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6th August 2024
01:09pm BST
Longlegs is without a doubt one of this year's biggest cinema success stories.
Made on a moderately low budget of $10 million by writer-director Osgood Perkins - a cult figure in movie circles known for making niche, eerily nightmarish, slow-burn horrors - the film far exceeded expectations.
This is thanks to Longlegs' distributor Neon's brilliantly enigmatic marketing campaign that helped ratchet up interest in the project, as well as the movie's strong early reviews and word-of-mouth, its casting of Nicolas Cage going full gonzo and its logline which is basically 'what if Silence of the Lambs but supernatural'.
Not only did it earn raves from critics - we here at JOE called it "the first 5/5 thriller of 2024" - it has grossed over $80 million at the worldwide box office to date.
So, what is next for Perkins? Well, he already had two more films in the can prior to Longlegs - one of which is an adaptation of legendary horror writer Stephen King.
That movie is titled The Monkey, which is based on the King story of the same name that appeared in his short fiction collection Skeleton Crew back in 1985.
The logline for the film reads:
"After stumbling upon their father's vintage toy monkey in the attic, twin brothers Hal and Bill (both played by Theo James - The Gentleman, The White Lotus) witness a string of horrifying deaths unfolding around them. In an attempt to leave the haunting behind, the brothers opt to discard the monkey and pursue separate paths over time.
"However, when the inexplicable deaths resurface, the brothers are compelled to reconcile and embark on a mission to permanently eliminate the cursed toy."
Produced by another horror icon in James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring), The Monkey also stars Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), Sarah Levy (Schitt's Creek) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black).
It is set for an Irish cinema release on 21 February 2025.
Stephen King, James Wan, and Osgood Perkins.
— NEON (@neonrated) June 21, 2024
THE MONKEY.
February 21, 2025 pic.twitter.com/NQvqPq57P5
As well as this, Perkins has also directed another horror titled Keeper, which also features Maslany.
Unlike Longlegs and The Monkey, Perkins did not write the screenplay for Keeper, which comes from Nick Lepard.
A plot synopsis from Deadline for the movie reads:
"Keeper follows a couple as they escape for a romantic anniversary weekend at a secluded cabin. When Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland, Possessor) suddenly returns to the city, Liz (Maslany) finds herself isolated and in the presence of an unspeakable evil that unveils the cabin’s horrifying secrets."
Keeper does not have a release date as-of-yet but will likely be released after The Monkey.
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