Welcome to Raccoon City’ Will Have You Terrified [Exclusive]

Thanks to their close connection to humans, there’s always been a mysticism surrounding primates. But, with that intrigue comes a certain level of fear and respect, because — after all — they could absolutely tear us limb from limb. With movies like George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines and Jordan Peele’s Nope terrorizing audiences with the sheer strength and bloodthirsty capability of monkeys, audiences have experienced a subgenre of horror that centers around the animals’ rage. Soon, on January 9, a new mammalian menace will terrify audiences when Primate climbs out of its cave and into cinemas. Today, as part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event, we’ve got a brand-new look at the latest film to come from Resident Evil: Raccoon City and The Strangers: Prey at Night helmer, Johannes Roberts, that showcases the spine-chilling fear that will grip the movie’s primary characters.

In our exclusive shot, Jessica Alexander’s (Get Even) Hannah and Johnny Sequoyah’s (I Believe in Unicorns) Lucy are on a survival mission from hell. Clasping hands and covered in sweat, the pair appear to be walking through an underground shelter while attempting to outrun the film’s primary antagonist — a super-ticked-off monkey named Ben. While we don’t know the fate of either woman, it looks like they’ve done everything in their power to stay alive until this very moment, and we’d imagine they’ll be doing much more of that before the credits roll.

Come January 9, the villainous name on the tip of everyone’s tongue is going to be “Ben.” In Primate, a group of friends travels to the tropical home of Lucy (Sequoyah), where she and her family live in an utter paradise. Plenty of sun and crystal clear blue water await the crew on their picturesque getaway, but there’s an incredibly unique family member that Lucy has kept a secret — the family’s chimpanzee, Ben. After being rescued by Lucy’s mother, the monkey has become part of the family’s life and is incredibly welcoming to his human sister’s friends — that is, until something in him snaps and he loses his mind. With Ben on a warpath, no one is safe, and Lucy and the rest of her pals will need to find a way to navigate the situation lest they end up murdered by the monkey.

Who Is Behind ‘Primate’?

A Paramount Pictures presentation, Primate, features an ensemble that includes Troy Kotsur (CODA), Victoria Wyant (Foundation), Gia Hunter (Sherlock & Daughter), Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann (The Watchers), and Tienne Simon (Death in Paradise). In addition to helming the Domain Entertainment and 18Hz production, Roberts also penned the screenplay alongside Ernest Riera and executive produces with Vicki Dee Rock, Nathan Samdahl, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, and Andrew Lary with Walter Hamada, John Hodges, and Bradley Pilz producing.

Check out our fresh look at Primate above and stay tuned for more to come from Collider’s Exclusive Preview event.

Release Date

January 9, 2026

Director

Johannes Roberts

Writers

Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts

Producers

Walter Hamada, John Hodges

Johnny Sequoyah

ASL Consultant