PRIMATE Trailer Unleashes a Blood-Soaked Battle for Survival with a Rabid Pet Chimp
Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for Primate, the latest horror nightmare from Johannes Roberts, the filmmaker behind 47 Meters Down and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
This time, Roberts focuses on a rampaging chimpanzee in a brutally violent and chaotic tale of survival that looks absolutely wild.
Set in Hawaii, the story follows Lucy, played by Johnny Sequoyah, who comes home from college to spend time with her family and their pet chimp, Ben.
What starts as a laid-back tropical hangout quickly spirals into carnage when Ben contracts rabies during a pool party and turns violently aggressive. Lucy and her friends are forced to barricade themselves in the pool, coming up with desperate ways to survive the horrifying attack.
The synopsis reads: “When she returns home from college, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) reunites with her family and reconnects with their pet: a chimpanzee named Ben. During a party, the primate contracts rabies and becomes very aggressive.
“Lucy and her friends will have to barricade themselves in the pool, devising different strategies in order to survive. A tropical vacation that will end up turning into a terrifying primitive story of horror and survival.”
It’s pretty much Stephen King’s Cujo, but with a smart rabid chimp instead of a rabid dog.
The cast also includes Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur as Lucy’s father, along with Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, and Tienne Simon.
Primate recently premiered at Fantastic Fest 2025 and made a bloody impression at the Sitges Film Festival, where it was praised for its unrelenting violence and old-school creature feature energy.
Roberts, who co-wrote the script with Ernest Riera, seems to have crafted another nail-biting experience built on tension, chaos, and sheer panic.
If you’re into survival horror packed with nerve-shredding intensity and a vicious twist, this one’s a must-watch when it hits theaters on January 9, 2026.