feature directing debut, is now getting a release via Jordan Peele‘s Monkeypaw and its deal at Universal. In more good news for exhibition, the movie will hit theaters on April 5.
Monkey Man originally was set up at Netflix in 2021, but Peele had the opportunity to see the movie immediately was taken by Patel’s vision and felt the film deserved a big-screen release.
Monkey Man follows one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless. The India-set pic is inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage. Patel plays the Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him. Patel directed off his original story and screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
The pic also stars Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher and Makarand Deshpande.
Monkey Man is produced by Patel, Jomon Thomas, Oscar winner Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler and Anjay Nagpal.
EPs are Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney and Steven Thibault.
The movie is a Bron Studios production, a Thunder Road film, a Monkeypaw production, a Minor Realm/S’Ya Concept production, in association with WME Independent and Creative Wealth Media.
Also playing wide against Monkey Man on April 5 is 20th Century Studios/Disney’s First Omen and Viva’s animated movie Dragonkeeper.
CAA brokered the deal for Monkey Man.