Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, surprises action fans with its engaging storyline and opulent style, featuring a skinny, downtrodden nonentity who fights in an underground boxing den to seek vengeance against a corrupt chief of police. The film references the John Wick series and incorporates Hindu mythology to critique the current political climate in India. Despite potential controversy, Monkey Man offers a fast-paced, left-wing political commentary that stands out in the Indian cinema landscape.
Dev Patel's latest film, Monkey Man, has been praised for its inclusion of India's "third gender," the hijra, a community of gender non-conforming people and trans women that has existed for over 2,000 years. Hijras are born with male genitalia or are intersex and may undergo surgery as part of a ceremony celebrating a Hindu mother goddess. Despite facing discrimination and violence, hijras play important roles in ceremonies and were recognized as a minority community by the Supreme Court of India in 2014. Monkey Man, which features hijra characters, is seen as an anthem for the marginalized and aims to shed light on the underrepresented hijra community in India and beyond.
Dev Patel's action film "Monkey Man" collected $10.1 million in its opening weekend, breaking even in just 3 days after its release in 3,029 North American theaters. The film, inspired by the legend of Hanuman, centers on a character seeking revenge in a politically charged action extravaganza. Meanwhile, "Godzilla vs Kong" retained the top spot at the box office for the second week, bringing in $31.7 million, while "The First Omen" struggled to make a big impact and landed in fourth place.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues to dominate the box office for the second week, grossing $31 million domestically and $361 million globally, while Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, lands in second place with $10.1 million domestically and $12.7 million globally. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire adds $9 million domestically, The First Omen debuts with $8 million domestically, and Kung Fu Panda 4 rounds out the top five with $7.8 million domestically.
"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" maintains its box-office dominance for the second weekend, bringing in $31.7 million and surpassing $361.1 million worldwide in two weeks. "Monkey Man" makes a strong debut with $10.1 million, while "The First Omen" struggles to make a big impact. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" takes third place, and "Dune: Part Two" continues to perform strongly, adding $7.2 million in its sixth week. In China, Hayao Miyazaki’s "The Boy and the Heron" sets records for a non-Chinese animated film, surpassing $70 million in five days.
The box office saw underwhelming performances from original movies "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen," which fell short of expectations and contributed to a weak April. Despite better-than-average reviews, both films received lower-than-expected box office numbers, with "Monkey Man" earning a B+ Cinemascore and "The First Omen" receiving a C. These disappointing results come after the hope that April would demonstrate continued audience interest in lower-budgeted original titles. The weekend's total box office was around $86 million, down from $205 million last year, signaling a challenging start to the month.
"Godzilla vs Kong" continues to dominate the box office, while "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen" debut with modest earnings. "Monkey Man" receives positive reviews and is expected to be profitable, while "The First Omen" falls short with tepid audience reception and lower-than-expected box office numbers. Overall, box office revenues remain behind 2023, with holdovers like "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," "Kung Fu Panda 4," and "Dune: Part Two" rounding out the charts.
Dev Patel, who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Monkey Man, shared an emotional encounter with an audience member at the film's premiere, where the man expressed jealousy that his son would have someone like Dev representing him in a film, something he never had. The film, which also stars Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikander Kher, Makarand Deshpande, Pitobash, and Vipin Sharma, follows a story of suppressed rage and retribution. Dev Patel revealed the challenging shoot for the film, which was released in theaters on April 5.
Actress Sobhita Dhulipala discusses her character Sita, a call girl catering to powerful yet reprehensible individuals in Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man', emphasizing the intricacy of such roles and expressing her honor in handling characters of such depth. She also highlights the unique relationship with Dev Patel on his maiden directorial project and the purity and passion involved in collaborating with a first-time filmmaker. 'Monkey Man' is a retribution story inspired by the mythological figure Hanuman and also stars Sharlto Copely, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande in pivotal roles.
Dev Patel's directorial debut "Monkey Man," produced by Jordan Peele, is expected to have a $10 million opening at the box office, surpassing its $10 million budget. Originally at risk of being shelved by Netflix, the thriller received a theatrical release under Peele's Universal Pictures deal and is currently in second place at the box office, showing strong potential for success.
Dev Patel's feature directorial debut "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen" are both performing lower than expected at the domestic box office, with "Godzilla x Kong" retaining the No. 1 spot. "Monkey Man" grossed $4.1 million on Friday for a projected debut of $10.5 million, while "The First Omen" grossed $3.2 million for a projected weekend opening of $8.3 million. Despite the lower-than-expected performance, "Monkey Man" received a positive response at South-by-Southwest, while "The First Omen" is opening in key overseas markets.
"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" continues to dominate the box office, while "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen" make their debut. Despite a significant drop in earnings, "The New Empire" has surpassed $100 million domestically and is meeting expectations overseas. "Monkey Man" opens to positive reviews and a decent start, while "The First Omen" underperforms despite positive critic reviews. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" faces a drop in earnings, and "Kung Fu Panda 4" is projected to become the second-highest grossing title in the franchise.
Indian actress Sobhita Dhulipala, known for her roles in Bollywood and Tollywood, is making her Hollywood debut in the film "Monkey Man" alongside Dev Patel. She embraces her outsider status and takes pride in playing complex characters on the margins. Dhulipala's unconventional style choices and embrace of her natural curly hair have garnered attention, and she aspires to explore sci-fi or action genres in future projects.
Indian actress Sobhita Dhulipala, known for her roles in Bollywood and Tollywood, is making her Hollywood debut in the film "Monkey Man" alongside Dev Patel. She embraces her outsider status and takes pride in playing complex characters on the margins. Dhulipala's unconventional style choices and embrace of her natural curly hair have garnered attention, and she aspires to explore sci-fi or action genres in future projects.
Dev Patel, star and director of the action thriller Monkey Man, emphasized the importance of including the third gender community in the film, describing it as an "anthem for the underdogs, the voiceless and the marginalized." Patel expressed his desire to represent the Hijra community in India as a form of solidarity and highlighted the need to fight for each other. The film, which opened in the US on April 5, features a protagonist who joins a group of trans and gender-non-conforming characters to combat the elite oppressing them.
