Carl Hiaasen Discusses “Bad Monkey” TV Adaptation

When asked to describe himself, whether as a crank or a crusader, novelist Carl Hiaasen straightforwardly described himself as leaning more towards cranky. He stated, “When you write satire, which is what I do, satire always comes from a place of anger, a sense of injustice about things. Satire has a target.”

This cranky yet crusading spirit has driven Hiaasen to write over 30 books. His 2013 novel “Bad Monkey,” one of his most sardonic works, has now been adapted into a series on Apple TV+.

“Sunday Morning” recently caught up with the 71-year-old Hiaasen in the Florida Keys, where “Bad Monkey” was in the process of being filmed. “It’s a little surreal,” he said, reflecting on the experience of seeing his solitary writing transformed into a bustling set. “You’re sitting alone in a room writing, and now you come here and see over a hundred people on set.”

Among the bustling crew is actor Vince Vaughn, who stars as the protagonist, police detective Andrew Yancy. Living in a small bungalow, Yancy finds his view obstructed by an ugly yellow mansion being built next door. “It takes away the sunset, everything,” said Hiaasen. “And that’s all he lives for.”

Vaughn introduced Stahl to the mansion, which turned out to be a fake set. “The house from the front is godawful,” he noted, “but it’s really just a set. I think everyone’s glad it’s just pretend and not here forever.”

Hiaasen’s writing often explores the clash between New Florida and Old Florida, development versus nature. “Bad Monkey” draws from Hiaasen’s own life in Florida. “Everywhere I went as a kid, hunting and fishing and catching critters, is all paved over; it’s all concrete now,” he lamented. “I saw it happening from a very young age, six or seven years old. And I was pissed off then, and I am still pissed!”

For 45 years, Hiaasen channeled his anger into journalism at the Miami Herald as a reporter and columnist. “You often railed against the paving over of Florida,” Stahl noted. “The novels seem to be an extension of that?”

“It’s all coming out of the same place,” Hiaasen confirmed. “It’s the same fuel. You really have to care about a place to write about it. You have to care if it’s gonna be good.” He attributed the startling behavior of his characters to the “overwhelming beauty” of Florida.

Stahl remarked on the almost spiritual reverence his characters show for Florida’s beauty, comparing it to being in a church. “Very much,” Hiaasen agreed. “For me, that’s church. You just turn a corner in a mangrove swamp and see a beautiful spoonbill up in a tree. That’s it. That’s when you’re reminded, ‘We can’t screw this up.’

Hiaasen reveres Florida’s flora and fauna, though he’s less kind to human characters. He describes them with terms like greedheads, whore hoppers, and pillhead fugitives. “I remember that one!” he laughed. “Do you know when they come to me? When I’m driving. I have a low threshold of patience as a driver, and I’ll use them as a salutation. Then I’ll think, ‘That’s pretty good; I’ll put it in a book!’

Hiaasen writes around a book a year, but “Bad Monkey” is his first to become a TV show. He’s optimistic about it, even though two earlier film adaptations of his work, “Striptease” and “Hoot,” flopped. Asked if he understood why those movies didn’t succeed, Hiaasen noted the difficulty of adapting his complex novels for film. “The exciting thing about ‘Bad Monkey’ is that it’s a series, allowing for more backstory and details.”

Veteran TV producer Bill Lawrence, known for “Ted Lasso,” is also behind “Bad Monkey.” “I’ve been obsessed with Carl Hiaasen and his books since I was a kid,” Lawrence said. He recounted the challenge of working with a live monkey on set, who proved more friendly than fierce.

Even the tiny indigenous key deer, the size of golden retrievers, became a challenge as they kept stealing the crew’s food. “Florida’s the only place where endangered species line up for Dunkin’ Donuts at sunset,” quipped Hiaasen.

Hiaasen hasn’t gone Hollywood. In 2020, he wrote “Squeeze Me,” a novel about Palm Beach’s fat cats and invasive pythons, featuring a villain who is a thinly veiled former president. Asked if there was a resemblance, Hiaasen laughed and added a subtle confirmation.

In addition to writing, Hiaasen co-wrote a song last year with his good friend and fishing buddy, the late Jimmy Buffett. The song, titled “Fish Porn,” epitomizes his knack for blending humor with a deep love for Florida’s natural beauty.

Regardless of the genre, Carl Hiaasen’s work always promises a humorous ending. “I got a letter once from a reader who said, ‘I love your books about Florida. And I’m moving there anyway!'” he shared, laughing.

For more information, you can watch the trailer for “Bad Monkey” on the video player below: