Interview by Paul Salfen
Austin, TX – Fantastic Fest, the Mecca for all things macabre and mind-bending, is back in full swing at the Alamo Drafthouse, and this year’s lineup is already dripping with dread. But few films are shrouded in as much secrecy as PRIMATE, the latest nightmare from horror maestro Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night). No poster. No trailer. Just pure, unadulterated anticipation. AMFM Magazine caught up with Roberts and his stellar cast – including Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) and rising star Johnny Sequoyah (Dexter: New Blood) – on the red carpet for a tease of the terror awaiting audiences. Buckle up, horror hounds; this one’s a primal scream.
Johannes Roberts: Crafting Old-School Carnage
Roberts, no stranger to aquatic terrors or home-invasion horrors, is dialing up the intensity with PRIMATE. Describing it as his “most extreme thing I’ve ever made,” the writer-director promises a relentless ride: “It’s a very, very tense, very extreme horror movie about a group of friends who have to deal with a family nightmare.” With the title hinting at something beastly and brutal, Roberts emphasizes the film’s no-holds-barred approach: “It’s a movie that doesn’t hold back… very straight, very gory, extreme horror. It’s a movie to scream at.”
What makes PRIMATE stand out in today’s CGI-saturated landscape? Roberts went full retro: “It’s old school filmmaking with a lot of animatronics and practical effects, big sets – stuff that just doesn’t happen anymore.” The production was a double-edged sword – exhilarating yet grueling. “It was a lot of fun because it’s doing stuff that I never dreamed a studio would let me do,” he admits, but adds, “There was none of this ‘Oh, we’ll fix it afterwards and press the button on the computer.’ It was old school.”
To stay grounded amid the chaos, Roberts channels his childhood idols: “As a kid, I have woken up every day wanting to be John Carpenter or Stephen King.” After long shoots, he’d unwind with classics like The Fog, Halloween, The Thing, or Cujo. “No matter how hard it is, I’ll pop [them]on and be like, ‘Yeah, this is what I’m making.'”
Johnny Sequoyah: From Birthday Bashes to Bloodbaths
Making her horror debut as Lucy in PRIMATE, Sequoyah is all smiles about her first time in Austin – and her plunge into the genre. “I love it, it’s so beautiful here. Everyone’s so nice,” she gushes, fresh off some local barbecue and brews. But don’t let the Southern charm fool you; PRIMATE is a savage affair. “It’s definitely a survival thriller… about a group of friends who go on vacation, and their vacation does not turn out to be what they expected,” she reveals. “They have to work together to try and overcome something and survive the night. There’s a lot of blood, there’s a lot of guts. It is gory. It’s a roller coaster that you do not get off of until the movie is over.”
Despite the film’s intensity, the set was a blast – a stark contrast to the on-screen carnage. “I had no idea going into it because this is my first horror film. I really underestimated how fun it would be,” Sequoyah laughs. Director Roberts and producers kept the vibe light: “They led such a fun set, and the cast was so fun that every day was just so joyous.” Her birthday even fell during filming, turning into a hilarious highlight: “The producers made t-shirts for everyone that say ‘Bad Lucy’… I walked on set and it was like The Truman Show, everyone wearing these ‘Bad Lucy’ t-shirts.”
For aspiring actors eyeing the bloody path, Sequoyah’s advice is straightforward: “You just have to love it more than anything… My absolute love for cinema, my love for acting.” And when the production gets overwhelming? “It’s always about the character… If you know the character, if you really ground yourself in that, it will always overcome everything – especially when you’re filming a horror movie, because there’s a lot of obstacles.”
Troy Kotsur: A Father’s Fury in the Face of Horror
Fresh off his groundbreaking Oscar win, Kotsur brings gravitas to PRIMATE as a devoted dad thrust into hell. “A father who really cares for his family… something goes wrong where he has to protect his family,” he signs, emphasizing paternal instinct: “One of the father’s responsibilities is to protect his daughter. So all of a sudden, I really need to be there for my daughters.”
Kotsur’s journey to this role echoes his real-life resilience. When asked about his “Hail Mary” moment – that make-or-break pivot – he reflects on nearly quitting acting before CODA: “It was my last straw… I thought about giving up acting completely. And then I was cast for CODA and ended up winning an Oscar. I sacrificed so much as a theater actor for so many years… It was like playing Russian roulette.”
On set, Kotsur thrived amid the mayhem, crediting his deafness for laser focus: “It’s kind of helpful that I don’t hear any distracting background noises. I just was able to stay in character.” His standout memories? “There’s some fight scenes… That was some of the best memories for me. I never experienced anything like that before.”
Off-duty in Austin, Kotsur’s soaking up the city’s vibe: “I’m planning to eat some barbecue. I have several deaf friends who live here, and Austin has a very large deaf community… There’s such delicious Mexican food and barbecue and Tex-Mex.” As for the Lone Star State’s rep? “I guess that’s why they say, don’t mess with Texas.”
The Primal Premiere Awaits
With PRIMATE set to unleash its secrets tonight at Fantastic Fest, Roberts, Sequoyah, and Kotsur have us primed for a gore-soaked, edge-of-your-seat frenzy. In a festival packed with genre gems, this mysterious beast is poised to claw its way to the top. Stay tuned for our full review – if we survive the screening. Fantastic Fest runs through September 26th; for more bloodcurdling updates, keep it locked to AMFM Magazine.
