The Monkey director Osgood Perkins has confirmed just how violent the upcoming Stephen King adaptation will be, teasing expectations for the horror-comedy. The Monkey‘s story focuses on twin brothers, Hal and Bill (Theo James), who are forced to confront a toy monkey whose curse causes someone to die every time it bangs its cymbals together. Unlike Perkins’ previous film, Longlegs, hailed for its slow-burn terror, the King adaptation is a horror-comedy, expected to utilize wild deaths as part of its funny moments. This gives it a very different tone to the director’s prior work.

Speaking with Empire, Perkins revealed The Monkey‘s death sequences will include a lot of blood, with plenty of over-the-top, gory kills to compliment its horror-comedy elements. The director explained how some deaths would involve more blood than is possible for a person to have in their body, hyping a “Rube Goldbergian connectivity” to the set-pieces. He also acknowledged how different the film will be to Longlegs, explaining his belief in creating different flavors of horror. Check out what Perkins had to say below:

If you’re going for comedy then you’re going for extremes. Not subtlety. We are guilty of putting far more blood in our human bodies than is really in a human body. When someone explodes in this movie — and a couple of people do — there’s a lot of mess. All the death set-pieces were hard to do. They all have a Rube Goldbergian connectivity — this happens, then this happens, then this happens…

I honestly feel f*****g great about [how different The Monkey is from Longlegs]. I can’t think of another morbidly surreal horror comedy that’s also heartwarming and redemptive and stars a bona-fide movie hunk. That’s the best news I can offer to people who liked Longlegs — we make all kinds. Why would anyone want to be fed the same meal every day?

What Perkins’ Statement Says About The Monkey’s Level Of Violence

The Film Will Have Plenty Of Blood-Soaked Kills

Aside from James, the cast of The Monkey includes the talent of Tatiana Mansley as the pair’s mother in flashbacks, Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman, Colin O’Brien as Peaty, and unnamed characters played by Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, and Nicco Del Rio. It’s possible some of these characters end up targeted by the тιтular toy, succumbing to gruesome, over-the-top deaths that play into the comedic elements of the movie. Even though some kills could end up cartoonish based on Perkins’ description, it seems they’ll play into the overarching tone of the narrative.

Since the trailers have already indicated the film’s comedic elements, it’s also already clear just how different it’ll be from Perkins’ previous movie. While Longlegs‘ critical praise was for its slow-burning terror and fascinating story, The Monkey is gearing up to be blood-soaked and lighter in subject matter. This can help make it stand out and show the extent of the director’s abilities in the horror genre, with a King adaptation playing into both terror and fun at the same time.

Our Take On The Monkey’s Over-The-Top Violence

The Movie’s Approach To Horror-Comedy Confirmed

Given the level of gore already teased in the film’s trailer, it’s unsurprising that The Monkey is going to be utilizing it heavily in the comedic aspects of its horror-comedy presentation. While some of it will likely still be serious, such as the toy killing the brothers’ mother when they were young, its over-the-top nature can still be utilized for funnier sequences. With the kills being a major part of the film, Perkins’ newest horror entry seems like it’ll be the most different from anything else in his career.

The Monkey arrives in theaters on February 21, 2025.

Source: Empire