We were wondering what was going on with Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel’s directorial debut, “Monkey Man.” Then, late this week, we learned that it was no longer being distributed by Netflix.
Netflix gave away “Monkey Man” to Jordan Peele and his Monkey Paw production company, who hopped onboard the film, teaming with Universal and released a good looking trailer for it. The film is now due for theatrical release on April 5.
So, what happened exactly? “Monkey Man” was shot and completed in 2021, and Netflix soon after acquired the rights for around $30 million, but it’s been on the shelf for three years and they‘ve all of a sudden decided to get rid of it? What gives?
It turns out, according to an in-the-know source, that it was the portrayal of a fictional right-wing Hindu Nationalist character in the film that worried Netflix about their future dealings in India. And even though they had paid more than twice the production cost, they decided to give the film back to the producers, which is what caused the long delay.
Universal and Peele eventually took a particular liking to the film, so much so that they suggested possible editing changes and delayed the release until what they thought would be the right date.
It’s as simple as that. In the end, it was all about politics and optics for the streaming giant, especially since India has become the current top growth market for Netflix. Co-Founder Reed Hastings has mentioned that a majority of the service's next 100 million subscribers would most likely come from India.
Netflix’s loss is Universal and Peele’s gain as the well-received trailer for “Monkey Man,” which is just a day old, has already amassed 4.6 million views on YouTube. If they play their cards right, and the reviews turn out decent, then they might have a hit with this one.
“Monkey Man” stars Patel and Sharlto Copley (“District 9”) and centers on a recently released ex-felon living in India, who “struggles to adjust to a world of corporate greed and eroding spiritual values”. It has been described by some as “John Wick in Mumbai,” but I’m hearing, based on those who have seen “Monkey Man”, that it’s not an accurate description of the film.