Slumdog Millionaire and Lion star Dev Patel will be taking his first venture behind the camera with the upcoming action revenge pic Monkey Man, in which he will also star in the lead role.
Endeavor Content will be handling the sales for the film’s rights in the international markets while Basil Iwanyk (John Wick, Sicario) will be producing for Thunder Road pictures and Joe Thomas (The Man Who Knew Infinity) producing for Xeitgeist alongside Samarth Sahni (Show Dogs) and Patel.
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The story, which is co-written by Patel and Paul Angunawela (Keith Lemmon: The Film), is steeped in a mythological, yet vibrant, modern India and follows the Kid (Patel) who emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in a corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.
“Monkey Man is a vibrant, thrilling and above all entertaining story and we are excited to be teaming up with Dev, who has great creative instincts making him a natural director,” Iwanyk said.
87Eleven, the stunt company created by John Wick creators David Leitch and Chad Stahelski and involved with the Keanu Reeves-led series and the Leitch-helmed Atomic Blonde, will be choreographing and designing the action sequences for the film.
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“Monkey Man is filled with vivid characters and thrilling action scenes and Dev’s precise vision of a stylized and highly energetic genre film will appeal to audiences around the world,” said Alex Walton, EVP, International Film Sales and Distribution at Endeavor Content.
Production is set to begin on the film sometime in the spring of 2019 in Mumbai. Patel just recently wrapped production on the upcoming ensemble novel adaptation The Personal History of David Copperfield, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, which will also star Tilda Swinton (Suspiria), Hugh Laurie (House), Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk), Ben Whishaw (Paddington 2), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) and Benedict Wong (Lady and the Tramp).
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
