PRIMITIVE WAR SNEAK PEEK PITS SOLDIERS AND RAPTORS IN JUNGLE CARNAGE

Queensland-based Sparke Films has released an intense first look featurette at Primitive War, the survival thriller directed by Luke Sparke, suggesting audiences are in for genre-blending, white-knuckle crowd pleaser that introduces dinosaurs into the harsh jungles of the Vietnam War.

 
The preview includes insights from the director and cast on the rigorous filming process and offers a glimpse into the sprawling sets and real jungle locations that create a raw, immersive experience.

Adapted from the cult novel by Ethan Pettus, Primitive War follows Vulture Squad, a recon team sent to a remote jungle valley in 1968 to locate a missing Green Beret platoon, only to find themselves face-to-face with prehistoric predators. “I’m thrilled with Luke’s interpretation and the passion the team is bringing to the story,” says the author, “I know his team is giving this project everything they’ve got”.

The cast boasts Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood; pictured, left), and Nick Wechsler (The Boys) alongside a talented support ensemble that includes Anthony Ingruber (Age of Adaline), Aaron Glenane (Danger Close), Carlos Sanson Jr (Bump), Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2).

In the featurette, director Luke Sparke (Occupation Rainfall; Bring Him To Me; Scurry; pictured, right) recalls his first encounter with Pettus’s novel and of how the striking cover of a soldier battling a Utahraptor captured his imagination. Reflecting on the shoot, Kwanten comments, "Filming has been pretty darn amazing." Helfer adds, "It’s about people coming together, using primal instincts to survive." Wechsler describes the concept as "bananas – and so much better than it has any business being." Carlos Sanson sums it up as, “a war film meets dinosaur film meets action film – blending the best of all genres."

Produced by Carmel Imrie and Carly Sparke, with executive producers Geoff Imrie and Luke Sparke & Co Producer Alex Becconsall, Primitive War also boasts the creative talents of Wade Muller as cinematographer, with Sparke overseeing production design, editing, and visual effects.

Primitive War was filmed on the Gold Coast, Australia, with a mostly local crew, contributing hundreds of jobs to the region. The film is set for a global release in 2025.