The horror movie market already seems crowded despite us only being in the second month of the year. If anything, it just proves that horror continues to be a thriving genre and a reliable performer at the box office. Looking to keep up that trend isThe Monkey, Osgood Perkins' adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 short story, which has already broken at least one box office record for horror movies this year.
According to a post onFandango’s official Instagram,The Monkeyhas become the best-selling horror movie of 2025in terms of early ticket sales. Now, you’re probably thinking that it’s only February, and this feels like an unwarranted brag, but horror films already released this year, such asPresence,Companion, andHeart Eyescouldn’t boast the same, and it does go a long way to prove that interest inThe Monkeyis pretty high. If you’re a fan of horror, this is the kind of win you want to see.
Box office tracking forThe Monkeyhas the film opening between $15-25 million, but a solid marketing campaign and stellar reviews so far could have it debuting on the high end of those estimates. The tracking has reportedly trended upward as the film heads toward its opening weekend, which is always a good sign. Additionally, director Perkins is riding high from last year’s performance ofLonglegs, which also debuted to great reviews and went on to gross $126 million worldwide on a budget of less than $10 million. In the process,Longlegsbecame the highest-grossing film for Neon at the domestic box office and the highest-grossing independent movie of 2024. (And if you still haven’t seen it,Longlegsjust hit Hulu.)
‘The Monkey’ Has Been Building Solid Buzz
Written and directed by Perkins,The Monkeyis based on the short story by Stephen King, published in 1980’sSkeleton Crew, and follows twin brothers who stumble upon their father’s vintage toy monkey in the attic, which leads to a series of horrific murders. The brothers attempt to leave all the terror behind them by discarding the monkey and going their separate ways, but when the deaths begin to happen again, the brothers determine they have to destroy the evil toy once and for all. The film stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell and Sarah Levy.
‘The Monkey’ Has a Post-Credits Scene You’ll Actually Want To See
Well, that’s unexpected.
As of this writing,The Monkeycarries an 83% onRotten Tomatoeswith a consensus that reads,“Cruelly clever with some unforgettably gory set pieces,The Monkeyreaffirms director Osgood Perkins' horror bona fides while revealing he also has a surprising, albeit sick, sense of humor.“Our very own George Edelmanalso enjoyed the film, saying it’s a"horror-comedy gem"and declaring that it"cuts deep on life, death and manhood.“He went on to praise the performances and the direction of Perkins while also being impressed by its"take on modern masculinity.”
Hopefully, whenThe Monkeyperforms well at the box office this weekend, we won’t see “horror is so back” headlines because the genre has proven time and time again that it’s one of the most reliable profit-makers at the box office, and, when a really good one comes along, audiences flock to it in droves. It looks likeThe Monkeyis a cursed toy that moviegoers want to play with.
The Monkeyhits screens this Friday.
The Monkey
