Actor Dev Patel’s breakthrough role was back in 2008 when Slumdog Millionaire came out, and though he’s been a prolific actor ever since, he looks to be coming back to the slums with his directorial debut.
Here’s the first look at Monkey Man:
The official synopsis reads:
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, 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.
Besides Patel being at the helm, the movie also boasts Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope) attached as a producer; and it seems pretty apparent with the trailer having so many visually striking images from the monkey mask to the fighters wearing costumes inspired by Indian folklore.
If anything, the movie does feel like a cross between the John Wick franchise and Slumdog Millionaire, with a poor kid rising from the slums; but instead of a game show, he manages to stick it to the higher-ups with some insane martial arts.
We don’t know how Monkey Man will fare in cinemas, but everyone is already excited for Patel to take center stage.
Watch out for Monkey Man when it releases in theaters on April 5.
