This article contains spoilers for The Monkey (2025), now playing in theaters. Stephen King is a household name for horror ...

But Perkins couldn’t have them because apparently Disney had copyrighted a monkey playing cymbals for “Toy Story 3.” “They own Darth Vader and they own the cymbals,” Perkins says.

The reason for this? Well, the monkey toy appeared in Toy Story 3, which meant that Disney had a trademark on cinematic ...

In the short story and the film, the monkey playing its instrument is always followed by a gruesome freak accident, and despite attempts to bury or destroy the “toy,” it always manages to come ...

before something happens. That’s better than cymbals. So thanks, Disney. I prefer it!” A crisis was averted and now The Monkey could go on with its grisly carnage.

We see the titular toy looking creepy and banging on a drum (notably not cymbals ... he is starring in The Monkey, and the project will give James the opportunity to play a dual role.