The Monkey (2025): Full list of cast and characters explored

Based on Stephen King's 1980 short story Osgood Perkins' film The Monkey debuted in theaters across the United States on February 21, 2025, through Neon distribution. Adam Scott, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Elijah Wood, and Theo James are among the film's cast.

Blending horror and dark comedy, the story follows a cursed mechanical monkey toy that causes horrible deaths over 25 years as the twin brothers deal with trauma and fatherhood. The film is set to stream on Hulu from August 7, 2025.

The main cast of The Monkey (2025)

1) Theo James as Hal and Bill Shelburn

Theo James at the movie premiere in Los Angeles (Image via Getty)

Theo James portrays the twin brothers, Hal and Bill Shelburn, in the film. Their relationship is essential to the story because they are total opposites in terms of personality and moral compass.

Hal's silent, nervous, and guilty nature stems from their horrific childhood, especially the death of their mother at the hands of the monkey toy. As an adult, he tries to shield his son from the curse by being a reclusive, emotionally detached father.

Bill, on the other hand, is cold, clever, and motivated by revenge. He targets Hal with the monkey toy's lethal power because he believes that Hal destroyed their lives.

Actor Theo James's most well-known performance is in The Divergent Series as the protagonist's love interest named Four aka Tobias Eaton. He also received praise for his portrayal as Cameron Sullivan in The White Lotus season 2.

2) Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn

Tatiana Maslany at the movie premiere in Los Angeles (Image via Getty)

Tatiana Maslany plays Lois Shelburn, Hal and Bill's mother. She is a strong and caring woman working to reunite her broken family following her husband's unexplained death. Her emotional strength provides stability, but it’s short-lived as she becomes one of the monkey toy's initial victims. Her gruesome death leaves both sons, Hal in particular, with severe psychological wounds.

Actress Maslany is famous for work in Orphan Black, for which she won an Emmy for portraying several clones with unique personalities. She has also played Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk in Marvel's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

3) Christian Convery as young Hal Shelburn / Bill Shelburn

Christian Convery at the movie premiere in Los Angeles (Image via Getty)

Christian Convery takes on the role of the younger Hal and Bill Shelburn. After seeing their mother's death, which is thought to have been caused by the cursed monkey, Hal displays vulnerability and guilt. He plays a chilly, more calculated personality as Bill.

Canadian child actor Convery is best known for portraying Gus in Netflix's Sweet Tooth, where he stars as a human-deer hybrid wandering through a post-apocalyptic world.

4) Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman

Elijah Wood at the 2025 Comic-Con International: San Diego (Image via Getty)

Elijah Wood essyas the role of Ted Hammerman, an odd antiquities specialist who gets caught up in the mystery of the cursed cymbal-banging toy. The monkey's craftsmanship initially attracts Ted, but he quickly learns of its sinister past and power. His character provides crucial details on the monkey's origins before succumbing to its evil force once more.

Fans may recognize Elijah Wood for his iconic role as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he portrayed the humble hobbit tasked with destroying the One Ring. He has also lent his voice to animated characters in Tron: Uprising and Red vs. Blue.

5) Colin O'Brien as Petey

Colin O'Brien at the movie premiere (Image via Getty)

Colin O'Brien appears as Petey, Hal Shelburn’s young son. Unaware of the sinister heritage that haunts their family, Petey is intelligent, curious, and ready to reconnect with his father. Hal is forced to face his history when the cursed monkey returns and Petey becomes its next possible victim.

O'Brien has previously worked in the 2023 film Wonka, potraying the younger version of the titular character. He has also earned recognition for playing the protagonist in Dear Edward (2023), a series about a lone survivor of a plane crash.

5) Rohan Campbell as Ricky

Rohan Campbell at the movie premiere in Los Angeles (Image via Getty)

Rohan Campbell portrays Ricky, a rebellious young local teen in the film. When Ricky meets Hal and Petey, he gets wrapped up in the commotion around the cursed toy. Ricky considers the monkey toy like a joke at first, but that quickly changes as he becomes one of its victims.

Campbell is best known for his role as Frank Hardy in the mystery-adventure Hulu series The Hardy Boys (2020). In Halloween Ends (2022), he plays Corey Cunningham, a more sinister, complex, and tragic character.

6) Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida

Sarah Levy at the movie premiere (Image via Getty)

Sarah Levy appears as Aunt Ida, Lois Shelburn's devoted and practical sister. Ida takes over to raise Hal and Bill after Lois's death. She initially rejects the monkey to's evil influence, but she gradually starts to realize how powerful it is. Ida becomes another victim of the growing supernatural threat, and the twins grow even more traumatized following her demise.

Levy has played a quirky waitress Twyla Sands in the Emmy-winning comedy series Schitt's Creek. Additionally, she has starred in SurrealEstate, a Canadian paranormal drama.