©USA Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection
The Defective Detective is back! Peacock has ordered a “Monk” reunion film with the original series stars and creators returning, Variety has learned.
Tony Shalhoub will once again star as Adrian Monk, the consulting detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and a wide range of phobias. Other returning cast members are Ted Levine as Leland Stottlemeyer, Traylor Howard as Natalie Teeger, Jason Gray-Stanford as Randy Disher, Melora Hardin as Trudy Monk, and Hector Elizondo as Dr. Neven Bell.
Officially titled “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” the film sees Monk return to solve one last and “very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding,” per the official logline.
“New and returning fans of ‘Monk’ will love how this creative team was able to preserve all that we admire about Adrian Monk while bringing him into the present,” said Beatrice Springborn, president of UCP, which produces the film. “We can’t wait for Peacock viewers to experience this fresh, fun and imaginative film.”
Series creator Andy Breckman is writing and executive producing the film, with Shalhoub executive producing in addition to starring. Randy Disk, who executive produced the series and directed nearly three dozen episodes, will direct and executive produce the film. Original series executive producer David Hoberman will also executive produce the film. UCP is the studio.
“When creator Andy Breckman came to us with a new Monk case set in present day, we immediately fell in love with this story all over again,” said Michael Sluchan, executive vice president of movies, kids, and daytime at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “The movie has the heart and humor of the original series with a contemporary relevance, and we’re overjoyed to work with the original creative team, including Andy, David Hoberman, Randy Zisk, the unparalleled Tony Shalhoub, and our partners at UCP, for what is sure to be a must-see movie event for Peacock audiences.”
This is not the first time in recent years that the cast of the show has reunited. In May 2020, Shalhoub, Howard, Levine, and Gray-Stanford all appeared in a short for the “At-Home Variety Show” titled “Mr. Monk Shelters in Place.”
“Monk” originally aired on the USA Network. The show ran for eight seasons and 125 episodes, with the series finale in 2009 ranking as the most-watched basic cable drama episode of all time at the time it aired. The series won eight Emmy Awards throughout its run, including three wins for Shalhoub in the best actor in a comedy series in 2003, 2005, and 2006.
This is not the first time Peacock has aired a reunion film based on a USA Network series. USA Network aired “Psych: The Movie” in 2017, while Peacock aired the two followups “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home” and “Psych 3: This Is Gus” in 2020 and 2021 respectively.