If you still can’t get over Osgood Perkins’ terrifying Longlegs, the director’s new horror film should also appeal to you. The Monkey is based on Stephen King’s short story of the same title. It’s a tale of twin brothers, both played by Theo James, who desperately try to get rid of a cymbal-banging monkey toy their father bought years ago. They have good reason to do so, as every time the monkey starts playing its tune, a person from the twins’ surroundings dies in horrible circumstances.
The story of the cursed toy is best seen in the cinema, but if you’re curious when the horror will appear on home media, continue reading this article.
How to watch The Monkey now
The new horror by Osgood Perkins is available exclusively in cinemas. UK-based viewers can buy tickets on Odeon or Cineworld websites. In the US, you can book your seats via AMC Theatres, Fandango and Atom Tickets.
Here’s the trailer for the film:
When could The Monkey be available on VOD?
Neon, the studio distributing Osgood Perkins’ horror in the US, hasn’t yet announced when the film will be available for purchase and rental. However, we will estimate it based on the studio’s previous movies.
Longlegs, Perkins’ previous film and Neon’s second most profitable movie arrived on VOD 42 days after opening in cinemas. On the other hand, the relatively successful Immaculate, a Nunsploitation horror led by Sydney Sweeney, appeared on digital after only 25 days. Anora, an Oscar-winning dramedy by Sean Baker, took 60 days to hit VOD. Anatomy of a Fall, another Academy-acclaimed film, was available to rent or buy after 90 days.
After the first two weeks, The Monkey is already Neon’s 6th highest-grossing film, and all indications are that it will be a box-office smash. Therefore, the studio isn’t likely to rush the VOD release. We expect The Monkey to appear on digital on Friday, 4 April 2025 – 42 days after the cinematic debut, as was the case for Longlegs.
In the UK, The Monkey is distributed by Black Bear, and we believe it will hit VOD at a similar time as in the US.
Note that this is just a prediction, and we are waiting for Neon’s official announcement.
When could The Monkey be available on DVD/Blu-ray?
Neon usually releases physical copies of its films after they appear on VOD. However, it’s worth noting that in some cases, the films are launched on DVD and Blu-ray only after the streaming release – this is what happened with Anora and Anatomy of a Fall.
However, The Monkey will most likely follow a similar path to Neon’s previous horrors. Copies of Longlegs and Immaculate appeared respectively 32 and 56 days after arriving on VOD. Therefore, if our digital release date estimation above is accurate, we expect Osgood Perkins’ movie copies to hit US stores between 6 May and 30 May 2025.
In the UK, based on the schedule for Longlegs and Immaculate, we expect The Monkey to drop on DVD and Blu-ray in late May/early June 2025.
When could The Monkey be available to stream?
In the States, Neon’s movies find their streaming home on Hulu. Longlegs and Immaculate hit the service, and we expect the same for The Monkey. The Nicolas Cage-led horror arrived on Hulu four and a half months after DVD and Blu-ray release, while the Sydney Sweeney hit took only 25 days to do so.
Much will depend on The Monkey’s box-office gross. If the movie becomes a massive hit, like Longlegs, it may arrive on Hulu in a few months, around July 2025. However, there’s a chance that Neon won’t delay the streaming premiere that much, and the horror will be released on Hulu later this spring.
In the UK, The Monkey will most likely hit Prime Video. Based on previous releases, it could happen 3-4 months after the release on DVD and Blu-ray, in the fall of 2025.
