Among the upcoming adaptations of the works ofStephen KingisThe Monkey, and it already has a huge advantage after the divisive 2024 remake ofSalem’s Lot. The short stories andnovels of Stephen Kingcontinue to be a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, and there are always adaptations in the works. 2024 finally saw the release of the long-awaited remake ofSalem’s Lot, directed by Gary Dauberman and based on King’s 1975 novel of the same name, which faced many obstacles and delays after having an initial release date of September 2022.
Salem’s Lottakes the audience back to the 1970s to follow Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman), a writer who returns to his hometown of Salem’s Lot for inspiration for his new book. When a young boy mysteriously disappears, Ben becomes the main suspect, but subsequent deaths and disappearances reveal the shocking truth: the Lot is being preyed on by a thirsty and ruthless vampire named Barlow, and more vampires are being born. Unfortunately,Salem’s Lothas been quite divisive, but this highlights a huge advantage thatThe Monkeyalready has.
Unlike Salem’s Lot 2024, The Monkey Is The Very First Movie Adaptation Of Stephen King’s 1980 Short Story
As one of Stephen King’s most popular and beloved works,Salem’s Lothas gotten different adaptations over the years. In 1979, Salem’s Lot was adapted into a three-hour two-part TV miniseries, with David Soul playing Ben Mears. TheSalem’s Lotminiseries was a hit with critics and viewers and had an impact on the vampire genre. In 1987, the miniseries got a theatrical sequel titledA Return To Salem’s Lot, directed by Larry Cohen, but it didn’t have the same success as the TV series. In 2004,Salem’s Lotgot another miniseries adaptation with Rob Lowe as Ben Mears, and it was also a success.
Salem’s Lot’s 10 Biggest Changes To Stephen King’s Book
Max’s Salem’s Lot movie is the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 book, and the 2024 version makes some notable changes to the vampire tale.
Because of this impeccable track record on TV, there was a lot of anticipation around 2024’sSalem’s Lot, but it didn’t quite live up to it. At the time of writing,Salem’s Lothas a 44% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, and of course, there have been a lot of comparisons to the 1979 and 2004 TV adaptations. However,The Monkeywon’t be facing this problem as this is the first time it has been adapted to TV or film, so there’s nothing to compare it to other than the source material.
The Monkeygot an hour-long short-film adaptation in 2022, but 2025’s movie will be the first feature-length adaptation.
The Monkeyis a short story published in 1980 as a booklet included inGallerymagazine and later revised and published in the 1985 collectionSkeleton Crew.The Monkeytells the story of two young brothers who find a cymbal-banging monkey toy in the attic of their great-uncle’s house. The monkey belonged to their father, who saw his family die as the monkey is cursed: every time it claps the mechanical cymbals together, someone close to him dies.
The Monkey Has Another Big Advantage After 2024’s Record-Breaking Nicolas Cage Horror Movie
The Monkey Has An Acclaimed Horror Director In Charge
In addition to being the first feature-length adaptation ofThe Monkey, the upcoming movie also has another big advantage: its director.The Monkeyis directed (and written) by Osgood Perkins, who recently brought the horror movieLonglegs. Also written by Perkins,Longlegstakes viewers back to the 1990s to follow an FBI agent investigating an occultist serial killer responsible for the deaths of multiple families in Oregon without having been physically present in the crimes.Longlegswas played by Nicolas Cage, whose performance has been praised by critics.
Longlegswas a critical and commercial success, with an 85% critics score onRotten Tomatoesand grossing $108.9 million against a budget of approximately $10 million. This givesThe Monkeya bigger chance of succeeding than the 2024 adaptation ofSalem’s Lothad, quite possibly becoming one of the best adaptations of aStephen Kingstory in recent years.
The Monkey
The Monkey is a horror film focused on twin brothers who encounter a mysterious wind-up monkey responsible for a series of tragic events within their family. Twenty-five years later, the estranged brothers are compelled to face the cursed toy once again as it resumes its deadly rampage.
