The Monkey’s advertising team have stirred up outrage with their latest announcement about the flick.
The upcoming film, which is based on a short story by Stephen King, is set to become the first ever horror to screen in both traditional theatres and churches across America.
Anyone interested in hosting a screening simply has to fill out a form to summon the terrifying little menace to their local house of worship.
The film stars Theo James as twin brothers who wind up a cursed toy monkey, only to become plagued by a string of deadly accidents that begins to unfold around them.
The story first appeared in King’s 1980 short story collection, Skeleton Crew. The author himself has already deemed the adaptation “bats**t insane.”
With Longlegs director Osgood Perkins at the helm, the film is set to deliver a mix of horror and dark comedy, which is a tonal choice Perkins was adamant about.
He told SFX Magazine: “I took a playful horror shine to it right away. That was important to me from the get-go with this project, that it wasn’t going to be dreadfully sombre.
“It was going to be more comedic and cosy, which I think seemed correct for a movie about a toy. I wanted to steer away from the more serious movies about possessed toys, which don’t ring true for me.”
While some horror fans are loving the unconventional approach to screenings, others aren’t so thrilled about a demonic toy monkey popping up in places of worship.
Social media platforms have been flooded with backlash over the unusual decision to make the film available to watch in churches.
One person responded to the news writing: “Why? Is this a religious movie? This makes no sense!” Another asked: “Excuse me what?” A third queried: “Any reason as to why this is possible??”
Some responses have been more severe, with users calling the screenings “blasphemous” and even suggesting churches that participate should lose their tax-exempt status.
An unhappy movie-goer hit out saying: “Christianity has turned into a mockery of faith. Why is no one opposing this?”
Another agreed: “Yea I’m not doing no demonic s*** like that, why are people so comfortable disrespecting religion.”
Despite the outcry, the marketing stunt seems to be working, as it is generating major buzz ahead of the film’s release. Whether or not churches actually go through with the screenings remains to be seen, but regardless, the film will be available to watch in cinemas across the UK from February 21.