Tony Shalhoub is providing new details about reprising his iconic role in the recently announced Monk movie. Shalhoub led the cast of the USA Network police procedural as the eponymous eccentric private detective solving a variety of cases in San Francisco along with his wife, who was killed by a car bomb years before. Over a decade after its emotional series finale, it was revealed first by Shalhoub then Peacock that a Monk revival movie was in development entitled Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Shalhoub provided new insight into the Monk movie. The star explained how Monk will have changed, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how that will influence the story of the Peacock revival. Read Shalhoub’s full comments about the movie below:
“It’s Monk present day after however long we’ve been away from him, 13 years now, going on 14 years. This is post-COVID. Monk has been knocked back on his heels because of COVID. He’s older. He’s not going to be chasing down things on the street and things like that. Hopefully [laughs]. We’re going to have to write to the fact that Monk’s older. It’s a really interesting story. I can’t say too much about it, but it’s got all of the good elements that the show was always striving for with a few new twists.”
Why It Is The Perfect Time To Continue Monk’s Story
The new story details that Shalhoub teases are not only intriguing, but also prove why continuing the story of Monk is a good idea. The COVID-19 pandemic radically altered many lives and continues to do so. The story of the intelligent Monk and other characters always struck a balance of humor, heart, and exciting plot twists. Through this approach, Monk will now be able to thoughtfully tell a story of a beloved individual deeply impacted by COVID-19 and who continues to deal with the effects of the pandemic.
In certain respects, Monk was sometimes a relatable character, and showing him older and not able to do some of the same things he used to will definitely continue to make him relatable. Though the series finale worked as a satisfying ending, enough time has passed for there to be substantial interest in seeing how Monk has changed and navigated life not only through the pandemic, but after finally solving Trudy’s case that haunted him for years, and after meeting his step-daughter Molly, of whom the new case will revolve around.
Shalhoub confirming original cast members returning is another compelling draw. This could include Ted Levine as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer, Jason Gray-Standford as Lieutenant Randy Disher, Bitty Schram as Monk’s first assistant Sharona Fleming, and Traylor Howard as Monk’s second assistant Natalie Teeger. A 90-minute movie is also the perfect medium to continue Monk as it is more manageable for all the original cast members to return for instead of an ongoing revival series, as has already been proven by the Psych movies.
Source: EW