In 2021, Netflix, for an extremely modest sum of $30 million, picked up the world rights to Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man. Expected to arrive on Netflix sometime in 2023, we’re keeping track of everything you need to know about Monkey Man, including the plot, cast, trailer, and the Netflix release date.
Monkey Man is an upcoming Netflix Original action thriller movie, co-written, produced, starring, and directed by Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel. The feature is Patel’s directorial debut and has already created quite a stir, with many anticipating an incredible debut.
Patel had the following to say about working with Netflix;
I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Netflix on this adventure. I hope this will be a fresh addition to the genre at a time in this industry where my story can become our story. Shooting a film during a pandemic has been quite challenging to say the least, but the opportunity to reimagine stories from my childhood and infuse them with my love of action cinema has been an absolute joy. Big love to Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for championing us from the very beginning and Aaron Gilbert and the team at Bron for giving an unproven filmmaker like myself a voice.
Working alongside Patel on the writing team was Paul Angunawela, and John Collee, the screenwriter of Master and Commander and Happy Feet.
Dev Patel is joined by Basil Iwanyk, Samarth Sahni, and Jomon Thomas as executive producers.
What is the plot of Monkey Man?
Little is known about the plot than the initial logline;
The Kid emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.
The movie has been described as “John Wick in Mumbai”.
Who are the cast members of Monkey Man?
While Dev Patel is the director, an executive producer, and one of the writers of Monkey Man, he also has a lead role in the movie. Monkey Man is also Patel’s first project for Netflix, which means he’ll be making his Netflix. debut, and directorial debut for the streaming service.
Patel is joined by District 9, Maleficent, and Elysium actor Sharlto Copley. Amazon’s Made in Heaven actress Sobhita Dhulipala, and Sense8 actor Sikandar Kher.
Sharlto Copley (left), Sobhita Dhulipala (center), and Sikandar Kher (right)
When was Monkey Man filmed?
Considering at the time of writing, we’re in October 2022, shooting for Monkey Man was completed a relatively long time ago.
Filming began in Indonesia on December 16th, 2020, and was completed a couple of months later on February 26th, 2021. The film has been in production for almost 18 months.
When is Monkey Man coming to Netflix?
Realistically, Netflix could release Monkey Man at a moment’s notice. However, the film is now expected to be a part of the streaming services 2023 line-up.
We’re still waiting for Netflix to announce an official release date.
Netflix picked up the world rights to Monkey Man, which will see the action-thriller land on Netflix in the majority of countries around the world.
Are you looking forward to the release of Monkey Man on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!