Actors making the leap to directing is always bound to bring out the cheerleader in us all, and Dev Patel of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame is the latest to try his hand at the craft with the newly announced “Monkey Man”. What makes it even better for action lovers is the fact that he’ll be doing so with the famed 87Eleven stunt team by his side. We need only reference one “John Wick” to persuade genre aficionados to have “Monkey Man” on their radar!
Additionally, Patel co-wrote the film with Paul Angunawela and John Collee, along with being set to star in it. As reported by “The Wrap”:
“Steeped in mythology but set in a vibrant, modern India, “Monkey Man” follows the Kid (Patel), who emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.”
In an official statement, producer Basil Iwanyk praised Patel’s concept for the film, stating, “‘Monkey Man’ is a vibrant, thrilling and above all entertaining story and we are excited to be teaming up with Dev, who has great creative instincts making him a natural director.“
Alex Walton of Endeavor Content also chimed in, stating: “‘Monkey Man’ is filled with vivid characters and thrilling action scenes and Dev’s precise vision of a stylized and highly energetic genre film will appeal to audiences around the world.”
Following his breakout with 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire”, Patel quickly made the leap to action filmmaking with 2010’s “The Last Airbender”. The film was widely derided by fans of the long-running “Avatar” franchise, and Patel himself has hardly been shy about his dissatisfaction with the final product, either. For his return to action moviemaking, Patel, who also happens to be a former UK Taekwondo competitor, is clearly pulling out all the stops. It’ll certainly be interesting to say the least what direction “Monkey Man” takes under his, um, direction!
“Monkey Man” is set to begin production in the heart of Bollywood (Mumbai) in early 2019. Stay tuned for more info on the film as it swings on down! What do you think of Dev Patel teaming up with 87Eleven Action Design for this one? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Whether you’re into animal-combat styles, monkeying about or just plain bananas –WELCOME to the FUngle!)
