‘Primate’ trailer is pure nightmare fuel — The Monkey horror you didn’t see coming

Paramount Pictures has officially released the Primate trailer, giving horror fans their first look at an intense and unsettling new creature feature from acclaimed filmmaker Johannes Roberts, best known for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and 47 Meters Down.

The Primate trailer sets an ominous tone from its opening sequence, introducing a group of college friends who travel to Hawai’i for a relaxing vacation. Their trip takes a dark turn when they meet Ben, a rescued chimpanzee belonging to Lucy, played by Dexter: New Blood star Johnny Sequoyah. At first, the group’s interactions with Ben appear friendly, but tension quickly builds after they discover a strange bite mark on the animal.

As the Primate trailer unfolds, viewers see Ben’s behavior grow increasingly aggressive, revealing his frightening intelligence and capacity for violence. What begins as an innocent encounter spirals into a desperate fight for survival, with the chimp outsmarting his human counterparts at every turn.

The footage also offers a glimpse of Troy Kotsur, the Oscar-winning actor from CODA, who takes on a mysterious role that seems central to the story’s darker secrets. Supporting cast member Jessica Alexander, known for The Little Mermaid, adds to the growing sense of dread as the friends struggle to escape the chaos unleashed by Ben.

With gripping visuals, tense pacing, and Johannes Roberts’ signature atmospheric direction, the Primate trailer positions the film as one of next year’s most anticipated horror releases. The trailer hints at a mix of survival thriller and psychological horror, exploring the fine line between human control and animal instinct.

The Primate trailer also confirms that the film will hit theaters on January 9, marking one of the first major horror releases of 2026. Once considered a quiet month for cinema, January has in recent years become a strong period for horror debuts, following the success of titles like Scream in 2022.

Overall, the Primate trailer delivers a chilling preview of what promises to be a smart, savage, and suspense-filled addition to the modern horror lineup — one that redefines the classic creature movie for a new generation.

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