10 Unexpected Actors Making Directorial Debuts In 2019
9. Dev Patel - Monkey Man
Dev Patel has always come across as one of Hollywood’s more intelligent actors, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that he’s hopping behind the camera. Having said that, he’s definitely not at the stage of his career where he needs to make a permanent swap just yet.
Clearly, whenever stars step out of their comfort zone to try and take full control of how the story is told, it’s safe to assume the movie means a lot to them. Patel’s Monkey Man though might be one of the most personal here.
Patel is slated not only to direct, but to star and help with writing too. The story of an ex-felon recently released and struggling to adapt to a modern, capitalist India which has lost roots with spirituality comes from a story his grandfather told him.
A young Patel used to listen to his grandfather tell the Hindu myth of Hanuman, a half monkey half human creature, over and over. Now it appears he wants to share that story with the world.
It seems like quite the task to weave what feels like two disparate narratives together, but Patel’s closeness to the story can only help.