The innovative filmmaker Jordan Peele was reportedly quite disappointed about not securing the rights to director Zach Cregger‘s Weapons, as the script sparked significant interest in Hollywood. New Line Pictures was said to have outbid Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions by $7 million. Weapons has proven the validity of all the attention it garnered prior to production with its outstanding reviews and impressive box office performance thus far. Although Peele may have missed out on that opportunity, Weapons was always destined to be made, with or without him. His involvement, however, played a crucial role in the release of Dev Patel‘s debut film, Monkey Man, which was abandoned by Netflix and remains unreleased in the country where it is set. The action film has now found success online after its debut on HBO Max.

According to FlixPatrol, Monkey Man was the ninth-most-watched title on HBO Max worldwide on August 17 and 18. On both days, the HBO Max ranking list was led by the massive horror hit Final Destination Bloodlines, which made over $280 million worldwide earlier this year. On August 18, Monkey Man surpassed the highly expensive War for the Planet of the Apes, the third installment in the recent Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy directed by Matt Reeves. Drawing clear inspiration from the John Wick franchise, Monkey Man follows a young man’s violent quest for vengeance against a political leader and his army of corrupt henchmen responsible for his mother’s death during his childhood.

While the film is set in India, it wasn’t actually filmed there. However, its overt criticism of the Hindu right-wing government was said to be the primary reason why it was never granted clearance for theatrical release by the country’s Central Board of Film Certification (similar to the MPA in America). This decision came after Peele acquired it. Monkey Man was originally intended as a Netflix film, but the streamer distanced itself amid increasing censorship in India. The final film was also modified by Universal to prevent causing too much controversy. Patel revealed that hisLion director Garth Davis provided significant assistance when transforming the movie into something it wasn’t initially meant to be.

‘Monkey Man’ Grossed Thrice Its Budget

Produced on a reported budget of $10 million, Monkey Man grossed over $30 million worldwide. It received positive reviews for Patel’s direction and performance as well as its political commentary. Monkey Man holds an 89% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus states, “An audacious effort from debuting director Dev Patel, Monkey Man delivers action and sociopolitical commentary with equal skill.” The movie debuted on HBO Max in Central and South America last week; Patel will next star in Rabbit’s Trap. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Monkey Man

Release Date

April 5, 2024

Runtime

121 Minutes

Writers

Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee