Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Universal’s Monkey Man opens with $10.1 million domestically (per Variety) and is receiving good reviews. This intense, high-octane action-thriller has already earned back its $10 million production budget. Meanwhile, amid all these good words from critics, the movie is in uncertainty of getting a release date in India, the country where it’s set.
Why Has the Monkey Man Release Date in India Been Postponed?
Dev Patel in Monkey Man (2024). Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Dev Patel directed and starring Monkey Man, which is being hailed as the Indian version of John Wick struggles in getting a release date in India.
Monkey Man has been well received by audiences as it got a “B+” CinemaScore and holds an 86% average on Rotten Tomatoes.
The delay in getting a release slot in India might stem from its content. In particular, the violence, s-xual imagery, and political and religious themes. Earlier, streaming giant Netflix dropped the film to avoid the backlash in the Indian market due to the film’s political undertones.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) gave Monkey Man an ‘R’ rating for “strong bloody violence throughout, rape, language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug use.”
Universal Studios, the distributors of the film, also didn’t mention a release date for the film in India while promoting the film via a tweet from their Indian account. A source told IndieWire that the CBFC, India’s Central Board of Film Certification has not watched the movie yet, resulting in the film may have to undergo some more cut or mute if it were to be released in the country.
The movie also stars Sharlto Copley, alongside some of India’s brightest actors — Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikander Kher, Pitobash, and Makarand Deshpande.
What is Monkey Man All About?
Dev Patel in Monkey Man (2024). Image Credit: Universal Pictures
The story of Monkey Man is based on India and it seems to be inspired by the story of Lord Hanuman. According to its official synopsis, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Monkey Man is now slated to be released in India on 19 April. Otherwise, the film is expected to hit the theaters a week later, on 26 April.
Monkey Man is running in theaters in the US.
