Overview of The Monkey Adaptation
- The forthcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, The Monkey, is set to feature a considerable amount of gore and violence.
- Multiple television networks have opted not to air the film’s promotional trailer, citing concerns over its “excessive violence.”
- NEON’s marketing strategy for The Monkey is anticipated to mirror the successful campaign they executed for the film Longlegs.
The upcoming cinematic interpretation of Stephen King’s haunting tale, The Monkey, helmed by Osgood Perkins of Longlegs fame, is generating considerable buzz as its release date approaches later this month. In line with King’s historically violent narratives, the film promises a significant amount of gory content, which has raised eyebrows among network executives responsible for airing related promotional material.
Throughout King’s extensive body of work, graphic elements such as bloodshed and brutality have remained staples, evident in cinematic adaptations like Brian De Palma’s 1976 rendition of Carrie, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic The Shining, and Mike Flanagan’s Gerald’s Game. King has openly embraced the grotesque aspects of horror, a characteristic that has endeared his stories to audiences for decades. While King has been critical of certain adaptations over the years, he has expressed enthusiasm for Perkins’ rendition of The Monkey, describing it as “batsh*t insane”and asserting that audiences will witness something entirely unprecedented. Nonetheless, this intense portrayal has led to some television channels rejecting the film’s promotional trailer.
Rejection of Trailer Due to ‘Excessive Violence’
Recently, NEON, the distribution company for the film in the U. S., disclosed via social media the responses it received from television networks regarding its promotional content. According to NEON, four stations declined to air the trailer due to its graphic nature. Executives from these networks expressed concerns about the trailer’s violent content, claiming it was unsuitable for their audiences, even with viewer restrictions. One network went so far as to label it “too violent to air.”
We submitted a TV spot for THE MONKEY to the four major TV networks. It did not go well.pic.twitter.com/zN3EWLp34k — NEON (@neonrated) January 29, 2025
The online response has been mixed, with many horror fans expressing excitement. Some commenters viewed the rejections as a positive sign of the film’s thrilling content, with one fan quipping that they were now “seated, ”and another asserting, “Their loss.”Overall, the reception highlights a growing anticipation, as many users praised NEON’s marketing acumen. Comments such as “Hahaha. Love this promotional run ya’ll are on”and “They knocked it out of the park with Longlegs, and now it’s the same director & studios!”reflect a wave of enthusiasm among prospective viewers.
If NEON’s objective in publicizing the rejection emails is to enhance buzz around the film’s gruesome nature, their efforts are well on target. Drawing from the successful marketing approach used for Longlegs, which grossed $22 million on its opening weekend and hit $100 million worldwide—making it the most successful indie horror film in a decade—The Monkey appears poised to replicate this success.
Fans can catch The Monkey in theaters starting February 21.
Source: Twitter
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