Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
#1
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Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
...So we're getting a movie now. This is not being reported anywhere except in this interview.
"It's Monk Post COVID," he said, "he's in trouble." They are bringing all the characters back and it will be available for streaming on Peacock.The announcement is at 1h:00:12. Monk is also discussed in the interview from minute 44:12 (but not in relation to the new movie).
Awesome! Psych movies have been hit or miss, but I guess this just re-energizes their catalog
"It's Monk Post COVID," he said, "he's in trouble." They are bringing all the characters back and it will be available for streaming on Peacock.The announcement is at 1h:00:12. Monk is also discussed in the interview from minute 44:12 (but not in relation to the new movie).
Awesome! Psych movies have been hit or miss, but I guess this just re-energizes their catalog
The following 2 users liked this post by Gizmo:
Inhumans99 (03-15-23),
Phodg (03-15-23)
#2
DVD Talk God
Mr. Monk’s last case: A Monk Movie coming to Peacock
#3
DVD Talk God
re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Here are more cast details other than a promo graphic
#4
re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Adrian Monk's powers of observation might be a gift...and a curse, but the first glimpse of new Peacock project Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie is only a gift. Full stop.
Monk, which ran from 2002 to 2009 on USA Network and snagged eight Emmy Awards, ended over a decade ago. But creator Andy Breckman hasn't stopped thinking about the defective detective in the years since. "Monk has been a big part of my life for the last 10 or 12 years, and the character that I'm proudest of probably in my career," he tells EW. "I was always hoping for a chance to revisit him the way you would want to revisit an old friend."
Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
The first opportunity to check in on Monk (Tony Shalhoub) came during the early months of COVID-19, which Breckman says led to a major uptick in fans asking about the status of the detective. "During the lockdown, everyone was asking me, and I'm sure they were asking Tony, 'Gosh, I wonder how Monk would fare?' Or, 'Maybe Monk would thrive because he was suddenly in his element living in a bubble.' Everyone was asking about Monk and concerned about Monk and curious about Monk during the lockdown."
Breckman calls Shalhoub, who won three Emmys for his portrayal of Monk across eight seasons and is celebrating his 70th birthday today, the "heart and soul of the franchise." So, of course, it was crucial that he also be interested in exploring where and how the character is today. Fortunately, he was.
Tony Shalhoub and Melora Hardin in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
Once Shalhoub was on board to return, Breckman knew they had something. This led to the creation of a short featuring the Monk characters for Peacock's At-Home Variety Show, titled "Mr. Monk Shelters in Place," in which Monk caught up with his pals and detailed his lockdown routine. "Tony and his wife, Brooke Adams, did that four-minute mini-episode from their apartment," details Breckman. "It was directed by Brooke, and NBC actually dropped off the equipment in the hallway outside their apartment."
The positive response to the short led NBC to reach out to Breckman and his producing partner, David Hoberman, about the possibility of making a reunion film for Peacock. Thus, Mr. Monk's Last Case was born.
Hector Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
But fans won't find the Monk they left behind in 2009. The two-part finale, "Mr. Monk and the End," finally gave Monk and the audience answers about his wife Trudy's (Melora Hardin) murder, leading to a hope that Adrian might be on the road to recovery from the more severe symptoms of his OCD.
But recent events upended all of that. "The pandemic threw Monk — and me and you and everyone reading this — for a huge loop, and he was suddenly back at square one," says Breckman. "So the movie finds Monk in a pretty dark place, and he's back in a hole that he has to try to dig out of emotionally."
Digging out of that hole involves, of course, throwing himself into a case (and some therapy sessions with Hector Elizondo's Dr. Bell, as evidenced in the first look photos). In the series finale, Monk met Molly (now played by Caitlin McGee), Trudy's daughter from an affair. Their relationship was very new last we left them, but the two have become close in the time away. "Molly has been Monk's support system for the last 10 years and has served him well," notes Breckman. "And there's clearly affection between them."
Caitlin McGee in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
When Molly's fiancé is murdered, Monk devotes himself to solving the case, once again throwing himself into a mystery with a deeply personal connection to his own life. "When people ask me what the original series was about, I always say it was about loss," says Breckman. "It was Monk dealing with the loss of his beloved wife, Trudy. And that, of course, we solved in the series finale. But the movie presents Monk with an equally emotional challenge that he has to step up and address. We found a way to raise the stakes yet again for this poor guy."
Raising the stakes includes putting Monk in a hazmat suit. We know Monk loves his hand wipes and disinfectant, but this tactic for dealing with his germaphobia is on a new level. "Monk, like all of us, spent a few months at the peak of the pandemic in a hazmat suit, either literally or figuratively," Breckman teases. "There are one or two mini flashbacks in the movie, and that photo (below) might be from one of the pandemic flashbacks."
Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
The movie also finds Monk facing off against a new foe, Rick Eden (played by Rome's James Purefoy), an egotistical billionaire obsessed with becoming the first civilian to orbit the Earth. If that sounds a lot like some contemporary figures, that's by design.
"The best stories are ones where Monk is going up against someone very, very powerful, very strong, and very dismissive of him — someone that underestimates Monk from the beginning," Breckman says. "In this world, there's no one more powerful than these Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos type of characters. In this case, the James Purefoy character is building a rocket. He's sending himself into space."
Ted Levine and James Purefoy in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
Adds Breckman: "You might be interested to know that when I pitched this story to Peacock, the first thing I said in the pitch was that the rocket never takes off because I wanted to reassure them it was not going to cost $300 million."
While Purefoy and McGee are new to the proceedings, most of the cast will be familiar to Monk fans. Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), and Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) are all back. And while Sharona (Bitty Schram) isn't in any of these first-look images, Breckman assures us that Adrian's first nurse, who went on to marry Randy, will make an appearance.
Traylor Howard, Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, and Ted Levine in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
"We really did feel like we were getting the band back together," he muses. "We only had an hour and a half so we had to be a little selective, but Sharona is a presence in the movie, and we're happy to see her. I wish she was in more, but she's there. As for Monk's Brother Ambrose (John Turturro), that might be reason enough to hope for a sequel to this movie since we didn't get to see him again."
That's right – the TV movie might be titled Mr. Monk's Last Case, but Breckman is certainly hoping that won't be literal, just as the series finale — the title of which includes the words "the end" — has not turned out to be that.
"'The End' was not the end and the 'Last Case' we hope is not really the last case," he says. "I have an idea for a sequel that I'd love to do, and if the gods smile on this project, I hope we get a chance to continue our journey."
As long as there are plenty of wet wipes.
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie debuts Dec. 8 on Peacock.
Monk, which ran from 2002 to 2009 on USA Network and snagged eight Emmy Awards, ended over a decade ago. But creator Andy Breckman hasn't stopped thinking about the defective detective in the years since. "Monk has been a big part of my life for the last 10 or 12 years, and the character that I'm proudest of probably in my career," he tells EW. "I was always hoping for a chance to revisit him the way you would want to revisit an old friend."
Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
The first opportunity to check in on Monk (Tony Shalhoub) came during the early months of COVID-19, which Breckman says led to a major uptick in fans asking about the status of the detective. "During the lockdown, everyone was asking me, and I'm sure they were asking Tony, 'Gosh, I wonder how Monk would fare?' Or, 'Maybe Monk would thrive because he was suddenly in his element living in a bubble.' Everyone was asking about Monk and concerned about Monk and curious about Monk during the lockdown."
Breckman calls Shalhoub, who won three Emmys for his portrayal of Monk across eight seasons and is celebrating his 70th birthday today, the "heart and soul of the franchise." So, of course, it was crucial that he also be interested in exploring where and how the character is today. Fortunately, he was.
Tony Shalhoub and Melora Hardin in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
Once Shalhoub was on board to return, Breckman knew they had something. This led to the creation of a short featuring the Monk characters for Peacock's At-Home Variety Show, titled "Mr. Monk Shelters in Place," in which Monk caught up with his pals and detailed his lockdown routine. "Tony and his wife, Brooke Adams, did that four-minute mini-episode from their apartment," details Breckman. "It was directed by Brooke, and NBC actually dropped off the equipment in the hallway outside their apartment."
The positive response to the short led NBC to reach out to Breckman and his producing partner, David Hoberman, about the possibility of making a reunion film for Peacock. Thus, Mr. Monk's Last Case was born.
Hector Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
But fans won't find the Monk they left behind in 2009. The two-part finale, "Mr. Monk and the End," finally gave Monk and the audience answers about his wife Trudy's (Melora Hardin) murder, leading to a hope that Adrian might be on the road to recovery from the more severe symptoms of his OCD.
But recent events upended all of that. "The pandemic threw Monk — and me and you and everyone reading this — for a huge loop, and he was suddenly back at square one," says Breckman. "So the movie finds Monk in a pretty dark place, and he's back in a hole that he has to try to dig out of emotionally."
Digging out of that hole involves, of course, throwing himself into a case (and some therapy sessions with Hector Elizondo's Dr. Bell, as evidenced in the first look photos). In the series finale, Monk met Molly (now played by Caitlin McGee), Trudy's daughter from an affair. Their relationship was very new last we left them, but the two have become close in the time away. "Molly has been Monk's support system for the last 10 years and has served him well," notes Breckman. "And there's clearly affection between them."
Caitlin McGee in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
When Molly's fiancé is murdered, Monk devotes himself to solving the case, once again throwing himself into a mystery with a deeply personal connection to his own life. "When people ask me what the original series was about, I always say it was about loss," says Breckman. "It was Monk dealing with the loss of his beloved wife, Trudy. And that, of course, we solved in the series finale. But the movie presents Monk with an equally emotional challenge that he has to step up and address. We found a way to raise the stakes yet again for this poor guy."
Raising the stakes includes putting Monk in a hazmat suit. We know Monk loves his hand wipes and disinfectant, but this tactic for dealing with his germaphobia is on a new level. "Monk, like all of us, spent a few months at the peak of the pandemic in a hazmat suit, either literally or figuratively," Breckman teases. "There are one or two mini flashbacks in the movie, and that photo (below) might be from one of the pandemic flashbacks."
Tony Shalhoub in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
The movie also finds Monk facing off against a new foe, Rick Eden (played by Rome's James Purefoy), an egotistical billionaire obsessed with becoming the first civilian to orbit the Earth. If that sounds a lot like some contemporary figures, that's by design.
"The best stories are ones where Monk is going up against someone very, very powerful, very strong, and very dismissive of him — someone that underestimates Monk from the beginning," Breckman says. "In this world, there's no one more powerful than these Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos type of characters. In this case, the James Purefoy character is building a rocket. He's sending himself into space."
Ted Levine and James Purefoy in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
Adds Breckman: "You might be interested to know that when I pitched this story to Peacock, the first thing I said in the pitch was that the rocket never takes off because I wanted to reassure them it was not going to cost $300 million."
While Purefoy and McGee are new to the proceedings, most of the cast will be familiar to Monk fans. Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), and Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) are all back. And while Sharona (Bitty Schram) isn't in any of these first-look images, Breckman assures us that Adrian's first nurse, who went on to marry Randy, will make an appearance.
Traylor Howard, Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, and Ted Levine in 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie'
"We really did feel like we were getting the band back together," he muses. "We only had an hour and a half so we had to be a little selective, but Sharona is a presence in the movie, and we're happy to see her. I wish she was in more, but she's there. As for Monk's Brother Ambrose (John Turturro), that might be reason enough to hope for a sequel to this movie since we didn't get to see him again."
That's right – the TV movie might be titled Mr. Monk's Last Case, but Breckman is certainly hoping that won't be literal, just as the series finale — the title of which includes the words "the end" — has not turned out to be that.
"'The End' was not the end and the 'Last Case' we hope is not really the last case," he says. "I have an idea for a sequel that I'd love to do, and if the gods smile on this project, I hope we get a chance to continue our journey."
As long as there are plenty of wet wipes.
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie debuts Dec. 8 on Peacock.
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Inhumans99 (10-09-23)
#5
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
In this follow-up movie, Monk - a brilliant San Francisco-based detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder, returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved Stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.
Monk Synopsis: Adrian Monk (Emmy®-winner Tony Shalhoub) was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic and still-unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, the devastated Monk becomes obsessive-compulsive. His psychological disorder has caused him to develop an abnormal fear of virtually everything: germs, heights, crowds... even milk. Monk's condition costs him his job, but he's back as a police consultant despite the unique challenges he encounters in his everyday life. These challenges lead Monk to hire a personal nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), who is always there to offer her assistance, even with the simplest of tasks (like organizing his sock drawer). Her less-than-subtle prodding keeps the "defective detective" on track in his investigations, as well as in his efforts to convince Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) to allow him to return to the force.
Monk Synopsis: Adrian Monk (Emmy®-winner Tony Shalhoub) was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic and still-unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, the devastated Monk becomes obsessive-compulsive. His psychological disorder has caused him to develop an abnormal fear of virtually everything: germs, heights, crowds... even milk. Monk's condition costs him his job, but he's back as a police consultant despite the unique challenges he encounters in his everyday life. These challenges lead Monk to hire a personal nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), who is always there to offer her assistance, even with the simplest of tasks (like organizing his sock drawer). Her less-than-subtle prodding keeps the "defective detective" on track in his investigations, as well as in his efforts to convince Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) to allow him to return to the force.
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Shalhoub doesn't look like he's aged too terribly much from 55 to 70.
#7
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
I am genuinely looking forward to watching this when it is first released. A great way to spend a Friday night.
#8
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
I always liked the character, but never liked the show, since everything was comedic. I would have liked Monk in a serious setting. In a movie I can deal with a comedic setting, but not for a whole season.
#9
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
#10
Senior Member
Mr. Monk's Last Case
I didn't care for it. It's meant to be elegiac but comes off as forlorn. It's nice to see the original actors but they've gotten old. You can see it in the way they move. The plot is ridiculous. I have no doubt Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk can be terrible people but I don't see them murdering a reporter. Has a heartwarming ending that leaves open a sequel.
#11
Re: Mr. Monk's Last Case
I didn't care for it. It's meant to be elegiac but comes off as forlorn. It's nice to see the original actors but they've gotten old. You can see it in the way they move. The plot is ridiculous. I have no doubt Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk can be terrible people but I don't see them murdering a reporter. Has a heartwarming ending that leaves open a sequel.
Sounds like they should've had a quality writer and really vetted stories, versus what you saw.
#12
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
I liked seeing all the characters back but found the movie to be fairly dark which really isn't Monk. Poor Molly. Her reporter mom was killed and now her reporter husband.
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
I thought this was fine. I groaned at the scene where
, but otherwise this was harmless fun. I never saw much of the original series, so I can't really comment on the quality compared to the old shows.
Spoiler:
#14
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
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Shannon Nutt (12-14-23)
#15
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Watched this with the family today after Christmas dinner. It was fun seeing the characters again and I thought they mostly looked great and fell back into their roles easily. I could have done without the darker aspects of the story (Monk's suicide ideation), but it was okay in the end. Lots of good laughs with the bits about his OCD-ness, though, like the tennis court light switches and his personal free-standing hand sanitizer dispenser, and the COVID flashback. I wish we could have had a scene with Julie--even just a video call with Natalie maybe. The scene with Monk and his shrink was great. There were plenty of goofy bits like the blow-up doll and Randy's Lego bridge.
I'd love to see a new movie every couple of years or, heck, I'd watch a new ongoing series if they made one.
I'd love to see a new movie every couple of years or, heck, I'd watch a new ongoing series if they made one.
#16
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Disher’s theory was idiotic, even for him. The first person to jump would have been killed if the entire bridge was lowered.
#17
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
However, Disher was so proud of his theory, and dismantling other lego sets to build his hydraulic bridge was too funny, and that grin he had on his face as he kept raising/lowering the bridge was just great.
I did not immediately watch, but when I did get around to watching I found that I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It brought back most of the main cast, and you can sadly understand how someone like Monk might finally be at the point where he wants to join his beloved in the great beyond.
I also would not mind if this was not Monk's last case, however, I am also glad that it feels like the door was left open for more films.
Monk getting to use his permanent Visitor pass to the police station is awesome, along with his getting a dog that is basically the animal world version of Monk was sweet.
I know the critics were a bit down on this movie, but it was not a chore to watch in one sitting. I caught up with most/all of the Monk episodes in re-runs over the years, so I was primed to enjoy this film.
I did not immediately watch, but when I did get around to watching I found that I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It brought back most of the main cast, and you can sadly understand how someone like Monk might finally be at the point where he wants to join his beloved in the great beyond.
I also would not mind if this was not Monk's last case, however, I am also glad that it feels like the door was left open for more films.
Monk getting to use his permanent Visitor pass to the police station is awesome, along with his getting a dog that is basically the animal world version of Monk was sweet.
I know the critics were a bit down on this movie, but it was not a chore to watch in one sitting. I caught up with most/all of the Monk episodes in re-runs over the years, so I was primed to enjoy this film.
Last edited by Inhumans99; 01-10-24 at 11:23 AM.
#18
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Also is it just me or is them showing the CEO literally killing his business partner not in line with the show? At least give us some mystery as to the killer’s identity rather than the whole mystery being about how the killer did it.
#19
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
They've done it before especially if Monk deduces it early and there's a second crime. Sometimes they even show it in real time like the Sean Austin episode were the crime is in the intro.
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bluetoast (01-10-24)
#20
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
I binged the eight seasons over the last two weeks and watched the film last night. I enjoyed all of it. Monk's suicide ideation hit a little too close to home for me but I am happy with how it was handled. Plus the disclaimer at the end was nice. The actors all fell back into their roles nicely. I was also great to watch a continuation of a TV/film series where the old characters weren't shit all over.
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Trevor (01-28-24)
#21
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock) - premieres 12/8/23
Jen and I enjoyed the movie, but perhaps are too biased, as our mutual love of the show 12 years ago was a major factor in us deciding to date.
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stvn1974 (01-28-24)