Bad Monkey, Bill Lawrence‘s adaptation of the Carl Hiaasen 2013 novel of the same thing and a longtime passion project for the power producer, is finally set to premiere. Having firmed up plans for its Aug. 14 release, Apple TV+ dropped the first trailer for the project on Wednesday.
The Florida-set dramedy mystery tells the story of Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn), a former Miami P.D. detective whose transfer to the Keys quickly resulted in him getting bounced from the force entirely to work as a health inspector. When a privileged tourist hooks a human arm on a fishing trip, Yancy is drawn into a murder mystery whose resolution he thinks might earn back his badge.
Filling out the comically large ensemble of oddball characters related to the case are L. Scott Caldwell, Rob Delaney, Meredith Hagner, Natalie Martinez, Alex Moffat , Michelle Monaghan, Ronald Peet and a capuchin playing the titular primate. Guest stars include Scrubs alum and repeat Lawrence collaborator Zach Braff, Ashley Nicole Black, Scott Glenn, John Ortiz and Lawrence’s singer-songwriter daughter, Charlotte Lawrence. Bad Monkey marks the young Lawrence’s television debut.
The ten-episode order will roll out weekly after the first two drop on Aug. 14. It’s an auspicious premiere date for Apple TV+, which will have just wrapped its successful update on Presumed Innocent — recently renewed for a second season. Like Presumed Innocent, Bad Monkey is part of the payload of series Apple managed to film before 2023 strikes for a rather flush 2024 calendar.
Lawrence’s third series at Apple TV+ following flagship Ted Lasso and follow-up Shrinking, Bad Monkey also hails from Warner Bros Television and Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Just two months ago, Lawrence sold a comedy starring Steve Carell to HBO.
Despite a substantial catalogue of mystery novels, for which there has been no shortage of attempts to develop, this marks Hiassan’s first TV adaptation. One of his children’s books, Hoot, was made as a feature in 2006.
