Leaked Emails Reveal Why ‘The Monkey’ Can’t Get Ads: It’s Too Violent!

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NEON creatively transformed a setback into an opportunity by publicizing emails about a rejected TV advertisement for their upcoming horror film titled “The Monkey“, directed by Oz Perkins and based on a short story by Stephen King. Due to network guidelines, they couldn’t show any footage of the movie during daytime hours. Since they couldn’t air a TV spot, NEON shared the (carefully censored) emails discussing their efforts to schedule an ad during a weekend sports broadcast. The emails, dated Jan. 22 and 23, outline NEON’s persistence in securing an ad slot for daytime sports programming, but ultimately received a decline: “Since all our games are in the afternoon, we won’t be able to move forward,” wrote Standards & Practices following their discussions.

In an email received from S&P, it was stated that the content located beneath would not be tolerated in any programming, either traditional or digital, owing to its high levels of violence which exceed acceptable limits.

Hello again, it’s great to hear from you! To ensure we find a suitable solution for airing on TV, could you please clarify the specific challenge you’re facing? Your cooperation is much appreciated!

Regarding Standards & Practices response, they humorously and candidly replied:

Greetings, no problem at all! In order to make this fit for television, I’d be happy to share the troublesome details (if there are any) that we need to address. Looking forward to our productive conversation!

As a movie aficionado, I’d usually approach analysis by scene, but this time around, it seems like every single scene is packed to the brim. The violence here is extreme, with plenty of bloodshed and gruesome imagery. There are scenes of graphic nature, including depictions of severed heads and other such unsettling sights.

You can read the rest of the email exchange (and all of it) in the images below.

Oz Perkins’ ‘The Monkey’ “Is Batsh*t Insane”

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I must say that the emails leave no doubt about the raw, terrifying, and chaotic nature of “The Monkey” – a promise that has been building for quite some time now by the renowned horror auteur. Last year, Perkins struck gold with “Longlegs,” another masterpiece under NEON’s banner, but his earlier indie films like “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” and “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House” are truly outstanding. The anticipation for “The Monkey” is sky-high, and with its unique blend of humor, it’s set to carry on that impressive legacy. As Perkins revealed to MovieWeb back in 2024:

The content is surprisingly humorous yet somewhat explicit, considering it’s intended for a family audience. It features both parents and children, focusing on the theme of reconciliation. Despite initial assumptions, it shares no resemblance with Longlegs whatsoever. I am delighted to confirm this.

It appears that Stephen King was quite fond of the film adaptation based on his 1980 short story, “The Monkey”. King described it as “You’ve never seen anything like THE MONKEY. It’s utterly insane. As someone who has dabbled in insanity from time to time, I say that with admiration.” NEON is set to release “The Monkey” in theaters on February 19, 2025.

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2025-01-30 03:01