In the down-and-dirty process of making his new horror movie Primate, director Johannes Roberts brought together an ensemble of dedicated performers who immersed themselves. “Our cast is amazing,” he says. “They went through so much and were so committed to their roles, which were physically and emotionally exhausting. They helped ground this world with beautifully nuanced performances, so when the horror kicks in, it feels real.”
Primate tells the story of the Pinborough family and their pet chimpanzee Ben, who goes from a gentle pet to a deadly stalker. When Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) returns home to Hawaii after her freshman year in college, she is looking forward to a carefree holiday with pals Hannah (Jessica Alexander), Kate (Victoria Wyant) and Nick (Benjamin Cheng), her sister Erin (Gia Hunter), and the family’s beloved pet chimp, Ben. With her father Adam (Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur) called away on business, Lucy and the girls are looking forward to decompressing by the pool at the family home, a luxury hideaway tucked into a secluded cliffside. But their tropical vacation soon turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/Toiqr_T1y3w
Lucy’s late mom was a linguistics professor trying to discover language connections between chimpanzees and humans. “She brought Ben home as a baby and trained him to communicate using sign language and a special keyboard,” Johnny Sequoyah shares how Ben came to be a member of their family. “There was an instant connection between Ben and Lucy and Erin. They have never considered Ben a pet. He is more like a little brother. When Lucy notices signs that something isn’t right with Ben, she’s concerned about him, but it would never cross her mind to be afraid of him. She is a loyal person in an impossible situation. She loves everyone in her life with all of her being, but she has to find the fierceness to protect herself and the others from Ben.”
Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (who won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 2022 for his role in CODA) plays Lucy’s dad Adam. “Adam may be deaf, but he is no victim,” says Kotsur of his efforts to save his family. (Check out the “Silence is Deadly” featurette, showing a terrifying scene without sound, to show Adam’s perspective.)
British actress Gia Hunter rounds out the Pinborough family as younger sister Erin. Erin has been lost since her mother died and her sister went to the mainland for college. “Her dad has withdrawn into his grief,” Hunter says. “She’s very lonely. Ben is her lifeline, the only remnant of her mother. She was three when they met, so they grew up together. The film is scary but it’s also quite emotional. At one point she tries to sign with him and he snaps. Imagine what it feels like when a pet you’ve loved and trusted all your life turns on you.”
Victoria Wyant plays Lucy’s best friend Kate. “Kate and Lucy have grown apart a bit, which has been influenced by people like Hannah, a shiny new friend who Kate thinks is really cool,” says Wyant. “She has a nice arc of rediscovering her priorities, which is an unusual thing to find in a horror film.”
Jessica Alexander, who plays Kate’s new friend Hannah, describes her character as a bit materialistic and an attention-driven girl. “I guess you could see her as a stereotypical mean girl, but she’s a little bit more than that,” says the actress. “A part of her is a little bit annoyed that Lucy has such a cool house, because she doesn’t want to be the least cool one there. But she thinks she kind of is.”
Kate’s brother Nick, played by Benjamin Cheng, joins the girls for a party. “Nick is a 20-year-old chilled-out guy who likes a good time,” says Cheng. “He knows that Lucy has had a crush on him forever, but he clearly has something going on with Hannah. I really liked how there was some level of romance in there. It plays on the audience’s heartstrings when they get ripped into the chaos. You want to see these people have a happy ending.”
Get ready to go bananas for PRIMATE when it opens in Philippine cinemas January 21, 2026. #PrimateMovie