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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title                  = Monkey Island
| image                  = Monkey Island Logo.svg
| caption                = The original series logo
| developer              = [[LucasArts]] (1990–2010)<br />[[Telltale Games]] (2009)<br />Terrible Toybox (2022)
| publisher              = LucasArts (1990–2010)<br />[[Devolver Digital]] (2022)
| creator                = [[Ron Gilbert]]
| writer                 = {{Unbulleted list|Ron Gilbert|[[Dave Grossman (game developer)|Dave Grossman]]|[[Tim Schafer]]}}
| platforms              = [[Atari ST]], [[AmigaOS|Amiga]], [[DOS]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Classic Mac OS]], [[macOS]], [[Mega-CD]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox Live Arcade|XBLA]], [[WiiWare]], [[PlayStation Network|PSN]], [[iOS]], [[Nintendo Switch]], [[PlayStation 5]], [[Xbox Series X/S]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]]
| first release version  = ''[[The Secret of Monkey Island]]''
| first release date     = 1990
| latest release version = ''[[Return to Monkey Island]]''
| latest release date    = 19 September 2022
}}

'''''Monkey Island''''' is a series of [[adventure game]]s. The first four games were produced and published by [[LucasArts]], earlier known as Lucasfilm Games. The fifth was developed by [[Telltale Games]] with LucasArts, while the sixth was developed by Terrible Toybox with Lucasfilm Games and [[Devolver Digital]].

The games follow the adventures of the hapless [[Guybrush Threepwood]] as he struggles to become the most notorious [[Piracy|pirate]] in the [[Caribbean]], defeat the plans of the evil undead pirate [[LeChuck]] and win the heart of Governor [[Elaine Marley]]. The plots often involve the mysterious Monkey Island and its secrets.

''Monkey Island'' was created by [[Ron Gilbert]]. Gilbert worked on the first two games before leaving LucasArts. [[Dave Grossman (game developer)|Dave Grossman]] and [[Tim Schafer]], co-writers of the first two games, had success on other games before they both left LucasArts. The rights to ''Monkey Island'' remained with LucasArts, and the third and fourth games were created without direct involvement from the original writing staff. Grossman was a creative director on the fifth game in the series, which Gilbert was a consultant on the early stages of. Gilbert returned to the series with the sixth game, ''[[Return to Monkey Island]]'' (2022), which he co-wrote and co-designed with Grossman.

==Background==
[[Ron Gilbert]]'s two main inspirations for the story were [[Disneyland Park (Anaheim)|Disneyland]]'s [[Pirates of the Caribbean (attraction)|Pirates of the Caribbean ride]] and [[Tim Powers]]' book ''[[On Stranger Tides]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ron |last=Gilbert |url=http://grumpygamer.com/6476640 |title=On Stranger Tides |date=September 20, 2004 |publisher=Grumpy Gamer |access-date=April 17, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723074941/http://grumpygamer.com/6476640 |archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref> The book was the inspiration for the story and characters, while the ride was the inspiration for the ambiance. Gilbert said in an interview that:

<blockquote>"[the POTC Ride] keeps you moving through the adventure but I've always wished I could get off and wander around, learn more about the characters, and find a way onto those pirate ships. So with ''The Secret of Monkey Island'' I wanted to create a game that had the same flavor, but where you could step off the boat and enter that whole storybook world”.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scummbar.com/resources/articles/index.php?newssniffer=readarticle&article=1033 |date=June 16, 2004 |title=The Secret of Creating Monkey Island – An Interview With Ron Gilbert, excerpt from LucasFilm Adventurer vol. 1, number 1, Fall 1990 |publisher=scummbar.com |access-date=May 22, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610212241/http://www.scummbar.com/resources/articles/index.php?newssniffer=readarticle&article=1033 |archive-date=June 10, 2011}}</ref></blockquote>

==Media==
===Games===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2023}}
{{Timeline of release years
| compressempty = yes
| range1 = 1990 -
| range1_color = #e16338 #e9ac4e<!-- Based on logo -->
| 1990  = ''[[The Secret of Monkey Island]]''
| 1991  = ''[[Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge]]''
| 1997  = ''[[The Curse of Monkey Island]]''
| 2000  = ''[[Escape from Monkey Island]]''
| 2009a = ''[[Tales of Monkey Island]]''
| 2009b = ''[[The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition]]''
| 2010  = ''[[Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge#Special edition|Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: Special Edition]]''
| 2022  = ''[[Return to Monkey Island]]'' 
}}

====''The Secret of Monkey Island''====
{{Main|The Secret of Monkey Island}}
The series debuted in 1990 with ''The Secret of Monkey Island'' on the [[Amiga]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Atari ST]] and [[classic Mac OS|Macintosh]] platforms; the game was later ported to [[FM Towns]] and [[Mega-CD]] (1993). A remake version with updated graphics and new voiceovers was released for [[PlayStation Network]], [[Microsoft Windows|PC Windows]], [[Xbox Live Arcade]]<ref>{{cite web|author=LucasArts |url=http://www.lucasarts.com/games/monkeyisland/ |title=The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition product page |date=June 1, 2009 |publisher=LucasArts |access-date=June 1, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602043111/http://www.lucasarts.com/games/monkeyisland/ |archive-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref> and [[OS X]]. An [[iPhone]] version was also released on July 23, 2009.

The game starts off with the main character Guybrush Threepwood stating "I want to be a pirate!" To do so, he must prove himself to three old pirate captains. During the perilous pirate trials, he meets the beautiful governor Elaine Marley, with whom he falls in love, unaware that the ghost pirate LeChuck also has his eyes on her. When Elaine is kidnapped, Guybrush procures crew and ship to track LeChuck down, defeat him and rescue his love.

====''Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge''====
{{Main|Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge}}
The second game, ''Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge'' from 1991, was available for fewer platforms; it was only released for [[MS-DOS|PC MS-DOS]], [[Amiga]], [[classic Mac OS|Macintosh]], and later for [[FM Towns]]. A Special Edition version, in a similar style as ''The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition'', was released in July 2010 for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

As Guybrush, with a [[treasure chest]] in hand, and Elaine hang onto ropes in a void, he tells her the story of the game. He has decided to find the greatest of all [[treasure]]s, that of Big Whoop. Unwittingly he helps revive LeChuck, who is now in zombie form. Guybrush is eventually captured by his nemesis, but escapes with help from Wally and finds the treasure only to find himself dangling from a rope, as depicted at the beginning of the game. As Guybrush concludes his story, his rope breaks and he finds himself facing LeChuck, whom he finally defeats using voodoo. The surrealistic ending is open to a number of interpretations. In the manual of ''[[The Curse of Monkey Island]]'', it is stated that Guybrush falls victim to a hex implemented by LeChuck.

====''The Curse of Monkey Island''====
{{Main|The Curse of Monkey Island}}
''The Curse of Monkey Island'', the third in the series, was released exclusively for [[Microsoft Windows]] on PC in 1997, after a 6-year hiatus. ''The Curse of Monkey Island'' was released at the height of some of the biggest technological advancements in the gaming industry—digital audio, CD-ROM technology, and improved graphics.

''Monkey Island I'' and ''II'' were originally released on floppy disks with text dialogue only. Entire conversations between characters would appear as written text, or as captions above their heads.
The visuals of the third installment were also an improvement over the original game, using a more modern [[Traditional animation|cel animation]] style. ''The Curse of Monkey Island'' is the only game in the series to feature this style of animation; subsequent games used three-dimensional polygon animation.

Threepwood, unwittingly, turns Elaine into a gold statue with a cursed ring, and she is subsequently stolen by pirates. He tracks her down before searching for another ring that can lift the curse. LeChuck appears in a fiery demon form, and is hot on Threepwood’s heels until a stand-off on LeChuck's amusement park ride, Monkey Mountain.

====''Escape from Monkey Island''====
{{Main|Escape from Monkey Island}}
''Escape from Monkey Island'', the fourth installment, was released in 2000 for [[Microsoft Windows|PC Windows]], and in 2001 for [[Macintosh]] and [[PlayStation 2]].

When Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley return from their honeymoon, they find that Elaine has been declared officially dead, her mansion is under a destruction order, and her position as governor is up for election. Guybrush investigates and unearths a conspiracy by LeChuck and evil real estate developer Ozzie Mandrill to use a voodoo talisman, "The Ultimate Insult", to make all pirates docile in order to turn the Caribbean into a center of tourism.

====''Tales of Monkey Island''====
{{Main|Tales of Monkey Island}}
''Tales of Monkey Island'' is the fifth installment within the series, co-developed by [[Telltale Games]] and LucasArts, with a simultaneous release both on [[WiiWare]] and [[Personal Computer|PC]]. Unlike other installments, ''Tales'' is an episodic adventure consisting of five different episodes. The first episode was released on July 7, with the last one released on December 8, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5273950/new-and-old-monkey-island-adventures-in-the-works|title=New And Old Monkey Island Adventures In The Works|date=1 June 2009|website=[[Kotaku]]|last=Fahey|first=Mike|access-date=June 1, 2009|archive-date=June 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605063329/http://kotaku.com/5273950/new-and-old-monkey-island-adventures-in-the-works|url-status=live}}</ref>

During a heated battle with his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck, Guybrush unwittingly unleashes an insidious pox that rapidly spreads across the Caribbean, turning pirates into zombie-like monsters. The Voodoo Lady sends Guybrush in search of a legendary sea sponge to stem the epidemic, but this seemingly straightforward quest has surprises around every corner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telltalegames.com/monkeyisland/faq |title=Tales of Monkey Island |publisher=Telltale Games |access-date=August 13, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605063409/http://www.telltalegames.com/monkeyisland/faq |archive-date=June 5, 2009}}</ref>

====''Return to Monkey Island''====
{{Main|Return to Monkey Island}}
With the purchase of LucasArts by [[the Walt Disney Company]] in 2012, the rights to the franchise are now property of Disney.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=November 30, 2012 |title=Ron Gilbert wishes he owned Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion |newspaper=Eurogamer.net |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-30-ron-gilbert-wishes-he-owned-monkey-island-and-maniac-mansion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103054337/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-30-ron-gilbert-wishes-he-owned-monkey-island-and-maniac-mansion |archive-date=January 3, 2013}}</ref> In the second half of 2010s, Disney Interactive ceased the production on gaming and transitioned to a licensing model. Gilbert wrote on Twitter that he was interested in buying the ''Monkey Island'' and ''Maniac Mansion'' properties.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=734843964709175297|user=grumpygamer|title=Dear @Disney, now that you're not making games, please sell me my Monkey Island and Mansion Mansion IP. I'll pay real actual money for them.|author-link=Ron Gilbert|date=May 23, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720004450/https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/734843964709175297|archivedate=July 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Fans of the series launched an online petition asking Disney to sell the franchise to Gilbert; by December 2021, the petition had gathered about 29,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hughes |first=Matthew |date=May 15, 2018 |title=Monkey Island fans are begging Disney to sell the rights back to its creator |url=https://thenextweb.com/gaming/2018/05/15/monkey-island-fans-are-begging-disney-to-sell-the-rights-back-to-its-creator/ |publisher=The Next Web |access-date=June 19, 2018 |archive-date=May 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519020512/https://thenextweb.com/gaming/2018/05/15/monkey-island-fans-are-begging-disney-to-sell-the-rights-back-to-its-creator/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Return to Monkey Island'', the sixth ''Monkey Island'' installment, was released on September 19, 2022, on the Nintendo Switch and Windows, coming to other formats later.<ref name="Verge 2022" /> It is a collaboration between Gilbert's Terrible Toybox studio and [[Lucasfilm Games]], and published by [[Devolver Digital]].<ref name="Verge 2022">{{cite web|last=Peters|first=Jay|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/4/23009951/ron-gilbert-return-to-monkey-island|title=Ron Gilbert is making a new Monkey Island game, and it will be out this year|website=The Verge|date=April 4, 2022|access-date=April 4, 2022|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406171044/https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/4/23009951/ron-gilbert-return-to-monkey-island|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[frame story]] in the game serves to explain and continue from the ending of ''LeChuck's Revenge'', while the main narrative takes place after the other games in the series.<ref name="Verge 2022" /> Ron Gilbert has expressed his desire to tell a simple and focused pirate story in the game, while also redefining the adventure game user interface and deepening the greater lore. In addition to Gilbert, Grossman returns as co-writer, with music from veteran series composers [[Michael Land]], [[Peter McConnell]], and [[Clint Bajakian]], and [[Dominic Armato]], [[Alexandra Boyd]], and [[Denny Delk]] reprising their roles as Guybrush, Elaine, and Murray.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-14 |title=Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman – Return to Monkey Island |url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/ron-gilbert-dave-grossman-return-to-monkey-island |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=Adventure Gamers |language=en |archive-date=July 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714213039/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/ron-gilbert-dave-grossman-return-to-monkey-island/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref name="Verge 2022" /> [[Jess Harnell]] replaces the retired [[Earl Boen]] as the voice of LeChuck.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-14 |title=Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman – Return to Monkey Island |url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/ron-gilbert-dave-grossman-return-to-monkey-island |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Adventure Gamers |language=en |archive-date=July 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714213039/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/ron-gilbert-dave-grossman-return-to-monkey-island/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-08 |url=https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/1556660449696854016 |title=For those of you wondering, LeChuck is voiced by the amazing @JessHarnell |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Twitter |language=en |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808151637/https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/1556660449696854016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Other appearances====
Stan's Used Coffins is referred to in one of the levels of the LucasArts game ''[[Outlaws (1997 video game)|Outlaws]]''. In ''[[Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine]]'', Guybrush can be accessed as a playable character via a [[cheat code]]; in addition, a ''Monkey Island''-themed secret room can be found in the game's final level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mixnmojo.com/media/galleries/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Infernal-Machine-In-jokes|title=Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (In-jokes)|access-date=2019-04-11|archive-date=August 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813030710/https://mixnmojo.com/media/galleries/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Infernal-Machine-In-jokes|url-status=live}}</ref> Guybrush also appears in ''[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II]]'' as a playable skin for Starkiller named "Guybrush Threepkiller".<ref>{{cite web|last=McWhertor |first=Michael |url=http://kotaku.com/5650500/i-am-guybrush-threepwood-mighty-jedi-apprentice |title=I Am Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty... Jedi Apprentice?! |publisher=Kotaku.com |date=2010-09-28 |access-date=2012-08-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015093820/http://kotaku.com/5650500/i-am-guybrush-threepwood-mighty-jedi-apprentice |archive-date=2012-10-15}}</ref>

Guybrush is paid homage in the [[Naughty Dog]] video game ''[[Uncharted 4: A Thief's End]]'', where a pirate with major similarities to Guybrush is featured as one of the twelve pirate captains that founded Libertalia. Although he remains unnamed throughout the game, the resemblance is uncanny and his [[Jolly Roger|sigil]] is represented by a monkey. His portrait can be seen in the Libertalia treasury with the other founders and though his name is partly scratched out, the letters still visible spell out the truncated name "Guy Wood".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://de.ign.com/uncharted-ps4/113528/feature/uncharted-4-easter-eggs-monkey-island-crash-bandicoot-und-co-im-ps4-abenteuer|title=Uncharted 4 Easter Eggs: Monkey Island, Crash Bandicoot und Co. im PS4-Abenteuer|date=2016-05-12|access-date=April 4, 2022|archive-date=August 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817231339/https://de.ign.com/uncharted-ps4/113528/feature/uncharted-4-easter-eggs-monkey-island-crash-bandicoot-und-co-im-ps4-abenteuer|url-status=live}}</ref>

Several elements from the ''Monkey Island'' series appear in ''[[Sea of Thieves]]'' as part of its June 2021 "A Pirate's Life" update. Developed in collaboration with Disney and primarily themed after ''Pirates of the Caribbean'', multiple references to the characters and locales from the Monkey Island franchise can be found in journals by Kate Capsize scattered around the wreckage of The Headless Monkey during the update's first Tall Tale, accompanied by an original arrangement of the Monkey Island theme. According to the journals, Guybrush and Elaine Threepwood are celebrating their honeymoon somewhere upon the Sea of Thieves, while Kate perished attempting to get revenge on Guybrush for framing her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/sea-of-thieves-has-a-really-cool-easter-egg-for-retro-fans|title=Sea of Thieves Has a Really Cool Easter Egg for Retro Fans|date=July 2021|access-date=April 4, 2022|archive-date=April 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404183928/https://www.ign.com/articles/sea-of-thieves-has-a-really-cool-easter-egg-for-retro-fans|url-status=live}}</ref> 

A full ''Monkey Island''-themed expansion for the game, "The Legend of Monkey Island", was released on July 20, 2023 and spread across three monthly episodes. In the story, set between ''Curse'' and ''Escape'', Guybrush and Elaine's honeymoon on the Sea of Thieves is interrupted by LeChuck, who traps them in a dream version of Mêlée Island where everyone worships Guybrush as a legendary pirate. To stop LeChuck from restoring the legendary Burning Blade and conquering the Sea of Thieves, the Pirate Lord recruits the now-revived Kate Capsize and the player pirates to enter the dreamworld and rescue Guybrush and Elaine.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/monkey-island-is-coming-to-sea-of-thieves-in-a-three-episode-adventure | title=Monkey Island is coming to Sea of Thieves in a three-episode adventure | newspaper=Eurogamer.net | date=June 11, 2023 | access-date=June 11, 2023 | archive-date=September 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921142911/https://www.eurogamer.net/monkey-island-is-coming-to-sea-of-thieves-in-a-three-episode-adventure | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/07/18/legend-of-monkey-island-exclusive-interview/ | title=The Legend of Monkey Island: How Sea of Thieves Is Translating Monkey Island's Story, Gameplay, and More — an Exclusive Interview | last=Skrebels | first=Joe | date=July 18, 2023 | access-date=September 4, 2023 | archive-date=September 4, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904065624/https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/07/18/legend-of-monkey-island-exclusive-interview/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In an update to ''[[Hitman 3]]'', a new pirate-themed map was added, which featured an Easter Egg referencing ''Monkey Island'' in the form of a gravestone in the environment reading "G Threepwood, Mighty Pirate", a clear reference to Guybrush.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-02 |title=Hitman 3 has a Monkey Island Easter egg |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer.net |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/hitman-3-has-a-monkey-island-easter-egg |access-date=2022-08-02 |archive-date=August 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802174937/https://www.eurogamer.net/hitman-3-has-a-monkey-island-easter-egg |url-status=live }}</ref>

In ''[[The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]]'', while completing the 'Fists of Fury' quest in the [[The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine|''Blood and Wine'']] expansion patch, the protagonist [[Geralt of Rivia|Geralt]] encounters a man named Mancomb, a reference to a character of the same name in the first game of the series.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244783/characters/nm0598512 | title=The Secret of Monkey Island (Video Game 1990) - Jarion Monroe as Mancomb Seepgood, Captain Smirk, Navigator Head, ... - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

In the 2006 movie [[Night at the Museum]], Ben Stiller, in the main role of Larry Daley, can be heard whistling the "Bone Song" from Monkey Island 2 during his first shift.

===Cancelled film===
Shortly after [[Pixar]], a spinout from Lucasfilm, found success with the first ''[[Toy Story]]'' film in 1995, there had been a push across Hollywood for more digitally animated films. Lucasfilm's [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM), in the midst of transitioning from practical to digital effects, offered its services for producing these films to other studios. One of the first projects they tried to work on was with [[Universal Pictures]] to revive the [[Universal Classic Monsters]] line with a film called ''Frankenstein and the Wolfman''. While several scripts and preliminary art was produced for this film, shake-ups at Universal due to the financial failure of ''[[Babe: Pig in the City]]'' led to changes in leadership for the film and ultimately its cancellation.<ref name="polygon film">{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/features/2021/2/21/22291761/curse-of-monkey-island-movie-lucasfilm-spielberg-canceled | title = Spilling the secrets of the canceled Curse of Monkey Island movie | first = Jack | last = Yarwood | date = February 22, 2021 | accessdate = February 22, 2021 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = February 21, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221235213/https://www.polygon.com/features/2021/2/21/22291761/curse-of-monkey-island-movie-lucasfilm-spielberg-canceled | url-status = live }}</ref>

David Carson, who had been set to direct ''Frankenstein and the Wolfman'' but left after the Universal shake-up, came back to ILM with the idea of an animated film based on the first ''Monkey Island'' game around 2000. With initial support from ILM, Carson worked an initial script with Corey Rosen and Scott Leberecht as to pitch the idea to [[Amblin Entertainment]], the production company owned by [[Steven Spielberg]]. Spielberg had told Carson that he had previously told [[George Lucas]] that he should have made a ''Monkey Island'' movie years before, and other meetings with Amblin went well to proceed to further screenwriting work. The rest of ILM's story department was brought in to help write, including [[Steve Purcell]], but this team worked separately from the writers that were developing the actual games, creating a disconnect between story the film was going with and the narrative already established in the video game series. As they continued to work out the screenplay, the direction of the film continued to veer further from the video game series, including at one point where Spielberg had suggested the game be about the monkeys on Monkey Island instead of the pirates. According to Carson, the lack of a creative direction at this point led to the film being shelved at ILM.<ref name="polygon film"/>

Details about the film were first revealed publicly in 2011 as part of the ''Monkey Island Special Edition Collection'' which included some of the film's concept art, storyboards, and scripts.<ref name="polygon film"/><ref name="RetroGamer-70">{{cite journal| author= Staff|date=September 2009|title=Tails from Monkey Island| journal=[[Retro Gamer]]| publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]| issue=70| pages=28–35}}</ref>

It had been rumored that [[Ted Elliott (screenwriter)|Ted Elliott]] and [[Terry Rossio]] had been involved in the writing of the ''Monkey Island'' script which they subsequently used as the basis for the first ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' film. Both Elliott and Rossio had been to ILM and were shown parts of the ''Monkey Island'' script, around the same time they were working on their script for ''Pirates''. When ''Pirates'' was released, many fans of the ''Monkey Island'' series made comparisons of parts of the film to the games, and when news of the cancelled film first arose in 2011, the potential connection of Elliott and Rossio to the ''Monkey Island'' script started. Both Carson and Rossio stated that many of the tropes in both ''Monkey Island'' and ''Pirates'' are based on the classic pirate movies and that there was no direct reuse of the cancelled ''Monkey Island'' film in ''Pirates''.<ref name="polygon film"/>

== The "Secret" of Monkey Island ==
None of the first five games explicitly reveal the "Secret of Monkey Island". The team behind ''Escape from Monkey Island'' attempted to resolve the issue by showing that the Giant Monkey Head was actually the control room of a Giant Monkey Robot. The cut-scene in which the revelation was made is called "The Real Secret of Monkey Island".<ref name=IGN>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/04/escape-from-monkey-island-walkthroughfaq-431821 | title=Escape from Monkey Island - Walkthrough/FAQ | date=February 7, 2013 | access-date=December 10, 2022 | archive-date=December 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210190937/https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/04/escape-from-monkey-island-walkthroughfaq-431821 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Gilbert stated that he never told anyone what the true secret of Monkey Island is.<ref name=GamespotInterview>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6153188/p-2.html |title=Designer Threads feat. Ron Gilbert |date=June 30, 2006 |access-date=May 23, 2007 |author=Greg Kasavin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930013105/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6153188/p-2.html |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scummbar.com/resources/articles/index.php?newssniffer=readarticle&article=2 |title=The Monkey Island SCUMM Bar – Just Monkey Island |publisher=Scummbar.com |access-date=August 13, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911151309/http://www.scummbar.com/resources/articles/index.php?newssniffer=readarticle&article=2 |archive-date=September 11, 2012}}</ref> In a 2004 interview, Gilbert stated that when the game was originally conceived, it was considered "too big", so they split it into three parts. He added that he "knows what the third [part] is" and "how the story's supposed to end", indicating that he had a definite concept of the “secret” and a conclusive third game.<ref>Idle Thumbs, [http://idlethumbs.net/display.php?id=59 Ron Gilbert Speaks: Part 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122075149/http://idlethumbs.net/display.php?id=59 |date=November 22, 2005}}</ref>

The true nature of the secret is the main focus of ''Return to Monkey Island'', with several characters competing amongst themselves in a race to discover "the Secret". The game's conclusion reveals the secret to be a novelty T-shirt earned as a prize at a pirate-themed amusement park, which has acted as the setting for all of Guybrush Threepwood’s previous adventures. Threepwood, as the game's narrator, is intentionally ambiguous as to whether this is the actual secret, even suggesting that the secret means different things to different people, and putting forth the notion that the story of the journey (and the joy of speculating about the secret with others) is more valuable than the reward itself.

After the release of ''Return to Monkey Island'', Gilbert stated in an interview that the true secret (as conceived during development of the first installment of the series) is that Guybrush was, in fact, inside of a pirate-themed amusement park the entire time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHmnvnfhHjw&t=2503s&ab_channel=Cressup | title=Ron Gilbert on Return to Monkey Island! | website=[[YouTube]] | date=October 9, 2022 | access-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-date=January 31, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131025627/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHmnvnfhHjw&t=2503s&ab_channel=Cressup | url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[LucasArts adventure games]]
* [[SCUMM]]
* [[ScummVM]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Commons category|Monkey Island (series)|Monkey Island}}
{{wikiquote|Monkey Island}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Monkey_Island_series_spoken.ogg|date=2009-08-10}}

{{Monkey Island series}}
{{LucasArts adventure games}}
{{Disney franchises}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Monkey Island| ]]
[[Category:LucasArts franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Video games about pirates]]
[[Category:Video games set on fictional islands]]