The Story Behind the Radical Last-Minute Rewrite of the Evil-Chimp Slasher, Primate

When Paramount Pictures premiered their creature-feature *Primate* at Austin’s Fantastic Fest this past September, the film was still four months away from its wide theatrical debut. Those in attendance weren’t just treated to an early screening of this unapologetically visceral, stylized horror flick—which follows a family’s pet chimpanzee, Ben, as he descends into a rabid, murderous frenzy—they also heard fascinating behind-the-scenes tales regarding its development, including a massive script overhaul that occurred just before cameras rolled.

Director Johannes Roberts (*47 Meters Down*, *Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City*) was joined by stars Johnny Sequoyah (*Dexter: New Blood*) and Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur (*CODA*) to delve into the movie’s Stephen King DNA, Roberts’ commitment to tangible practical effects, and the reasons why the story’s conclusion underwent a radical transformation.

A Simian Reimagining of Cujo

Roberts makes no secret of the fact that *Primate* was born from the foundation of Stephen King’s 1981 novel and the subsequent 1983 adaptation of *Cujo*. “I’m a lifelong devotee of Stephen King and a huge fan of *Cujo*,” Roberts remarked. He noted that the concept was sparked by watching his mother’s dog pace around the family pool. In the film, Sequoyah’s character, Lucy, and her friends seek refuge in water, banking on the fact that Ben is unable to swim and that his hydrophobia will keep him at bay.

“It just felt like a particularly harrowing concept,” Roberts noted. “With a dog, there’s an inherent sense of empathy. But chimpanzees? I find them inherently terrifying. Dogs are one thing, but chimps are menacing little bastards.”

Rather than relying on CGI, the ape was brought to life primarily through practical means. Ben was portrayed by performer Miguel Torres Umba, supported by a sophisticated array of prosthetics and puppetry. “We constructed animatronics and detailed sculptures—there was a staggering variety of tools involved. If you’ve ever researched the production of *Cujo*, you’ll know the diverse techniques they employed; we followed that path. My priority was ensuring he had a distinct persona. I wanted him to feel almost like Freddy Krueger.”

Bridging the Gap Between Genres

Kotsur, a Deaf actor communicating through an interpreter, discussed how he calibrated his performance for the horror genre compared to his dramatic catalog. “In drama, you meticulously prepare the emotional landscape of the scene,” he explained. “But in horror, there is a distinct advantage to remaining in the dark. It allows for a more visceral, authentic reaction when the terror finally reveals itself.”

With this philosophy, he requested that Roberts shield him from seeing one of the film’s more gruesome props. Kotsur plays Lucy’s father, who is also Deaf. In a particularly tense sequence, he unknowingly wanders into a trap, unable to hear his daughter’s desperate warnings. He only realizes the gravity of the situation upon discovering a mutilated victim.

“Before we shot that, I asked everyone to keep the corpse prop hidden from me,” Kotsur said. “I wanted the camera to capture a genuine shock. When they finally called ‘Action’ and revealed the body, it genuinely unnerved me. That raw reaction you see on screen was entirely real.”

Kotsur also shared a humorous anecdote from the end of a long filming day. “I was covered in stage blood for a significant portion of the shoot. One evening, while sitting in a restaurant after wrapping, a waiter rushed over in a panic, shouting, ‘My God, your hands are covered in blood!’ I thought I’d cleaned it all off, but it had stained my skin. Seeing his sheer terror was probably my favorite part of the experience.”

Tearing Up the Blueprint

Seasoned horror fans often feel they can predict who will survive the final act, and in the original script for *Primate*, those tropes held true. However, Roberts revealed that he and producers Walter Hamada and John Hodges opted for a bold, last-minute pivot.

“This project has been in the works for 15 years. We had the script finalized and were only a week away from principal photography,” Roberts said. “Then, suddenly, we realized—this specific character shouldn’t make it out alive.”

The decision was fueled by the need to raise the stakes. When the character attempts a daring counter-attack against Ben, the audience needs to feel the hopelessness of the situation. “We spent that final week rewriting the entire conclusion to kill them off. I absolutely love that we did it.”

He admitted that another death in the film still haunts him. “Even now, watching it makes me feel deeply uncomfortable. That’s a sign of good horror. That particular scene was grim; filming it felt almost like we were making a snuff film.”

Despite the dark subject matter, Roberts emphasized the joy of the production. “What’s so rewarding about this project is that everyone involved just wanted to create a movie that delivers exactly this kind of intense experience.”

Primate is currently playing in theaters.

Source: Polygon