Teaser Trailer for ‘Primate’ Drops With Chilling 911 Call Ahead of Full Trailer Premiere
Hold onto your seats, horror fans, because Johannes Roberts is back with what might be his most terrifying creation yet. After giving us claustrophobic nightmares with 47 Meters Down and keeping us on edge with The Strangers: Prey at Night, Roberts is unleashing something completely different—and absolutely horrifying—on January 9, 2026.
Primate isn’t your typical monster movie. This isn’t some CGI creature conjured up in post-production. This is raw, visceral terror featuring a rabies infected killer chimp that will make you question everything you thought you knew about our closest animal relatives.
What Makes This Rabies Infected Killer Chimp So Terrifying?
Teaser for Primate, Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The premise alone is enough to send chills down your spine. Lucy returns home from college, excited to reunite with her family and their beloved pet chimpanzee, Ben. What starts as an innocent pool party quickly spirals into a nightmare when Ben contracts rabies and transforms into a vicious killing machine.
But here’s what sets this apart from other animal attack films—Ben isn’t just any random wild animal. He’s family. He’s been part of their lives, trusted and loved. The emotional devastation of watching a cherished family member become a monster adds layers of psychological horror that most creature features can’t touch.
Miguel Torres Umba brings Ben to life with what early viewers are calling a chilling performance. The makeup and effects team at Millennium FX has created something that looks disturbingly real—a rabies infected killer chimp that moves with both familiar intelligence and terrifying unpredictability.
The Cast Fighting for Their Lives

Johnny Sequoyah leads the cast as Lucy, the college student who finds herself trapped in the most horrific family reunion imaginable. Joining her is Troy Kotsur, fresh off his Oscar win for CODA, bringing his incredible talent to what promises to be an emotionally charged performance.
The supporting cast includes Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, and Charlie Mann—all playing characters who must face the unthinkable reality that their beloved pet has become their worst nightmare.
Roberts and co-writer Ernest Riera have crafted a screenplay that reportedly balances intense action sequences with genuine emotional stakes. This isn’t just about survival—it’s about the heartbreaking loss of innocence and the destruction of family bonds.
Why This Rabies Infected Killer Chimp Movie Is Already Breaking Boundaries
What’s remarkable about Primate is how it’s already garnering critical acclaim before its wide release. After premiering at Fantastic Fest on September 18, the film currently sits at an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are praising Roberts for delivering “an adrenaline rush of fun” while maintaining the emotional core that elevates it above typical creature features.
The teaser trailer, which features an intense 911 call from someone desperately trying to avoid detection, has already sent horror fans into a frenzy. There’s something genuinely unsettling about hearing the fear in that voice, knowing that somewhere nearby lurks a rabies infected killer chimp with nothing left to lose.
Johannes Roberts: Master of Contained Terror

Roberts has proven himself a master of taking simple concepts and wringing every ounce of tension from them. With 47 Meters Down, he trapped us underwater with sharks. With The Strangers: Prey at Night, he isolated us in a trailer park with masked killers. Now, with Primate, he’s confining us to a backyard pool area with a rabid chimpanzee.
The genius lies in the claustrophobic setting. Lucy and her friends find themselves barricaded around the pool, desperately devising survival strategies while Ben prowls nearby. It’s intimate, terrifying, and absolutely relentless.
Producer Walter Hamada, as part of his new horror pact with Paramount, has backed Roberts’ vision completely. This isn’t a cash-grab creature feature—it’s a carefully crafted nightmare designed to exploit our deepest fears about the animals we trust.
The Real Horror Behind the Rabies Infected Killer Chimp
What makes Primate particularly disturbing is its grounding in reality. Rabies is a real threat, and chimpanzees are incredibly strong, intelligent animals. The film taps into genuine fears about domesticated animals turning violent, but cranks that anxiety up to eleven.
Roberts hasn’t just created another monster movie—he’s crafted a psychological thriller that happens to feature a rabies infected killer chimp. The horror comes not just from Ben’s attacks, but from watching a family’s world completely collapse around them.
Mark your calendars for January 9, 2026. Primate promises to be the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits roll, making you think twice about every animal you encounter. This rabies infected killer chimp is about to redefine what we expect from creature features.
