Why a cursed toy monkey became the center of a 2025 horror hit
In short: Director Osgood Perkins transformed a Stephen King short story into a supernatural comedy horror film that grossed nearly 70 million dollars. By replacing the original cymbal-banging toy with a drum-playing version, Perkins leaned into extreme gore and dark humor to explore the absurdity of death and inherited childhood trauma.
The 2025 film The Monkey, written and directed by Osgood Perkins, follows twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn, whose lives are haunted by a cursed toy that triggers horrific, random deaths. Based on a 1980 short story by Stephen King, the project had a long road to production; director Frank Darabont once held the rights but never completed an adaptation. Development finally accelerated in 2023, with filming taking place in Vancouver in early 2024.
Perkins made deliberate creative departures from the source material, most notably swapping the monkey's cymbals for a drum. This change was motivated by the producer's belief that The Walt Disney Company held rights to the cymbal-banging version due to its appearance in Toy Story 3. Perkins, however, felt the drum enhanced the film's horror. He also infused the narrative with comedy, aiming to distinguish the work from more serious possessed-toy films and to use gore as a way to joke about the randomness of mortality.
The film's marketing was as aggressive as its content. Its trailer became the most-watched independent horror trailer ever, amassing over 100 million views within 72 hours. This intensity caused four major television networks to reject the studio's advertisements, citing excessive violence. Despite mixed audience reactions—reflected in a C+ CinemaScore—critics largely praised the film's visual style and Perkins' ability to ground childhood trauma within the absurdity of the plot. Stephen King himself described the final product as batshit insane.
The production budget was estimated at 10 to 11 million dollars, with marketing costs adding another 10 million. The film ultimately grossed 68.9 million dollars worldwide. By the time it reached streaming services in August 2025, it had solidified its place as a unique entry in the horror genre, blending Perkins' signature psychological dread with a cynical, dark-humored perspective on the inevitability of death.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Monkey (film)
- Also: Wikidata — The Monkey · CC0
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-the-monkey-film.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
