Written by Kianna Best on Mar 12, 2024. Posted in Awards and Festivals / Production News

Dev Patel premieres Monkey Man trailer at SXSW

Oscar nominee and Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel makes his directing debut with action thriller Monkey Man. Revealing the trailer at SXSW 2024, the feature follows a man’s quest for vengeance after the murder of his mother and the systemic brutality against the poor and powerless. Jordan Peele joins Patel as producer for the upcoming internationally shot feature.

Marking his directorial debut, Patel’s Monkey Man is inspired by the legend of Hindu deity Hanuman, known for his embodiment of strength and courage. With filming taking place across the US, Canada, Singapore and India, the film follows Kid (Patel) an anonymous young man donning a gorilla mask as he fights in the underground club he lives in for money. Infiltrating the city’s sinister elite, he seeks our retribution for the wrongs that he has experienced throughout his life.

The film’s international cast includes Sharlto Copley (District 9), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR).

Monkey Man is Patel’s original story, with the screenplay written alongside Paul Angunawela and John Collee. Patel also serves as producer alongside, Jomon Thomas (Hotel Mumbai, The Man Who Knew Infinity), Oscar® winner Jordan Peele (Nope, Get Out), Win Rosenfeld (Candyman, Hunters series), Ian Cooper (Nope, Us), Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise, Sicario films), Erica Lee (John Wick franchise, Silent Night), Christine Haebler (Shut In, Bones of Crows) and Anjay Nagpal (executive producer of Bombshell, Greyhound), with Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney and Steven Thibault serving as executive producers.

Universal Pictures presents a Bron Studios production, a Thunder Road film, a Monkeypaw production, a Minor Realm/S’Ya Concept production, in association with WME Independent and Creative Wealth Media.

Images courtesy of  Universal Pictures