The horror community is in a frenzy after the latest trailer for The Monkey was banned from television for being ‘excessively violent.’
The highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s chilling short story has already gained notoriety, with four major networks refusing to air its latest promotional clip due to its extreme content.
Film distributor NEON confirmed the ban in a social media post, sharing redacted emails from network executives who outright rejected the trailer.
One particularly blunt response read: The spot below would not be permitted in any programming,’ with large portions of the email blacked out before citing ‘excessive violence’ as the reason.
Another network showed zero interest in compromising, stating flatly: ‘Not suitable for our audiences, even with restrictions.’
Perhaps the most damning rejection of all declared: ‘There are issues with every scene in the spot.’
If the intention was to build intrigue, the move has certainly succeeded.
Horror fans are more eager than ever to see what’s so disturbing about the footage that it couldn’t make it to air. Many have taken to social media to express their additional excitement about the movie given this news.
Instagram user @hannah_hamblin wrote: ‘Well now I’m even MORE excited,’ while @roomforscream agreed: ‘This is how you know its GREAT!!!’
@glumlot posted: ‘This right here is how you market a movie (applause emoji)’
Directed by Osgood Perkins, The Monkey adapts King’s eerie tale from his short story collection Skeleton Crew about twin brothers who discover a malevolent toy monkey in their attic, unleashing a series of gruesome and inexplicable deaths.
The film boasts an impressive cast, featuring Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, and Sarah Levy.
The trailer in question wastes no time in delivering nightmare fuel. It opens with a hand ominously winding up a toy monkey, setting off a series of disturbing images.
A swimmer prepares to dive into a pool, unaware of an electrifying danger lurking nearby – a microwave ominously close to the water’s edge.
In another gut-wrenching moment, a person frantically pushes a flaming baby pram down a darkened street.
Then, the horror escalates: a child brutally bludgeons someone with a hammer, blood streams from a woman’s eyes, and a character coughs up a severed fingertip.
With the official trailer now deemed too extreme for TV audiences, fans are clamoring for an uncut version to be released online.
If the film lives up to the hype its teaser has generated, The Monkey could be one of the most unsettling Stephen King adaptations in recent history.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE: Scottish Netflix actor rumoured as ‘serious’ contender to play James Bond
MORE: Beloved film quietly leaving Netflix despite spending 21 weeks in top 10 chart
MORE: ‘Grotesque’ new horror movie debuts with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
