Director Osgood Perkins has creatively adapted Stephen King’s cult horror short story The Monkey for the big screen, skillfully navigating Disney’s copyright hurdles.
Last year, Osgood Perkins made waves in the film world when it was revealed that he would be adapting Stephen King’s chilling short story The Monkey for the big screen. Set to hit theaters on February 21, the director shared the unique challenges he faced in bringing the story to life. King’s 1980 short story was published in the Skeleton Crew (1985) collection and revolves around a cymbal-clashing toy monkey—an infamous harbinger of death. However, Perkins had to change this signature percussive element because Disney owns the rights to cymbals due to the appearance of a similar toy monkey in Toy Story 3.
“When I got the assignment, the producer told me, ‘By the way, Disney owns the rights to cymbals because of the toy monkey in Toy Story.’” Instead of seeing this as a setback, Perkins embraced the challenge: “This is one of those situations where a limitation becomes an opportunity.” He replaced the signature cymbals with a drum, likening the sound to a marching beat—something he skillfully uses in the film to heighten tension before sinister events unfold. “I thought, ‘This is simply brilliant! Thank you, Disney. I like this even better!’”
A lifelong fan of Stephen King, Perkins grew up immersed in the author’s works. He cites Creepshow and Misery as his favorites. “As a kid, I had so much fun reading Stephen King,” Perkins recalled. His father emphasized literature over television from an early age, fostering an unbreakable connection to King’s stories.
The Most Successful Stephen King Adaptations in Theaters
1. It (2017) – $327 million
2. It: Chapter Two (2019) – $211 million
3. The Green Mile (1999) – $136 million
4. 1408 (2007) – $71 million
5. Misery (1990) – $61 million
6. Pet Sematary (1989) – $57 million
7. Pet Sematary (2019) – $54 million
8. Stand by Me (1986) – $52 million
9. The Dark Tower (2017) – $50 million
10. Secret Window (2004) – $48 million
Perkins has already made a name for himself in the horror genre with films like February (2015) and last year’s indie hit Longlegs. While his previous works have leaned toward psychological horror, he sees The Monkey as an opportunity to explore horror-comedy instead. “I wanted to move away from serious films about possessed toys. They just don’t resonate with me.”
The Monkey is just the beginning of a new wave of Stephen King adaptations. Following last year’s underwhelming Salem’s Lot reboot, audiences can expect upcoming projects like Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry prequel miniseries, and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, set for release next year.