The Monkey
‘s VOD release date has now been revealed after the Stephen King adaptation’s success in theaters. Directed by Osgood Perkins and based on the King short story of the same name, the NEON film follows twin brothers Hal and Bill (Theo James, in dual roles) as they deal with the return of a monkey toy from their past that causes a series of gruesome deaths. The Monkey reviews were generally positive from critics, leading to a Rotten Tomatoes score of 79% and a “Certified Fresh” badge.
Fandango at Home reveals that The Monkey is now available to rent and purchase on all major VOD platforms. The film will cost $19.99 or $24.99 to purchase. The Fandango at Home announcement accompanies the reveal that the Stephen King 8-Movie Collection, which includes Pet Sematary, Cujo, The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Zone, Thinner, Silver Bullet, Graveyard Shift, Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, and The Running Man, is on sale for $10 today only.
Variety also adds that, while the film doesn’t yet have a date for its 4K UHD, Blu-ray, or DVD release, the physical media copies will start at $18.97 (reg. $26.98).
What This Means For The Monkey
The Stephen King Movie’s Theatrical Performance Explained
The Monkey‘s release on VOD follows a successful run in theaters that began on February 21. Made on an estimated budget of $11 million, the King adaptation has grossed, as of writing, $64 million worldwide, comprising $39.1 million domestically and $25.1 million internationally. Considering the film, which also stars Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood, could have been looking at a break-even point of around $22 million, it has clearly been a mᴀssive success for Perkins and for NEON.
Though The Monkey‘s Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter score is a lackluster 57% and it earned only a C+ CinemaScore, it showed great legs in theaters. This suggests that it may still have benefited from word-of-mouth, and its success could continue on home-viewing platforms. In today’s entertainment landscape, exclusive theatrical windows have become much shorter, sometimes only a matter of weeks for even major blockbusters before they go to VOD. The Monkey‘s VOD release coming about one-and-a-half months after its theatrical bow speaks to the film’s impressive longevity.
The Monkey‘s success in theaters marks the second win in a row for Perkins and NEON, who collaborated on the well-received Longlegs last summer, which grossed $126 million worldwide on an even smaller budget.
Our Take On The Monkey’s VOD Release Date
It’s One To Watch At Home While Waiting For More 2025 Stephen King Movies
Poor audience metrics on Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore can sometimes spell trouble for a movie’s long-term prospects, but The Monkey doesn’t seem to have been too affected by this. In addition to speaking to the fallibility of using these metrics to gauge general audience interest, it’s clear that King’s name continues to be a draw for viewers under the right circumstances. The Monkey also features a unique horror-comedy tone and plenty of gruesome, inventive kills, which could make it one viewers recommend to friends and family.
King adaptations continue to arrive at a regular cadence, with the next ones being The Life of Chuck (June 6), The Long Walk (September 12), and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man remake (November 7). The Monkey now being available on VOD means that viewers looking forward to these тιтles will have a King story to experience while they wait. Even if these upcoming 2025 movies fare better critically or commercially, Perkins’ film certainly started the year off with a bang for King adaptations.
Source: Fandango at Home, Variety
