Primal Fear - Richard Gere scenes with the Mercedes-Benz 300CE Coupe C123 Primal Fear is a 1996 American legal thriller film directed by Gregory Hoblit, based on William Diehl's 1993 novel of the same name. It stars Richard Gere as a Chicago defense attorney who believes that his altar boy client is not guilty of murdering an influential Catholic archbishop. Primal Fear was a box office success despite mixed reviews, though Norton's performance received universal acclaim. He was nominated for an