Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for Dev Patel’s directorial debut film, Monkey Man, which hits theatres on April 5.In the new trailer, we see Patel playing the lead role. The film provides a fusion of action scenes akin to the John Wick films with some heavy inspiration from Hindu mythology, particularly the deity Hanuman, who is described as half man, half monkey.Patel’s character was previously described as “an unlikely hero who emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.” The YouTube description for the film’s first trailer today reveals that Patel’s character is on a quest to avenge his murdered mother. Monkey Man was first announced by Patel back in 2018. In 2021, it was reported that Netflix acquired the worldwide rights to the film for $30 million, with an initial release date set for sometime in 2022. However, as the new trailer shows, Universal Pictures eventually acquired the rights with Jordan Peele and his production company Monkeypaw tied to the project. More interestingly, Deadline reported that the switch from Netflix to Universal was due to Peele seeing the movie and felt that it warranted a theatrical release. Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
