Netflix picks up directorial debut from Dev Patel

Dev Patel in Lion
(Image credit: The Weinstein Company)

Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, has found a home at Netflix, Deadline reports. The streamer reportedly paid $30 million for the revenge thriller, which Patel also co-wrote and stars in. 

Filming on the movie has just finished and it's been described as "John Wick in Mumbai." Patel plays an unlikely hero who emerges from prison to take on a world enmeshed in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values, seeking revenge from those who took everything from him years before.

"I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Netflix on this adventure," Patel said in a statement. "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."

After a role in UK teen drama Skins, the actor achieved international acclaim back in 2008 in Danny Boyle's drama Slumdog Millionaire. More recently, Patel starred in The Personal History of David Copperfield, Armando Iannucci's re-telling of the classic Charles Dickens tale, and we can next see him on the big screen as the lead in The Green Knight, an epic medieval fantasy movie co-starring Alicia Vikander and Joel Edgerton. 

Monkey Man is due to hit the streamer sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out our list of the best Netflix movies to watch right now.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Sifu header
A Sifu movie is in the works at Netflix from the John Wick director
Theo James in The Monkey
Longlegs director says he's going to the "extremes," says we can expect "explosive gore" with new Stephen King adaptation: "There’s a lot of mess"
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon at the Golden Globes
Netflix drop first look at thrilling new action movie from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, which is described as "Heat meets Training Day"
The Monkey
Gory new trailer for Longlegs director's horror follow-up based on a Stephen King story has more deaths than you can shake a drumstick at
Tom Hardy in the Havoc teaser
Tom Hardy’s upcoming Netflix action movie from The Raid director gets its first ultra-violent teaser trailer
Latest in Thriller Shows
Penn Badgley and Charlotte Richie in You season 5
You season 5 trailer introduces Joe's new love interest and teases familiar faces in the final installment of the Netflix thriller
Noah Centineo in The Recruit
The Recruit fans are blaming The Night Agent for the show's cancelation: "It's Netflix's fault for releasing at the same time"
Noah Centineo in The Recruit season 2
Star of Netflix thriller show reveals sudden cancellation after two seasons: “Such a bummer”
Just One Look
A new "edge-of-your-seat" Harlan Coben thriller series has been quietly added to Netflix
Yellowjackets season 3
Yellowjackets season 3 episode 4's shock character death is a loss for the show, but proves the series is learning from season 2's mistakes
Yellowjackets
Who killed *spoiler* in Yellowjackets season 3? All our theories, explained
Latest in News
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
Mind Rot card art (showing a human screaming in agony) with two meme Spongebob Squarepants Secret Lair cards laid over top
MTG's meme-filled Spongebob Secret Lair is enough to kill the average player from the 1990s