Why new Stephen King movie trailer is 'too violent for TV' as four networks reject graphic clip
Topics: Horror, Stephen King, Netflix
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: Neon
Topics: Horror, Stephen King, Netflix
The trailer for Stephen King's most recent horror film is so gruesome, four TV networks banned it from airing.
From that bedroom scene in Gerald's Game to Pet Sematary in its entirety, graphic content is just part and parcel of the Stephen King experience - as fans will already know.
But now, his upcoming release has caused a stir among broadcasters who've rejected the final cut of its trailer.
NEON, the movie's distributor, took to social media to share the email responses they received from network executives, which they claim refused to play the trailer.
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The film in question is, of course, The Monkey, the latest adaptation of King’s work which is directed by Longlegs' Osgood Perkins.
It's an adaptation of King's 1980 short story from the book 'Skeleton Crew' and follows twin brothers who come across an old monkey toy in their attic.
My spine's tingling already...
After making the discovery, a series of violent events unfold, including gruesome deaths, gore and even a baby engulfed in flames.
Its star-studded cast includes Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Sarah Levy, and Perkins - who is featuring both in front and behind the camera.
Anyway, NEON posted the emails to X with the caption: “We submitted a TV spot for THE MONKEY to the four major TV networks. It did not go well.”
To be fair, all four gave pretty solid reasoning for rejecting the trailer.
One response partially read: “The spot below would not be permitted in any programming,” finally referring to the ‘excessive violence’ after a heavily redacted section.
After asking for feedback the network reportedly responded saying that there were issues with ‘every scene in the spot’. Wow...
Another said that the new trailer was ‘not suitable for [their] audiences, even with restrictions’, while a third studio reportedly called the trailer ‘too violent to air’.
Naturally, curious fans were even more desperate to see the movie after learning of this news...
We submitted a TV spot for THE MONKEY to the four major TV networks. It did not go well. pic.twitter.com/zN3EWLp34k
— NEON (@neonrated) January 29, 2025
One person wrote: “This is the best marketing you could ask for for the film.”
A second said said: “Neon really the best in the game at film marketing," meanwhile a third added: “Love this type of marketing! They knocked it out of the park with Longlegs; and now it’s the same director & studios.”
The Monkey releases in theaters on February 21.