Paramount’s Cujo Replacement Becomes an Instant PVOD Hit in Just 1 Day

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Johannes Roberts’ film Primate, often compared to Stephen King’s Cujo, is quickly gaining popularity through on-demand viewing. It became available on iTunes on February 10th and will be released on Blu-ray this April.

As of February 11, 2026, the movie Primate is currently ranked at number 8 on iTunes’ top 10 movies in the U.S., according to FlixPatrol. This is a great start for the Paramount Pictures film, which first premiered in September at Fantastic Fest. While in theaters, Primate earned $40 million worldwide on a budget of over $21 million, and its recent success with on-demand viewing is expected to further boost its financial performance.

Featuring stars like Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander (known from Disney’s The Little Mermaid), and Troy Kotsur (The Mandalorian), this story follows a group of friends whose perfect tropical getaway takes a dark turn. Their vacation becomes a nightmare when Ben, a chimpanzee they adopted, is bitten by a rabid animal and starts acting aggressively and frighteningly.

People who have already watched Primate probably won’t be surprised it’s doing well as a video-on-demand release. The film has received mostly positive feedback from both critics and viewers, and it’s currently “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 79% approval rating. Viewers also seem to enjoy it, giving it a 71% score based on over 1,000 reviews.

Critics at Rotten Tomatoes generally agree that Primate is a “mean, lean, effective thriller,” and audiences seem to like it even more. While it features over-the-top gore and may require some willingness to accept unbelievable moments, Primate ultimately provides a thrilling experience.

Whether Primate will stay popular on demand is still uncertain, but its debut at #8 on the PVOD charts is encouraging. The film did even better in theaters, earning $1.4 million from preview showings. Over its opening weekend, it grossed $11.3 million, landing in second place.

Primate Drew Comparisons to Stephen King’s Cujo & Other Creature Features

If you’re a fan of thrilling and gruesome monster movies, you’ll probably enjoy Primate. A standout feature of the film is its practical effects – it largely avoided using computer-generated imagery. Instead, the filmmakers used an actor in a detailed suit to play the chimpanzee, Ben, and supplemented that with animatronics and realistic head pieces to capture convincing facial expressions.

Primate is now available for purchase on iTunes.

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2026-02-11 17:09