The Monkey director Osgood Perkins explains why he does not want to make another Stephen King adaptation. The Monkey is an adaptation of King’s 1980 horror short story of the same name. It tells the story of twin brothers named Bill and Hal who are haunted by their father’s monkey toy, which causes a series of gruesome deaths. The film adaptation features a cast including Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, and Elijah Wood. The Monkey has received positive reviews overall, getting a 79% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.

Speaking with The Kingcast, Perkins explains why he does not want to adapt more of King’s texts after The Monkey. Perkins mentions that he is now at a point in his career wherein he does not want to “retread anything.” The Monkey feels “complete” and he now wants to do “something different every time” with his movies. This extends to his 2024 movie Longlegs, which he says would only get a sequel if the follow-up was an incredibly different thing. Check out the full quote from Perkins below:

I think the fun, kind of the real win of where I’m at now, is I’ve kind of established the rule now that everything I do is 1 of 1. Nothing is gonna be, we’re not going to retread anything. So it’s like, will there be a Longlegs 2? Supposed to be. Like, everybody wants there it be, it’s out there. Would it be like Longlegs 1? Man, you better believe that whatever a Longlegs 2 will be, will have nothing to f*cking do with Longlegs 1. Like how could it have anything to do with Longlegs 1? So, in terms of like what kind of is ahead, and what comes next, I think the game that I’m engaged in, and I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity, is to do something really different every time.

So, if there was going to be another King thing…honestly, I can’t imagine. It feels so complete. It feels like a move that we made, we landed the plane as it were, and people really dig it, and don’t f*ck with it. Don’t put your head in the tiger’s and lion’s mouth again. We tried something very chancy, because I think everybody knows as soon as you say the words horror and comedy together to people in the business, they say ‘I think not.’

What This Means For Perkins Movies

The Director Is Not Just Following The Money

Without saying it directly, Perkins is showcasing how he is not just looking to follow the money when it comes to making his films. Longlegs was a critical and financial success, making over $126 million on a reported budget of less than $10 million. The film was also the third-highest-grossing horror movie at the domestic box office, making more than sequel hits Smile 2 and Terrifier 3. By refusing to make a straightforward Longlegs sequel, Perkins is taking the “very chancy” career move, denying the security of a sequel as a box office hit.

With Longlegs and The Monkey alone, Perkins is already following the trend of doing very different projects. The director might be staying in the horror genre broadly, but the back-to-back releases could not be any more tonally different. Longlegs is deeply psychological in nature, following conspiracies, while The Monkey leans into its horror comedy and over-the-top gore. These differences show that, so far, Perkins has been true to his word.

Our Take On Osgood Perkins’ Career Choices

They Are Made More Interesting By His Famous Father’s History

Understanding Perkins’ family history makes this career choice make even more sense. The horror director is the son of late actor Anthony Perkins, who was best known for playing Norman Bates in Psycho. Though the original is iconic and beloved, any attempt to retread the Alfred Hitchcock original has been met with mixed results. Osgood Perkins does not cite his father’s film legacy as a reason for this decision, but this pattern sheds light on the importance of keeping great works as they are, which could have impacted The Monkey director.

Source: The Kingcast