Dev Patel Isn't Gunning For A Monkey Man Sequel Just Yet
"Monkey Man" is on track to make a nice bit of change at the box office this weekend, and good financial returns often lead quickly to sequel talk. First-time director Dev Patel is having none of that, though; as he told Variety this week, he's more focused on seeing his first baby make its way into the world.
"I'm trying not to get ahead of myself," Patel told the outlet when asked about possible sequel plans for the criminal underworld-set action thriller. "I know this sounds like a cliché," he continued, "but just to [...] birth this little thing, it's been a huge undertaking. This is all a dream come true."
We don't blame Patel for wanting to let the dust on "Monkey Man" settle before thinking of future projects. The road to this movie's theatrical release has been long, complex, and surprisingly gory. Patel tore his shoulder and broke his hand during filming, and the latter injury required a surgery from which he wasn't able to quickly recover due to the arduous shooting schedule, limited finances, and strict pandemic-era safety procedures. Plus, before all that, he spent years developing and co-writing the film, which was eventually moved from Netflix to Universal.
Will Monkey Man fight again?
So far, the blood, sweat, and tears actor-turned-filmmaker Patel put into the film seem to be paying off. The film is currently holding steady on Rotten Tomatoes, with 87% of critics featured on the site responding positively. In his "Monkey Man" review for /Film, Jacob Hall writes that the movie "burns with the passion and nerve of a filmmaker who thinks he's not going to direct another film ever again," noting that Patel "doesn't break out the fireworks for his directorial debut as much as he unleashes an entire explosive arsenal."
The movie's box office receipts remain to be seen as it just hit theaters, but early estimations from The Hollywood Reporter put its potential opening weekend gross at $13 to $14 million, a number that could keep growing if the movie earns word-of-mouth praise. While it may be too early for sequel talk, Patel has proven himself as a filmmaker with a strong cinematic vision and — importantly for a first-time filmmaker — a commitment to sticking with his production budget. Plus, the film has the Jordan Peele seal of approval, as it was the "Get Out" filmmaker's Monkeypaw Productions that helped secure "Monkey Man" a theatrical release in the first place.
Patel may not be eager to go another round in the ring with "Monkey Man" just yet, but his co-star Pitobash is "optimistic there will be a sequel." When Variety asked the famous Indian actor whether or not he thinks the film will get a follow-up, Pitobash replied, "I think so." He noted that he hadn't spoken to Patel about story ideas, but that the movie has inspired a level of audience hype that could lead to a sequel. "Everybody in whatever screenings we had, whether it's SXSW or some test screening — people are excited," Pitobash told the outlet.
"Monkey Man" is now in theaters.