Longlegs is one of the most disturbing films released in a long time. It doesn’t come loaded with scares. Instead, it creates a base of discomfort and dread and slowly builds upon it as the film progresses. The photographs are tense and full of intention. Nicolas Cage plays a deranged monster. You’d think director Osgood Perkins would bring all that power with him as he directs an adaptation of a Stephen King story. This is not the case !
Perkins’ next film will be based on Stephen King’s short story, The Monkey. In the story, two brothers locate a monkey that plays cymbals and that belonged to their father. They then realize that the monkey can kill other people close to its owner by clicking on such saucers. When things go too far, one of the brothers makes the decision to get rid of the cursed toy in order to pass it on.
It’s not exactly a happy story (as you’d expect from King). Regardless, Perkins recently explained to Discussing Film that his interpretation of The Monkey will have a more “comedy” tone. At least compared to his current movie. “It couldn’t be more different from Longlegs,” Perkins told the site. “It has a comedic tone and is very funny.
I think some of those words could be used to describe Longlegs, but it’s fun to see Perkins assure enthusiasts that he’s going in another direction. He went on to say that The Monkey “isn’t as dark and macabre as [Longlegs]. ” Part of Perkins’ enthusiasm turns out to come from his relationship with his distributor, Neon.
Perkins insisted that Nicolas Cage not be disclosed in Longlegs’ promotional materials. Neon agreed and controlled to create a highly successful advertising campaign. Perkins mocked DiscussingFilm saying that he might have something similar in mind for The Monkey. “I’m excited to see how Neon handles it,” he said of his new film. “Because they’ve treated my product so well so far. “
The Monkey will star Theo James, Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood. Get ready to see the titular monkey in any of the trailers (I guess).