Paramount Pictures is about to give the phrase "monkeying around" a whole new meaning when its new horror movie Primate hits theaters in the United States on January 9, 2026. The film follows Johnny Sequoyah's Lucy, whose family has a unique connection with a chimpanzee named Ben, with whom they grew up and were trained to communicate. Everything changes when Ben gets rabies, turning a casual pool party into a desperate struggle for survival.
Primate premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and needless to say, The Direct's Russ Milheim loved it. Not only did the movie screen for the first time at Fantastic Fest, but it was the festival's opening film. The cast and director spoke with The Direct on the Fantastic Fest red carpet, where they explained why Primate was the perfect opening film to set the stage for everything to follow.
"It is honestly one of the most gruesome films I've ever watched," star Johnny Sequoyah exclaimed, adding that "I think that there are deaths in this that are maybe some of the worst deaths I've ever seen in cinema."
Troy Kotsur, an Oscar-winning deaf actor who plays Adam, Lucy's father, explained that it was special to be able to play "a character who happens to be deaf" in his first horror movie. Because of it, he noted that "something this transformative and barrier-breaking is perfect to kick off this festival."
Director and writer Johannes Roberts revealed that the film is "very intense," elaborating on how "there are moments that you almost go, wow, okay, that's pushing the line quite a lot."
Below are the conversations with Johnny Sequoyah (Lucy), Troy Kotsur (Adam), and Johannes Roberts (director and writer). After Primate's debut in 2026, Paramount Pictures will bring fans another horror hit in Scream 7.
Cast of Primate Reveal Why Their Horror Film Was the Perfect Start To Fantastic Fest 2025
"It Is Honestly One of the Most Gruesome Films I've Ever Watched."
- The Direct: "It's the opening film of Fantastic Fest. Why is it the perfect film to open up this festival?"
Johnny Sequoyah: I mean, I think 'Primate' is the perfect film to open Fantastic Fest because it is honestly one of the most gruesome films I've ever watched. Truly, as a horror fan, I think that there are deaths in this that are maybe some of the worst deaths I've ever seen in cinema, quite honestly, specifically one.
But I'm not going to give anything away, because it's insane. But yeah, I feel like Fantastic Fest is such a festival for horror lovers. And this is a true horror film. I mean, it is scary as hell, and it's gruesome, it's bloody. It's fun.
Troy Kotsur: For me personally, as an actor, so many people have seen me as Frank Rossi from 'Coda,' a kind-hearted father, and I wanted to do something different and play different characters. Being involved in this film, you know, people have never thought of, how could a deaf character, a character who happens to be deaf, be in a horror movie? So I feel like it's a breakthrough. And when that happens in the horror genre, it means it really makes an impact, and we'll have more stories to tell, and more deaf characters and more deaf actors to be involved in the horror genre.
So, I think something this transformative and barrier-breaking is perfect to kick off this festival. And for me, it's the first time I've ever been to Fantastic Fest. It's the first time I've been in a horror movie. And, of course, Fantastic Fest specializes in horror. And Johannes Roberts, our director, is a genius and great in the horror genre. So it's an honor to be here.
Johannes Roberts: It's pretty extreme. It's like an audience movie. I hope it goes down well, but I think it will... It's very intense that there are moments that you almost go, wow, okay, that's pushing the line quite a lot. So I think this could not be a better place for it to premiere.
Primate Stars Breakdown How They Made a Killer Chimp So Believable
"...We Had the Sets and the Matte Paintings, the Animatronics, and the Puppeteer."
- The Direct: "The movie is obviously about a chimpanzee out of control. When it comes to that titular primate, what did you work across from on the day, and can you talk about that process of making it believable, real, and scary?"
Johnny Sequoyah: I feel like a lot of my prep, actually, for the character, was just really researching chimps and just everything that goes into having a relationship with a chimp. I looked at Jane Goodall a lot, and so I feel like I went in kind of having some kind of library in my mind, particularly like maybe what to expect.
But of course, you can never know when it comes to actually acting opposite of your co-star, which I will say that we did use practical effects. But I won't give too much away about what went into that, but I will say it was amazing as an actor to not be relying on a green screen and actually being able to work with another actor.
And I mean, so much of my performance, I really feel like is based on genuinely being scared, because you never knew what your co-star was going to do. So it was really exciting, and it's a rush for sure.
Troy Kotsur: Most importantly, we were an ensemble cast, and so as actors, when we react and when we're acting, of course, we influence each other to make the experience more believable. It's not about the individual, but it's about the ensemble cast and how we all work together and have that chemistry. Really, we're trying to get out of this dangerous situation. It's all about survival and a dad protecting his family, so we had to make that visceral and real.
Johannes Roberts: You're going back to techniques and skills that have almost been lost a little bit, and so you're using technicians and people that really, I was working with people that had, like a real old school lineage to bring this all to life. So, it was a really interesting movie. It was like a proper, old school studio movie where we had the sets and the matte paintings, the animatronics and the puppeteer... You're tapping into a different time. And it was really interesting.
The full red carpet interviews at Fantastic Fest 2025 for Primate can be seen below:
Another intense horror movie for fans to keep up with is the new adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk, which was just as grueling to make as it looks.
