Osgood Perkins, known for his unsettling and atmospheric horror films like Gretel and Hansel and The Blackcoat’s Daughter, is back with The Monkey, a twisted, gory film adapted from Stephen King’s 1980 short story. However, it looks like The Monkey‘s extreme violence has caused trouble with TV networks.
On January 30, Neon, the indie production company behind the film, shared an email exchange on Instagram, revealing that the movie’s trailer was rejected by several major TV networks due to its “excessive violence.” The networks were reportedly put off by the graphic nature of the footage, which includes disturbing images like severed heads and other grisly scenes. The studio captioned the post, stating, “We submitted a TV spot for THE MONKEY to the four major TV networks. It did not go well.”
The networks responded by expressing concerns about the intensity of the trailer, claiming that “pretty much every scene” in the movie was too graphic for broadcast. They offered to reconsider if a toned-down version of the trailer was provided.
The Monkey centers on twin brothers, played by Theo James, who find an old toy monkey in their father’s attic. Once they bring it back into their home, the toy seems to bring death and destruction, setting off a chain of gruesome events. The story takes a darker turn when the brothers try to dispose of the toy, but the damage is already done.
The film stars Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood, with James portraying both of the twin brothers. Although it has been compared to the Chucky series, the toy in The Monkey is a menacing primate, and the plot delves into psychological horror along with the gore.
While the movie is certainly turning heads with its shocking and brutal content, it appears that its level of violence may be too much for mainstream TV, at least for now.