At the start of last year, former DC Films boss Walter Hamada signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures, the idea being that he would become, as Deadline put it, “the architect of Paramount’s mainstream horror genre pod, with the mission to release several low- to mid-budget films per year across theatrical and streaming.” Now Deadline has an update on Hamada’s horror-minded efforts at Paramount, as they’re reporting that the studio has given the greenlight to the Hamada-produced horror film Primate, which has Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur attached to star.

Kotsur won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film CODA, becoming the first deaf male actor and only the second deaf actor overall to win an Oscar. (The other being his CODA co-star Marlee Matlin, who took home the gold for her role in Children of a Lesser God.) Kotsur’s other credits include Wild Prairie Rose, No Ordinary Hero, Universal Signs, The Number 23, and episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Mandalorian, Criminal Minds, Scrubs, and CSI: NY, among others.

At the helm of Primate is genre regular Johannes Roberts, who has previously directed Hellbreeder, Darkhunters, Forest of the Damned, F, Roadkill, Storage 24, The Other Side of the Door, 47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. He also contributed a segment to the horror anthology V/H/S/99.

Roberts has written the screenplay with his frequent collaborator Ernest Riera… but plot details are currently being kept under wraps. So, for now, we can only image what a Johannes Roberts horror movie that’s called Primate and has Troy Kotsur in the lead might be about. Is Roberts moving on from shark thrills to monkey thrills? We’ll have to wait and find out.

It was recently announced that a third movie in the 47 Meters Down franchise, 47 Meters Down: The Wreck, is coming our way. Roberts and Riera wrote the screenplay, but Roberts has passed directing duties on that one over to My Bloody Valentine 3D director Patrick Lussier.

Are you interested in Primate? Share your thoughts on this Johannes Roberts / Troy Kotsur project by leaving a comment below.

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