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The first trailer for Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto’s new thriller He Went That Way has arrived, and it’s intense.

Set in 1964, the film follows animal handler Jim Goodwin (Quinto), who embarks on a road trip on Route 66 with his “priceless cargo” and America’s favourite TV star, Spanky, the chimpanzee.

However, his journey takes an unexpected twist when he picks up 19-year-old Bobby Falls (Elordi), who’s secretly a serial killer.

The synopsis adds: “As stress between Bobby and Jim rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.”

In addition to Elordi and Quinto, the upcoming film is set to star Patrick J Adams (Suits), Troy Evans (Veep), Alexandra Doke (City on Fire), and John Lee Ames (Boston Strangler).

On 14 December, movie enthusiasts were finally treated to a sneak peek into He Went That Way when film distributor – Vertical – shared its thrilling new trailer.

The teaser starts with Bobby recklessly driving in the desert while a police siren rings in the distance.

“You guys keep asking me about the five guys that I killed. Why don’t you ask me about the one I let live?” Elordi’s character says while a scene of him shooting an unidentified individual flashes across the screen.

The trailer then transitions to Jim running into Bobby on the deserted highway and offering him a ride.

“Can I ask you a question,” Jim begins to inquire, which results in Bobby cutting him off and replying: “Roaming, that’s all. That’s what you were going to ask, right? Experiencing America.”

Before the two can continue with their conversation, Bobby hears a disturbance in the back of the car, prompting Jim to pull over.

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However, instead of a menacing figure, Jim reveals that it’s just his pet chimp, Spanky, who once had a promising career on television until the network cut his contract.

“I seen everything he ever did Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, Today Show,” Bobby admits.

As the trailer progresses, things take a dark turn when Bobby starts to showcase his erratic and violent behaviour.

“I was thinking about a deal for us. I’ll take you as far as I’m going. No trouble, no police. When we get to Chicago, you let me go,” Jim bargains.

Towards the end of the trailer, the sense of camaraderie between the two begins to fade after Bobby accuses Jim of lying to him, resulting in the latter getting tied up.

“You said we had a deal. You said you were a straight shooter, but you’re not. So we’re going to be straight with each other from here?” he asks Jim.

He Went That Way is based on the true story of celebrity animal trainer Dave Pitts, who also had a chimp named Spanky and was the sole survivor of serial killer Larry Lee Ranes – on whom Elordi’s character is based.

Fortunately, moviegoers won’t have to wait too long for the film, with it set to hit US theaters on 5 January 2024. As of this writing, a release date for UK cinemas has yet to be announced.

Check out the full trailer here or below.