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The Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey, starring Vince Vaughn, combines elements of comedy and murder mystery, drawing comparisons to the successful Knives Out franchise. Since its debut in 2019, Rian Johnson’s detective movies starring Daniel Craig have captivated audiences, with a sequel planned for 2025 that continues the adventures of the eccentric sleuth Benoit Blanc. While Bad Monkey is just beginning its journey, it shows potential for a similar path of success.
Vaughn portrays Andrew Yancy, a disgraced detective on a quest to reclaim his former position. This adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s novel features Bill Lawrence, known for his work on Ted Lasso, in a leading creative role. Currently announced as a limited series with only 10 episodes, Bad Monkey may have a predetermined endpoint. However, the lack of further source material does not entirely eliminate the possibility of Vaughn reprising his role in future projects.
Andrew Yancy from Bad Monkey May Evolve Into a New Benoit Blanc
Vince Vaughn’s character has the potential for future stories beyond the Apple TV+ miniseries
One of the strengths of Johnson’s Knives Out model is that its lead character can be used in various standalone narratives, allowing for fresh supporting characters in each installment. This format offers intriguing possibilities for future sequels. Vaughn’s character, Yancy, could perhaps venture into another storyline, as Hiaasen published a standalone sequel titled Razor Girl in 2016.
The novel Razor Girl, released three years after Bad Monkey, examines new cases while loosely referencing events from the earlier story. The connection between the two narratives resembles the relationship between Knives Out and Glass Onion, where different settings and characters create an expansive universe. In a potential Razor Girl adaptation, Yancy could engage with new characters while maintaining continuity, which aligns with how Benoit Blanc’s stories unfold.
Knives Out/Bad Monkey Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes
Title
Release Year
Rotten Tomatoes Rating
Knives Out
2019
97%
Glass Onion
2022
91%
Bad Monkey
2024
92%
Wake Up Dead Man
2025
TBC
Converting Razor Girl into a Standalone Series Seems More Practical Than a Bad Monkey Season 2
Continuing Bad Monkey as is would present challenges due to limited source material
As a limited series, adapting the entirety of Bad Monkey makes sense for Apple TV+. Should the series find significant success and warrant further exploration, pursuing a second season could prove complicated, given the absence of additional relatable source content. A more viable direction would be to represent Vaughn’s character in a Razor Girl series instead. Lawrence has expressed intentions in discussions about possibly transforming Razor Girl into a TV series following Bad Monkey.
Lawrence noted, “The first season is Bad Monkey, which Carl wrote with a beginning, middle, and end. But Carl was my favorite author as a kid, and he wrote a sequel to Bad Monkey called Razor Girl that we also have. I don’t want to get caught in the thing where you’re like, ‘It’s okay that there’s no other book! We’ll do another year and it’ll be great!’”
It appears that Lawrence is prepared to bring Hiaasen’s sequel to life, indicating a desire to explore the novel’s themes and characters further. While the first season of Bad Monkey could tie up Yancy’s journey, the prospect of a Razor Girl adaptation offers a seamless continuation that aligns with the storytelling model established by Knives Out.
Source: MSN
Release Schedule for Apple TV+’s Bad Monkey
Episode
Title
Release Date (2024)
1
The Floating-Human-Body-Parts Capital of America
August 14
2
A Hundred Bucks Says You Won’t
August 14
3
Nobody Said He Was Alvin Einstein
August 21
4
Nothing’s Wrong With It, I Just Don’t Need It Anymore
August 28
5
That Damn Arm is Back
September 4
6
TBA
September 11
7
TBA
September 18
8
TBA
September 25
9
TBA
October 2
10
TBA
October 9
Source
screenrant.com