Tony Shalhoub credits the COVID-19 pandemic as the driving force for Peacock’s upcoming “Monk” film sequel.
Actor “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” featuring a new mystery set in the present day.
“It’s been 14 years, I think, since we wrapped it and I thought they came up with a great idea for it,” Shalhoub told Therap on the red carpet of PaleyFest’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” celebration . “I think the pandemic had a lot to do with it because everyone wondered ‘what would Monk be doing during and after the pandemic?’ This is the kind of character we get to see when the film opens.
The original series will be reunited with cast members Ted Levine, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford, Melora Hardin and Hector Elizondo Shalhoub, who is also set to serve as executive producer on the project. The film will reunite the original creative team, including creator, executive producer and writer Andy Breckman, executive producer David Hoberman, and executive producer/director Randy Zisk.
“Mr. Monks’ Last Case” involves his beloved stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding. Molly was played by Alona Tal in the original series, which ran from 2002 to 2009.
“When creator Andy Breckman came to us with a new ‘Monk’ case set in the present day, we immediately fell in love with this story all over again,” said Michael Sluchan, EVP of Movies, Kids, Daytime at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. In a statement in March. “The film has the heart and humor of the original series with contemporary relevance, and we are thrilled to be working with the original creative team, including Andy, David Hoberman, Randy Zisk, the inimitable Tony Shalhoub and our colleagues at UCP. Mayur is sure to be a movie event for the peacetime audience.
New and returning fans of “Monk” will love how this creative team was able to preserve everything we admire about Adrian “Monk,” said UCP President Beatrice Springbourne. UCP, a division of Universal Studios Group. “We can’t wait for Peacock audiences to experience this fresh, fun and imaginative film.”
While “Monk” fans await the character’s return, Shalhoub is launching a media tour for the fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” set to premiere Friday, April 14, on Prime Video.
