Turns out, the director of The Monkey, Osgood Perkins, has long been under the spell of the horror master's works. It was almost inevitable that he would be inspired by Stephen King and create a film based on one of his stories. And now, we finally know which of King's works left a profound impression on him.
According to Bloody Disgusting, Perkins shared an intriguing perspective on adapting King's works, explaining that the process felt like a form of self-honor. He mentioned that once a director finds harmony with Stephen King's world and all the unique elements he’s brought to the genre, they get into a rhythm. In that state, it feels like they are honoring both the master and themselves through their own expression.
What's curious is that in his revelations, Perkins admitted that The Monkey wasn't his favorite among King's works. Instead, it was the cult classics Misery, Pet Sematary, and Creepshow that left a significant and lasting impact on his future endeavors.
"Creepshow was always something that I found really delightful and playful and sort of profane in a really charming way. Misery always struck me as a really fun book, a really fun read. That was one of the first things that I remember reading of Stephen King’s as a kid. I was probably about 15 or 14 or so, and I read Misery and really got a kick out of that."
He goes on, "My father (Psycho star Anthony Perkins) read a lot of paperback books. He was not big on television, and so he read a lot. So there was always books around, and the iconic cover — the Pet Sematary cover with the cat’s face and misspelled kid’s handwriting — always made an impression on me."
Let us remind you that The Monkey by Oz Perkins will hit theaters on February 21, distributed by Neon.
