Dev Patelhas wanted to makeMonkey Manfor a very, very long time.
Early on, I could never get access to a role like this, Patel tellsEntertainment Weekly.
[But] to break the mold, you have to enter it.
Dev Patel directing ‘Monkey Man’.Universal Pictures
For me, it was like, Okay, Ill show them what we can do.
(He also studied Taekwondo as a child and medaled in international martial arts competitions.)
It was something that I would hide and maybe feel ashamed of, or worried about being bullied.
Dev Patel in ‘Monkey Man’.Universal Pictures
Its got so many parallels to comic book iconography, like Superman and all those guys.
Patel finally got the green light in 2018, with plans to begin filmingMonkey Manin early 2020.
Even after wrapping production, the filmseemed destined to languish on a streamer untilJordan Peelewatched an early cut.
Its a rescue that Patel says was well-timed.
Its like that scene inPretty Woman, Patel says with a laugh.
I remember when we got dropped by our studio.
You know when she goes in with the credit card at the end, back into the store?
It was like that moment.
Its like he was Richard Gere, Im Julia Roberts, and Ive got his Amex.
The final result, Patel hopes, is an ambitious action-thriller that blends bone-crunching action with thoughtful mythology.
After all, its the movie hes been waiting for his entire life.
In my head, I was like, No, I cant do it.
Ive got to wait forMonkey.
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