Longlegs director’s new horror movie based on a Stephen King story gets a sinister first trailer

A new trailer for The Monkey, based on the Stephen King short story of the same name, has arrived – and it’s seriously unnerving. 

In the clip, which can be viewed below, we see a series of terrifying, freak accident deaths, involving blood, fire, and an electrified swimming pool. “Everybody dies,” one character remarks. “And that’s life.” These deaths, however, seem to have a supernatural cause, revolving around that creepy monkey…

The short story penned by King provides some clues: it follows two brothers, Peter and Dennis (renamed Bill and Hal in the movie), who find a cymbal-banging monkey toy belonging to their father in the attic, starting a chain reaction of gruesome deaths. 

Per the official film synopsis: “In an attempt to leave the haunting behind, the brothers opt to discard the monkey and pursue separate paths over time. However, when the inexplicable deaths resurface, the brothers are compelled to reconcile and embark on a mission to permanently eliminate the cursed toy.” Longlegs helmer Osgood Perkins directs from a screenplay he adapted himself.

The cast includes Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy. James Wan is producing the pic under his Atomic Monster banner.

Of course, Longlegs was one terrifying movie, so we expect spine-chilling things from The Monkey when it hits theaters on February 21, 2025. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or head on over to our list of movie release dates to fill out your watchlist.