Why MR. MONK’S LAST CASE Left Some Characters Out

Published: January 16, 2024

Why MR. MONK’S LAST CASE Left Some Characters Out

By Movieguide® Contributor

MONK’S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE just came out last month, and Tony Shalhoub revealed why not everyone from the MONK series had a spot in the movie.

“I thought early on, before, you know, before we actually saw the script, that there might be a way to weave Ambrose, Monk’s smarter, more troubled brother, into it,” Shaloub told Cinema Blend. “But in the end, I understood why…I mean Andy [Breckman] (the movie’s creator) had only so much, you know, so much story, and we couldn’t spread it too thin.”

At the end of the day, they just didn’t have room for Ambrose or other characters. Packing too many characters into the story would be a disservice to the regular MONK cast.

“We had to serve all our regular characters very well,” Sjaloube explained. “Shottlemeyer and Disher and Natalie and even Dr. Bell and Trudy too. And we had to serve those characters fully. And had we brought more of the recurring characters in it would have gotten a little bit diluted, I’m afraid.”

Movieguide® previously reported about the movie:

The new case finds the detective up against a self-centered billionaire, Rick Eden. Monk’s wife’s daughter from an affair, Molly, is supposed to get married when something happens to her fiancé.

“When people ask me what the original series was about, I always say it was about loss,” Breckman said. “It was Monk dealing with the loss of his beloved wife, Trudy. And that, of course, we solved in the series finale. But the movie presents Monk with an equally emotional challenge that he has to step up and address. We found a way to raise the stakes yet again for this poor guy.”

The movie comes 14 years after its eight-season stint ended. Breckman recently shared his excitement about a potential sequel to the movie but didn’t give any details.

“I actually have an idea that I’m excited about, but I’m keeping it sort of close to the vest,” he told Screen Rant on Dec. 21.

Shalhoub added, “He won’t tell me.”

“Well, we’re gonna see how this movie plays out,” Breckman said. “So far, the reaction has been very positive…We’ll see. We’ll see if there’s another one down the road for us.”

USA Network reported Thursday that the movie has been nominated for a SAG award. Shalhoub specifically has been nominated alongside four other actors for the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series SAG Award.

“While this is Peacock’s first SAG nomination, it is not Shalhoub’s,” USA Network reported. “He was nominated for his role on MONK seven times between 2002 and 2009, winning Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series twice. He’s also won four SAG awards for his role in THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL.”