Netflix strikes $30 million deal for Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man

Netflix strikes $30M deal for Dev Patel’s Monkey Man.

Netflix has struck a deal worth $30 million for most worldwide rights to Hollywood actor Dev Patel’s directorial debut titled Monkey Man.

Oscar nominee Patel will be seen as an unlikely hero who emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values, and seeking revenge from those who took everything from him years before, reported entertainment portal Deadline.

The 30-year-old finished filming of his directorial debut which Netflix is likely to release in 2022.

According to the report, the first time filmmaker penned the script with Paul Angunawela and his Hotel Mumbai collaborator John Collee. The film is partly inspired by the Hindu myth about the deity Hanuman who is half man, half monkey.

In an official statement to the portal, Slumdog Millionaire and Lion star actor said: “I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Netflix on this adventure. I hope this will be a fresh addition to the genre at a time in this industry where my story can become our story. Shooting a film during a pandemic has been quite challenging to say the least, but the opportunity to reimagine stories from my childhood and infuse them with my love of action cinema has been an absolute joy. Big love to Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for championing us from the very beginning and Aaron Gilbert and the team at Bron for giving an unproven filmmaker like myself a voice.”

Monkey Man was due to shoot in India in 2020 but had to re-route to Indonesia due to the coronavirus pandemic.