Dev Patel, the actor known for his Oscar-nominated performances, is venturing into the world of directing with his debut film “Monkey Man.” This thrilling revenge story will be released in theaters by Universal Pictures on April 5. Produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the movie unveiled its first trailer on Friday.
In “Monkey Man,” Patel takes on the role of Kid, a young man who remains anonymous as he struggles to make a meager living in an underground fight club. Night after night, he endures brutal beatings from more popular fighters, all while wearing a gorilla mask, in exchange for money. The film draws inspiration from the Hindu deity Hanuman, adding a unique and intriguing element to the narrative.
The logline describes a situation where Kid, after enduring years of repressed anger, uncovers a method to penetrate the inner circle of the city’s malevolent upper class. As the pain from his childhood experiences reaches its boiling point, his enigmatically marked hands become the catalyst for a powerful and vengeful mission to seek justice against the individuals who robbed him of everything he held dear.
The preview exhibits intense action scenes reminiscent of a “John Wick” film. Patel’s character embarks on a vengeful journey, dispatching gunmen through a series of brutal shootings, stabbings, and beatings. In a particularly gruesome moment, he ruthlessly thrusts a knife into a man’s neck while gripping it between his teeth.
Patel helms “Monkey Man” based on his own original story and screenplay, alongside Paul Angunawela and John Collee. Initially slated for Netflix, the film will now be released in theaters as part of Monkeypaw’s partnership with Universal.
The talented cast includes Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher, and Makarand Deshpande.
The individuals responsible for producing this film include Patel, Peele, Jomon Thomas, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, and Anjay Nagpal. Serving as executive producers are Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney, and Steven Thibault. This film is presented by Universal Pictures and is a production of Bron Studios, Thunder Road Films, Monkeypaw Productions, Minor Realm/S’Ya Concept Productions, in association with WME Independent and Creative Wealth Media.