What Are the Shocking Differences Between Stephen King's The Monkey Book and Movie?

At long last, Osgood Perkins’ take on The Monkey has been released, and keen-eyed Stephen King enthusiasts may spot a few alterations compared to the source material in the novel.

2025 looks set to be an exceptional year for Stephen King movie enthusiasts, as we’ll see the release of “The Running Man” and “The Long Walk”. Production on “The Long Walk” has already been completed, but its official release date is yet to be announced.

However, none of these options compare to The Monkey, led by the ingenious mind behind Longlegs, Osgood Perkins, in terms of excitement.

The Monkey’s Paw, though not as popular as some of King’s other works, is a chilling tale that you should definitely check out. Let me explain its plot and compare it to the horror movie adaptation. (Be warned: major spoilers lie ahead!)

The story revolves around a mysterious monkey’s paw, an object that grants three wishes but with dire consequences. The White family uncovers this artifact, which initially seems like a miracle worker when their son is brought back to life after an accidental death, but things take a dark turn as each wish made leads to tragic and unexpected results.

The movie adaptation follows the same plot, but with some changes. In the film, the family’s wishes are granted in a more supernatural manner, involving eerie visions and demonic forces rather than the mysterious paw itself. The final wish, where the family brings their son back to life, results in an even darker twist as the resurrected son is revealed to be a vengeful spirit who haunts the family before ultimately taking his own life again.

What book is The Monkey based on?

The story “The Monkey” was originally penned by Stephen King and published in 1980, upon which this tale is modeled.

Initially, the tale appeared in Gallery magazine. Later on, it underwent revisions and was included in Stephen King’s anthology titled “Skeleton Crew,” which was released in 1985.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d say: In this tale, there’s a plush monkey that’s got a lethal twist – it offs folks, pure and straightforward!

In King’s tale, the character Hal Shelburn, portrayed by Theo James in the film version, has a dangerous stuffed monkey which causes demise among those nearby. Hal’s child, Dennis, discovers the monkey hidden away in the attic of Hal’s old family home.

Rediscovering the toy takes Hal back to his youth, a period when he initially came across the monkey among his own father’s belongings. Over time, Hal realized that each time the monkey struck its cymbals, a gruesome death followed.

New Stephen King adaptation from Longlegs director already the “best horror movie of 2025”

To get rid of the accursed item, Hal tossed it into a well. Yet, the monkey reappeared years later, making Hal worry that his relatives could be targeted next. Joined by Dennis, they ventured to Crystal Lake. There, Hal rowed out on a boat and endeavored to drown the monkey in the lake’s water.

Nevertheless, even after his boat sank, Hal could still hear the monkey banging on its cymbals. Somehow managing to flee, the tale concludes with a news article stating that all the fish in the lake mysteriously perished.

This version maintains the original meaning while making it easier for readers to understand and follow the narrative flow.

What changes does the movie make?

In the film adaptation by Osgood Perkins of ‘The Monkey’, one notable change is that the character Hal is portrayed as a twin in the movie.

Hal and Bill are twin brothers

In the short story, Hal stands as the sole offspring, but in the film adaptation, Theo James takes on dual roles – portraying not only Hal but also his twin brother Bill, two individuals with stark contrasts.

In a different phrasing: Harold is shy and often overshadowed by his older, gruffer brother William. He even harbors thoughts of harming him. As grown-ups, they seldom communicate unless Bill phones Hal to warn him, “The murderous monkey that targets our family” has returned.

Eventually, it comes to light that Bill’s bond with the monkey is extremely unwholesome, having lost it decades ago in a well they had descended together. Over time, he has developed a reverence for the monkey and seeks to utilize its power to eliminate Hal, whom he holds responsible for their mother’s demise. He sees himself as on a divine mission to avenge her death through this monkey-empowered quest.

Hal has a very different son

In the short story, Dennis, Hal’s son, stumbles upon a monkey in the attic first, but in the movie version, Hal – who is portrayed as a distant father – meets his son Petey (previously known as Dennis) just once a year for safety reasons. The reason Petey gets involved in the story is that Hal has planned one final road trip with him.

Overall, their connection is tense and uncomfortable compared to what’s portrayed in the book. However, they must collaborate in the end due to circumstances, where Hal has to assert himself against Bill to rescue Petey from danger.

A much deadlier ending

In the original tale, it felt like Homer was shocking an entire river of fish, but in the movie adaptation, things unfolded quite differently from my perspective as a fan.

Bill deceived both Petey and Hal into showing up at his concealed warehouse, a place where he’d been keeping the monkey. His plan was to have Petey turn the key, hoping it would result in Hal’s death. However, when things didn’t go as planned and he became agitated, trying to make the monkey drum, it went into a frenzy and started attacking people throughout the town instead.

Aircrafts collide, blazes ignite, and countless civilians meet tragic, chaotic ends. Among them was Bill, who unfortunately suffered a fatal blow from a hurtling bowling ball following his long-awaited reconciliation with Hal after decades apart. Eventually, Hal and Petey got into their vehicle and journeyed home, witnessing the devastation on their route.

The monkey has a different design from the book

Let’s talk about an important point: In Stephen King’s book, the main character, a monkey, uses cymbals instead of a drum. When it rings its death toll, it sounds quite distinctly. The sound from the cymbal is the more familiar and traditional version of this toy, and it’s the one depicted in the artwork for the short story.

Here’s another way of expressing it: Disney holds the rights to the cymbal monkey design, which they utilized in Toy Story 3. As a result, Perkins was instructed to find alternative ways to depict the character due to copyright issues.

In his conversation through Games Radar, he mentioned that when he received the task, the producer explained, “Oh, by the way, Disney holds the rights to the cymbals due to [the toy monkey from] Toy Story.” He then pondered, “So it can’t be cymbals. What if we used a drum instead?” This situation is an example of how a restriction can transform into an advantage.

If you’re producing films and you don’t agree with the common saying, then you’re in a real predicament! Here’s what I thought when I heard that: ‘Wow, that’s cool. The drum is superior.’ The drum is like a marching drum, setting the pace for an event. It’s more effective than cymbals. So, thanks Disney, I appreciate your choice!

It’s fortunate that the film’s monkey character maintains an eerie appearance, characterized by large, reddish eyes. Moreover, his drumming is particularly forceful because he needs to lift his arm for it, adding tension to each potential kill. Lastly, he boasts a nifty little twist with his drumstick.

The Monkey is playing in theaters now.

To discover even more top-notch horror films releasing this year, take a look! Additionally, delve into some of the most brutal horror movies ever created, and see what’s newly available for streaming this month.

2025-02-21 12:27

What Are the Shocking Differences Between Stephen King’s The Monkey Book and Movie?