Throughout his career, Dev Patel has given some incredible performances in everything from Arthurian legends like The Green Knight to Best Picture winners like Slumdog Millionaire, and even some of the best Wes Anderson movies. And now, the remarkably entertaining, engaging, and versatile actor will soon appear in what could be a new favorite action flick in Monkey Man.
If this is the first you’re hearing about Patel’s upcoming project that was co-produced by Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions, stick around because we’re about to break down everything we know about it. From its release date to its trailer and so much more, here’s your guide to Monkey Man.
What Is The Monkey Man Release Date?
Those who want to see Dev Patel kick a whole lot of ass don’t have to wait all that much longer as Monkey Man is set to be released on Friday, April 5th, Universal Pictures has announced. The movie will spark what could be a great April on the big screen, as it will be followed by highly-anticipated titles like Alex Garland’s Civil War, Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver, and Challengers, to name a few.
How To Watch Monkey Man
When Monkey Man is initially released, you’ll only be able to watch it on the big screen as Universal Pictures has made the new Dev Patel film exclusive to theaters. It should be noted that one point in the film’s life, it was slated to be a Netflix original movie back in 2021, but Deadline later reported that Jordan Peele was so impressed with Dev Patel’s action flick he felt it deserved a big-screen release.
The Monkey Man Trailer Gives Off Some Serious John Wick Vibes
Out of nowhere in late January 2024, Universal Pictures released the first Monkey Man trailer, a three-minute thrill ride that gives off some serious John Wick vibes. Revenge, hand-to-hand combat, chase scenes, and all other kinds of badassery can be found in the clip, and it has us pretty excited to say the least.
Though the trailer is fairly long for today’s standards, it doesn’t give too much away about the movie outside of the fact that it’s a revenge story. Honestly, that’s pretty refreshing to see in a day and age where a movie’s entire plot is basically revealed in promotional material. Instead, the characters (both good and bad) are teased, action sequences are hyped up, and intrigue flows throughout.
Dev Patel Leads The Monkey Man Cast
What do all of the best action movies have in common? Well, besides showcasing awesome action set pieces, tremendous stories, and great effects? If you guessed a strong cast then you’d be correct, and it appears that will be the case when Monkey Man makes its debut later this year.
The Monkey Man cast is anchored by Dev Patel, who takes on the role of a mysterious character known only as Kid, a man who goes on a path of vengeance after suffering a terrible tragedy. Though Patel is mostly known for comedic and dramatic roles, the talented actor does have some action experience under his belt thanks to movies like The Wedding Guest and Hotel Mumbai, but nothing like this.
Patel won’t be alone, as the upcoming action flick will also see performances from Sharlot Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adith Kalkunte, Sikander Kher, and Makarand Deshpande, to name a few.
Monkey Man Follows An Underground Fighter Seeking Revenge Against Those Responsible For His Mom’s Death
Monkey Man follows Dev Patel’s Kid, a young fighter who has long been subjected to brutal beatdowns in an underground fighting ring, as he sets out to find the people who murdered his mother and allowed corruption and the victimization of the poor to carry on for so long. This journey, which Universal Pictures has said is inspired by the legend of the Hindi deity Hanuman, will see Patel’s character go deep into the belly of the criminal underworld to get to the bottom of the story and settle the score once and for all.
Monkey Man Is Dev Patel’s Directorial Debut
Dev Patel has spent the past couple of decades giving outstanding performances in movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Personal History of David Copperfield, and a variety of TV shows ranging from Skins to The Newsroom, but during that time he’s never directed or written one of his own projects. Well, that changed with Monkey Man.
The upcoming action thriller will mark Patel’s directorial debut, and based on what we’ve seen from the movie so far, it looks like he has a natural talent behind the camera. This is also the actor’s first time penning a script as well, a task he carried out with Paul Angunawela and Hottel Mumbai writer John Collee after coming up with its original story idea. It will definitely be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Monkey Man Is Rated R
With a story about an underground fighter going on a one-man path of vengeance and a trailer boasting all kinds of senseless violence, it should come as no surprise that Monkey Man is rated R. According to FilmRatings.com, the movie features strong bloody violence throughout its story, mature language, drug use, and intense sexual content and nudity.
Though it’s not extreme enough to earn the dreaded NC-17 rating, the MPA’s description of the movie and what we’ve seen in the trailer makes Monkey Man sound pretty intense if we’re being completely honest.
We could very well be looking at the start of the next great action franchise, or at least the beginnings of Dev Patel’s career as a director. While we wait for more on Monkey Man and what its future holds, check out our breakdown of the 2024 movie schedule for the latest on all those other big releases coming to the silver screen in the coming weeks and months.
