Monkey Man has been highly anticipated. Being Dev Patel’s director debut, the film has been soaring with critics and audiences alike, despite having not been released yet. On top of being produced by Jordan Peele, one of the most respected actors and comedians in the industry, the cast of the film is spectacular.
Fans have been counting the days till the release, with anticipation buzzing the air. Interestingly enough, it would seem that the movie was almost released on Netflix, something that could have completely hampered its success.
Monkey Man Was Almost Released On Netflix
Monkey Man is an action film about a man who fights with a gorilla mask in the underground world for money. Soon, he creates a strategy to topple the entire power dynamic of this world and get revenge after an opportunity falls in his lap in the form of information.
The film has quite a lot of potential. There have been many to make comparisons to massive franchises like John Wick, and the critics seem to agree.
This is why it is extremely interesting to find out that the movie was almost going to have a very different release. The movie is set to release on the 5th of April in theatres. However, according to IMDb, Universal, the studio that began the Dev Patel movie, was almost going to release the movie directly on Netflix.
Had it not been for its screen tests, which it passed with flying colors, the movie would have not had a theatrical release.
Netflix and Its History of Hindering Art
There are many reasons why it is a good thing that Monkey Man was not directly released on Netflix. The streaming giant has a reputation for prematurely canceling shows and franchises that had a lot of potential and huge fan bases. On top of this, even though fans get petition on petition to make the streamer change their much, it is almost always to no avail.
There is absolutely no doubt that the movie is going to be a hit. had Netflix been responsible for its release, the movie would likely have not been able, to live out its full potential, perhaps even failing to give the film the sequels it so clearly deserves.
If Monkey Man had been released on Netflix, it would have never been able to become an iconic action moment, as the streaming giant would have cut it off too soon.
