According to reports, Netflix has secured a deal believed to be in the region of $30million for Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man. With filming already wrapped on the movie, it is now set for a release date in early 2022.
Deadline reported that Patel will also be credited as one of the film’s producers and scriptwriter for the film that sees him play an ex-convict seeking revenge on those who wronged him in the past. The film is also partly inspired by the Hindu deity Hanuman a creature traditionally depicted as half-human, half-monkey.
This blend of Hindu influences on classic action movie tropes was Patel’s aim, in a bid to “reimagine stories from [his] childhood and infuse them with [his] love of action cinema,” a process which he describes as being, “an absolute joy.”
Patel told Deadline, “I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Netflix on this adventure. I hope this will be a fresh addition to the genre at a time in this industry where my story can become our story.”
Filming on the movie was initially due to commence last year in India, but had to be moved to Indonesia owing to coronavirus restriction, which Patel touched upon in his statement, saying: “Shooting a film during a pandemic has been quite challenging, to say the least.”
As of yet there is no official release date for the film, but seeing as though it is currently in post-production fans of Patel’s work won’t have to wait too long to see what he is capable of behind the camera as well as in front.
For now though, you can check out his excellent Oscar-nominated performance in Lion, below.
