Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer, And More Info

One of the USA Network's most beloved television series is "Monk," which aired from 2002 to 2009. A police procedural comedy owing a lot to Sherlock Holmes (but set in 2000s San Francisco), the show followed Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). A detective with crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety, Monk was once a police officer but retired after the death of his wife Trudy. He semi-comes out of retirement years later as a private consultant, and that's when the series begins. Thanks to his performance as Monk, Shalhoub won three Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, and the finale ("Mr. Monk and the End") broke cable ratings records. 

In 2020, Shalhoub and his castmates starred in a mini-reunion for Peacock, "Monk in Quarantine." The short finds Monk, an infamous germaphobe, going the extra mile with safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic while his friends check in on him over Zoom (he still maintains social distancing, even over video chat). Evidently, this short must've sparked an itch in the cast for a full-scale reunion — and/or shown Peacock that there was still interest in the series.

"Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie" was announced in March 2023. Now, Peacock has begun unveiling details about the much-anticipated return of the obsessive compulsive detective. Here's everything we know so far.

As confirmed on October 9, 2023 (Shalhoub's 70th birthday), "Mr. Monk's Last Case" will premiere on December 8, 2023. The film will stream on Peacock, with no mention of a theatrical release.

Peacock has previously released "Psych" movies, following up another USA detective series. Reviving Adrian Monk alongside Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) was a natural next step. We'll soon know if this next step is one that pays off.

On December 8, "Mr. Monk's Last Case" will be competing in the streaming realm with the Netflix release "Leave the World Behind" (starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali, directed by "Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail). Films debuting theatrically that week include Yorgos Lanthimos' Frankenstein comedy "Poor Things" and concentration camp drama "The Zone of Interest." Somehow, I don't think those movies will pry the target audience for "Monk" off their couch and away from Peacock.

The big news for fans: Yes, the main cast of "Monk" will be returning for this send-off. Shalhoub is of course back; there's no Mr. Monk without him.

Also returning are Ted Levine (Police Captain Leland Stottlemeyer, Monk's best friend), Jason Gray-Stanford (Lieutenant Randy Disher, an affable but kind of dim homicide detective), Traylor Howard (Natalie Teeger, Monk's personal assistant), Hector Elizondo (Dr. Neven Bell, Monk's therapist), and Melora Hardin (Trudy, presumably for a flashback or dream sequence). Not on the cast list, unfortunately, are John Turturro as Ambrose Monk (Adrian's older brother, essentially the Mycroft to his Sherlock) or Bitty Schram as Sharona Fleming (Monk's nurse/Natalie's predecessor during seasons 1-3).

New cast members include Caitlin McGee (as Molly, replacing Alona Tal from the series) and James Purefoy as Nick Evans, a new character. Will Evans be the culprit of Monk's last case? Purefoy has a track record of playing bad guys (he was Marc Antony in "Rome" and a serial killer in "The Following"). That said, in a mystery series like "Monk," it's never wise to jump to conclusions or judge a book by its cover.

The supplied logline for the film is as follows: "Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding." This carries on from the series finale, where Monk finally solves Trudy's murder and discovers she had a daughter (Molly).

As a procedural, "Monk" followed an episodic formula; Monk solves a crime (usually a murder) through his obsessive attention to detail. Along the way, there are some comic antics centered around Monk's OCD; it's common for him to accidentally offend people due to his poor communication. This formula is present in the titles too; each episode is known as "Mr. Monk and X," with the second part telling you something about the episode's set-up (e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist"). "Mr. Monk's Last Case" is listed as having a tight 90-minute runtime, so I'd wager it will largely play like an extended episode of the show.

From the little information revealed so far, it's clear there's another case in need of Monk's solving, but what makes it "personal" beyond Molly's involvement is unknown.

Peacock released a trailer for "Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie" in November of 2023. Though the one-minute spot reveals basically nothing about the film's mystery plot, it's sure to get fans excited for the return of Adrian Monk and a reunion of fan-favorite characters. We get to see them recounting the hierarchy of his fears (particularly heights, which will seemingly factor into the movie prominently). There's also a cheeky mention of the fact that there was once a time when he was "solving a major case every week."

The trailer also makes a point of establishing Monk's place in a world that's changed drastically in the 14 years since the series ended. "When COVID hit, I was in bad shape," he says. Molly points out that the widespread use of hand sanitizer in public means that "everybody's you," he deadpans, "They're gonna hate it."

But perhaps the most exciting reveal the trailer has in store is a glimpse of the always delightful Richard Kind, seemingly playing not one but two funeral home directors.

The creative continuity doesn't end with the cast: "Mr. Monk's Last Case" was directed by Randall "Randy" Zisk. Zisk was the series' most prolific director, helming over 30 episodes of the show's total 125. He was even nominated for an Emmy for his directing work on "Monk" in 2005.

Zisk's first "Monk" episode was the fifth episode of Season 1, "Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival," and his last was the series finale. In addition, Zisk was also an executive producer on the series and directed every episode of "Little Monk" (a series of ten shorts about Adrian's childhood).

Zisk has kept plenty busy directing TV since "Monk" finished. On top of countless one-off jobs, he's directed six episodes of "Scandal," five episodes of "Bones" (another show he executive produced), and five episodes of the recent "The Equalizer" reboot. As of this writing, his most recent directing credit was on the CBS police procedural "East New York."

"Mr. Monk's Last Case" was written by series creator Andy Breckman, who is also listed as an executive producer. Other executive producers include Shalhoub, Zisk, and David Hoberman (another executive producer on the series, and the one who based Monk's OCD on his own experiences).

Breckman, Hoberman, and Zisk shared the following statement:

"It's been twelve years since the world has seen a fresh installment of 'Monk.' The world has changed mightily in those intervening years and 'Monk 2023' reflects the changing world. We're so delighted to have made a movie version of 'Monk,' and we are thrilled that every one of our stars were so enthusiastic about coming back. But in coming back, we wanted to do a film that was worthy of our legacy. 'Mr. Monk's Last Case' is a story that is powerful, emotional, funny, heartwarming, and has something to say about the human condition. And it will be both familiar and surprising."

Obviously, watch all eight seasons of "Monk" itself first. If you're a fan of the show, there's no better time for a refresher than in the lead-up to "Mr. Monk's Last Case." If you've never seen the show before, then why would you start with Monk's last case? It seems the movie won't be hiding how the defining mystery (Trudy's death) was resolved, so you won't be able to enjoy the series with a blind eye if you watch the movie first.

The average "Monk" episode is 40+ minutes, so if you want a sense of how the movie might be paced, check out the series' two-part episodes: "Mr. Monk and the Candidate" (the Pilot), "Mr. Monk is on the Run" (the Season 6 finale), and "Mr. Monk and the End." Other essential episodes include "Mr. Monk and the Airplane," "Mr. Monk and The Three Pies" (Ambrose's first appearance), "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (Natalie's first appearance), "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty," "Mr. Monk and the Actor" (guest starring Stanley Tucci), "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing," "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike," and "Mr. Monk is Up All Night."

All seasons of "Monk" are available to stream on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.