Vince Vaughn’sBad Monkeyexpertly blends comedy and murder mystery, but there are other reasons why the Apple TV+ show could become the nextKnives Out.Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc series hit the ground runningwith the first installment in 2019. Since then, a standalone sequel,Glass Onion, has been added to the franchise. In 2025, Daniel Craig’s eccentric detective will return to the lead thecast ofWake Up Dead Manto create a trilogy. Apple TV+‘sBad Monkeymay be in its early stages, but there are enough signs to suggest it could mirrorKnives Out’s trajectory.
Vince Vaugh leads theBad Monkeycastas Andrew Yancy, a disgraced police detective who is determined to return to his former role. The show has been adapted from a Carl Hiaasen novel by the same name and hasTed Lassoshowrunner Bill Lawrence at the helm. Currently billed as a 10-episode limited series,Bad Monkey’s future would seem to be finite at the moment. That being said, the lack of additional source material with a shared title doesn’t necessarily mean Vaughn can’t return as Yancy in another project.
What Monkey Plays Driggs In Bad Monkey & Where You’ve Seen Her Before (Was She Really In POTC?)
Driggs’ actor in Bad Monkey had been in the industry for a long time, making one character’s claim about the capuchin Johnny Depp’s co-star viable.
Johnson’sKnives Outformula means his leading man can come back again and again without any of the supporting cast from the previous installment.Glass Onionproves the endless possibilities of how future sequels could be made, but also how accessible each individual movie is, regardless of whether the viewer has seen the others. Interestingly, Vince Vaughn could also step into another story beyondBad Monkey, asHiaasen penned a standalone sequel novel for Yancy that was published in 2016.
Razor Girl, published three years after theBad Monkeybook, softly continues the events ofBad Monkey, but with the plot following a new case.
Razor Girl, published three years after theBad Monkeybook, softly continues the events ofBad Monkey, but with the plot following a new case.Razor Girlisn’t quite as isolated fromBad MonkeyasGlass Onionis fromKnives Out. However, the fact thatYancy teams up with new characters in both storiesbrings to mind Benoit Blanc’s revolving door of acquaintances. If aRazor Girladaptation happens, it would be easy to follow Johnson’s example and isolate it fromBad Monkey, but still have it set in the same universe with the same main character.
2019
97%
2022
91%
2024
92%
2025
TBC
As a limited series, it would make sense thatApple TV+‘sBad Monkeywill adapt the novel in its entirety. However, if the show does well, and it’s decided it should continue,Bad Monkeyseason 2 would be a risky move due to the presumed lack of source material on which to base a true follow-up. Instead of continuing the events of the first book, bringing back Vaughn as Andrew Yancy for aRazor GirlTV show is a much more logical move. Showrunner Bill Lawrence has spoken withMSNabout the possibility of adaptingRazor GirlafterBad Monkey.
“The first season isBad Monkey, which Carl wrote with a beginning, middle, and end. But Carl was my favorite author as a kid, and he wrote a sequel toBad MonkeycalledRazor Girlthat 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!'”
Lawrence sounds prepared to adaptRazor Girl, if not also hopeful that it’ll happen. His summary of the situation of there being “No other book” is immediately rectified by the presence of the 2016 novel. So, although Apple TV+‘sBad Monkeymay inevitably draw to a natural conclusion, the possibility remains thatRazor Girlcould be its spiritual and literal successor. Thankfully, Lawrence also sounds passionate about following theKnives Outformula ifBad Monkeysucceeds.
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Bad Monkey
Cast
A former Miami detective turned health inspector, Andrew Yancy, discovers a severed arm while working in the Florida Keys. Determined to solve the mystery and reclaim his former position, he navigates through a web of quirky locals and corruption, all while dealing with a troublesome monkey.
