After a series ofblood-soaked teases,The Monkeyis very nearly ready to splatter its way into theaters.
(you’ve got the option to read io9s reviewhere.)
Cheryl Eddy, io9: I was surprised by the amount of humor in the film.
© Neon
What guided your decision to embrace that almost comedic tone?
I didnt want to bum anybody out.
io9:The Monkeymakes a strong case that theres always a new way to approach a Stephen King adaptation.
Star Theo James (left) with director Osgood Perkins (right). © Neon
Perkins:I think it fits in withCreepshowandMiseryas being sort of the fancifully funny ones.
And I thought I would meet that privilege with humility and with reverence and with homage.
I really just wanted to do something that felt, to me, like it was for him.
© Neon
io9: Has he seen it?
What does he think of it?
Perkins:He tweetedyou should look at it specifically because Ill misquote it.
© Neon
But it was the monkey is unlike any movie youve ever seen.
Its bat shit crazy.
And as someone who is engaged in bat shittery from time to time, I say that with admiration.
You realize Ive memorized it because its the nicest thing anybodys ever going to say.
[Note: its nearly word-or-word, but you’re free to read Kings originalThreads post here.]
Why did you change that detail?
Because they used the cymbal-playing monkey in one of theToy Storysequels.
And as Disney does, Disney owns.
So we werent allowed to do that.
For a moment, it seemed like a loss.
Oh, rim shot.
Thanks, Disney, for taking away the opportunity to do the cymbals.
io9: Why did you want to include the spinning drumstick, sort of like a preamble?
Perkins:Tommy Lee!
Perkins:It was just like a funny extra little gesture that the thing can make.
You know, the sort of heavy metal drum spinor even Buddy Rich does that, right?
Its just a flair.
io9: The monkeys got flair!
The movies gore is over the top with some very creative kill scenes.
And I just sat in front of it and found my way to things that I thought were funny.
I sort of made one rule for myself and that was none of these deaths can be real.
None of them can be real causes of death.
Electricity and pool water do not operate that way in physics.
Thats not a thing.
Hibachi knives are not sharp enough to cut peoples heads off.
So I used those as my north stars.
io9: Have you heard the comparisons to theFinal Destinationmovies?
What do you think about that?
Perkins:I dont think much about it.
I dont think Ive ever seen aFinal Destinationmovie, to be honest.
I get it because theres sort of that Rube Goldberg quality of like, hows this going to happen?
So I get that.
And I dont mind the comparison.
It had nothing to do with what I was doing.
io9: Elijah Woods character is so detailed and specificwhere did he come from?
Was he based on anyone in particular?
And certainly none of us can say theyve written the book on it.
Perkins:It felt like a horror trope.
So all due respect there.
But I think it was just another additional uncanny element which we could spin comically.
The Monkeyhits theaters February 21.
Want more io9 news?
News from the future, delivered to your present.
Because who hasn’t experienced a frightening Furby or Cabbage Patch Kid core memory?
