We’ve known for a while that Green Knight star Dev Patel was making a switch for his next movie, taking on the dual role of star and director for Monkey Man, a John Wick-esque mythological action thriller set in Mumbai. But now, thanks to a little help from Jordan Peele, we’ve just got our first look, and wow.
Monkey Man follows Patel as Kid, a young man making a meager living by day doing small jobs in Mumbai, and taking part in underground fighting rings by night as a monkey-masked pugilist inspired by the legends of the god and avatar of Shiva, Hanuman. But when his mother is murdered, Kid goes on a quest for revenge to fight back against the powerful, corrupt criminals that deprive the poor and weak and control the city from the shadows.
Although the opening of the trailer plays up the supernatural ties between Kid and Hanuman, just how much of an otherworldly twist Monkey Man really has remains to be seen—and if its John Wick-ian influence has it more leaning into the wild world of underground crime and assassins rather than any kind of divinely-connected power. But that doesn’t stop the primary thrust of the trailer being that this just looks incredibly cool. Patel clearly has an eye for action, and a mean left hook or six in him.
Monkey Man was originally reported to be heading to Netflix after a deal made in 2021, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that Peele, having had a chance to see the movie early, was so impressed that he pushed to see it get a theatrical release at Universal, through its deal with Peele’s own Monkeypaw banner. Whatever the fateful simian connection, it certainly has us excited to see what Patel is cooking up when Monkey Man hits theaters April 5.
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