Apple TV+ dropped the trailer for Bad Monkey on Wednesday, and it looks like it'll be Vince Vaughn's biggest role of a lifetime.
Just when I thought 2024 was truly the worst, along comes my favorite TV screenwriter Bill Lawrence, finally turning one of my favorite author Carl Hiaasen's books into an all-star TV series. trailer “Bad Monkey” is as outlandish as the book it was based on, and there's no one better suited to play the lead role of Andrew Yancey than Vaughn.
We meet Yancy after he's “gotten out of the Miami Police Department and is now working as a health inspector in the Keys,” the trailer description says. “But after coming across a case that begins with a human arm fished out by a tourist, he realizes he can get back in the field if he can prove the murder — he just needs to get past a bunch of Florida weirdos and one bad monkey.”
Hiaasen's story couldn't be more fitting for a perfect ensemble cast, and Apple TV+ managed to rope in quite a few big name actors to support Vaughn in the series, including Saturday Night Live's Alex Moffat, as well as my personal favorites Zach Braff, Rob Delaney, Charlotte Lawrence (an incredible musician), Natalie Martinez, and Jodie Turner-Smith. (RELATED: Prayers answered as comedian Tim Dillon signs career-changing deal with Netflix)
Hiaasen's ability to deliver sarcastic, biting lines — the ones you're too polite to say in your head out loud — is just awesome. Lawrence never had to write many of his own lines, but he's the perfect man for the job. Lawrence's other standouts include “Scrubs,” “Cougar Town” (not even close to the name) and “Shrinking.”
JERSEY CITY, NJ – JUNE 01: Vince Vaughn and Susan Sarandon on the set of “Nonnas” in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 1, 2023. (Photo by Bobby Banks/GC Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 6: World Series of Poker host and actor Vince Vaughn presents the 2022 WSOP Main Event bracelets at Bally's Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6, 2022. (Dennis Truscello/Getty Images courtesy of Caesars Entertainment)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 30: (From left) Vince Vaughn, Julia Duffy, Claire Niederplum, Joanna Garcia Swisher, and Peter Billingsley attend the premiere of AMC+'s “Christmas with the Campbells” held at The West Hollywood Edition in West Hollywood, California on November 30, 2022. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
We can all hope that Lawrence's wife, Christa Miller, is behind the music for Bad Monkey, as well as many of his other shows. Without her, I wouldn't have half the songs on my phone.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 23: Alex Moffat visits SiriusXM Studios on August 23, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipaspiru/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 15: Bill Lawrence and Christa Miller attend the Apple TV+ Primetime Emmy Awards Party at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles, California on January 15, 2024. (Photo by: Robin L. Marshall/FilmMagic)
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 8, 2022: Vince Vaughn attends the Halloween Horror Nights Opening Night Celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 8, 2022 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Courtesy of Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood)
If you're not already a fan of Hiaasen, I highly recommend buying all of his books right now. My favorite books are:Native language“And I just took a breath.”Star Island” and “lucky you” earlier this year.
Hiaasen's work is truly dependable as it pulls the reader out of reality and brings them back to a world far beyond the bounds of reality, and that may be especially true considering that most of his work is set in the strange world of Florida.
The series premieres on August 14th. Please don't call me on that day. I'm busy.
