# Primitive War
**Primitive War** is a 2025 Australian independent action science fiction film directed, co-written, and produced by Luke Sparke, adapted from Ethan Pettus's 2017 self-published novel of the same name. Set in Vietnam in 1968, it follows a [United States Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-army) recon unit, Vulture Squad, sent to an isolated jungle valley to find a missing Green Beret platoon, where they encounter dinosaurs unleashed by a Soviet scientific experiment.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and co-writer | Luke Sparke, who also served as editor, production designer, and visual effects supervisor[3](https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/primitive-war-2025-review-by-steve-kirkham/) |
| Source | Ethan Pettus's self-published 2017 novel *The Primitive War*; Sparke adapted it with Pettus's help[4](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/primitive-war-cast-balances-war-dinosaur-movie/) |
| Budget | Around $7 million, made independently outside the Hollywood studio system[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke) |
| Cast | Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, [Nick Wechsler](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-wechsler-actor), Jeremy Piven, and Anthony Ingruber[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) |
| US release | Limited theatrical release August 21, 2025 via Fathom Entertainment; VOD October 3, 2025[6](https://www.fathomentertainment.com/news/fathom-entertainment-brings-the-u-s-theatrical-release-of-luke-sparkes-dinosaur-vietnam-war-thriller-primitive-war-to-theatres-nationwide-starting-august-21/) • [7](https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/primitive-war/) |
| Reception | 60% Tomatometer from 25 reviews and 85% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) |
| Sequel | *Primitive War 2* announced in January 2026, eyeing a 2027 release, with Sparke returning to write, direct, and produce[8](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-best-non-jurassic-park-dinosaur-movie-ever-is-now-streaming-on-hulu-theres-sequel-on-the-way/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The story is set during the [Vietnam War](https://www.edgepedia.org/vietnam-war) in 1968. Colonel Jericho ([Jeremy Piven](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeremy-piven)) assigns the elite seven-man Vulture Squad, led by Sergeant Ryan Baker ([Ryan Kwanten](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-kwanten)), to enter a remote jungle valley and find out what happened to a missing Green Beret platoon. The soldiers discover that a Soviet scientific experiment, a collider test gone wrong, opened a wormhole to the past and released dinosaurs into the jungle. A Russian scientist, Sofia (Tricia Helfer), explains the situation and helps convince the squad to destroy the dinosaur facility.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest) • [3](https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/primitive-war-2025-review-by-steve-kirkham/) • [9](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/primitive-war-jeremy-piven-fights-dinosaurs-during-the-vietnam-war/)
Unlike the [Jurassic Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurassic-park) films, the dinosaurs are not gene-spliced hybrids but real prehistoric animals, including [Tyrannosaurus](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyrannosaurus), Triceratops, and [Quetzalcoatlus](https://www.edgepedia.org/quetzalcoatlus), and the film depicts their attacks with R-rated gore that the PG-13 Jurassic franchise avoids.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke) • [10](https://www.cinematoday.jp/movie/T0032160) • [9](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/primitive-war-jeremy-piven-fights-dinosaurs-during-the-vietnam-war/)
### Sequel
In January 2026, *Primitive War 2* was announced as in development, eyeing a 2027 release and described as being "about escalation" and "what happens when control is lost", with Sparke returning to write, direct, and produce.[8](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-best-non-jurassic-park-dinosaur-movie-ever-is-now-streaming-on-hulu-theres-sequel-on-the-way/) The Japanese official site states that the sequel is in production with Hollywood financing.[14](https://primitivewar-jp.com/)
## Production
**Development.** Luke Sparke, an Australian filmmaker previously known for *Occupation* (2018) and *Occupation: Rainfall* (2020), began developing the project around 2021 after seeing an [Indiegogo](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiegogo) campaign to adapt Ethan Pettus's self-published novel series into a comic book. He contacted the author and pitched a film adaptation, then spent several years trying to secure backing from a major studio without success, citing the Jurassic Park franchise's hold on dinosaur films as a factor studios cited. He ultimately produced the film in-house under his Sparke Films banner.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke)
The film was made for around $7 million and shot in Australia, on the [Gold Coast](https://www.edgepedia.org/gold-coast) in [Queensland](https://www.edgepedia.org/queensland), with a mostly Australian cast supplemented by American actors. Sparke took on an unusually large number of roles: director, co-screenwriter, producer, editor, production designer, and visual effects supervisor, and he created his own visual effects house for the film, which contains roughly 1,000 dinosaur shots.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke) • [3](https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/primitive-war-2025-review-by-steve-kirkham/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest)
Sparke described his goal as making a film "like Platoon or Hamburger Hill" into which an R-rated dinosaur movie breaks out, and he aimed for a dinosaur sequence roughly every five to seven minutes. The soundtrack leans on period needle drops, including [Creedence Clearwater Revival](https://www.edgepedia.org/creedence-clearwater-revival)'s "Fortunate Son" and "Run Through the Jungle".[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest)
## Release
Fathom [Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment) distributed the film to theaters nationwide in the United States beginning August 21, 2025, in a limited engagement; the trailer received one million views within 24 hours of its debut, and the film appeared at [San Diego Comic-Con](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-diego-comic-con) on July 25, 2025, where it was the first Australian movie to headline a panel at that event.[6](https://www.fathomentertainment.com/news/fathom-entertainment-brings-the-u-s-theatrical-release-of-luke-sparkes-dinosaur-vietnam-war-thriller-primitive-war-to-theatres-nationwide-starting-august-21/) • [4](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/primitive-war-cast-balances-war-dinosaur-movie/) It reached video on demand on October 3, 2025, opened in UK and Irish cinemas on November 28, 2025, and arrived on Hulu in the United States on April 4, 2026.[7](https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/primitive-war/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest) • [11](https://www.movieinsider.com/m24026/primitive-war)
Reported runtimes differ by source and territory: the Australian classification lists 135 minutes, distributor materials list 132 minutes, and Rotten Tomatoes lists 2h 7m.[12](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/primitive-war-0) • [7](https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/primitive-war/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) In Australia the film was classified MA 15+ for strong horror themes, suicide scenes, and horror violence.[12](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/primitive-war-0)
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 60% Tomatometer from 25 reviews and an 85% audience score.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) Critics were divided along a consistent line. Kim Newman of *Empire* gave it 3/5, calling it "an unashamed exploitation movie with teeth"; Leslie Felperin of *The Guardian*, also 3/5, found it "deeply repetitive but weirdly watchable" while criticizing the daylight dinosaur effects as plasticky; Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting called it "surprisingly inert" despite its constant action; and Tom Atkinson of Flickering Myth gave it 5/5, calling it improbably the most entertaining dinosaur film in years.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest)
The film's scale relative to its budget drew repeated comment. Reviewers noted that it delivers blockbuster-style dinosaur action for a fraction of a Jurassic-scale budget, while finding the script predictable and the runtime overlong.[3](https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/primitive-war-2025-review-by-steve-kirkham/) • [13](https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3894331/primitive-war-review-vietnam-dinosaur-movie-gets-bloody-but-takes-itself-too-seriously/) ComicBook.com reported that its 63% critic score and 86% audience rating placed it above every Jurassic Park film except the original and 2015's *Jurassic World* on those metrics.[8](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-best-non-jurassic-park-dinosaur-movie-ever-is-now-streaming-on-hulu-theres-sequel-on-the-way/)
## References
1. [Primitive War, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/primitive_war)
2. [Leslie Felperin (2025). Primitive War review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/primitive-war-review-its-green-berets-vs-dinosaurs-in-cheerfully-cheesy-vietnam-war-gorefest)
3. [Steve Kirkham (2025). PRIMITIVE WAR (2025) Review, Infinity Magazine](https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/primitive-war-2025-review-by-steve-kirkham/)
4. [Primitive War Cast Reveals How New Movie Balances Being a War Movie and a Dinosaur Movie, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/primitive-war-cast-balances-war-dinosaur-movie/)
5. [Josh Weiss (2025). How Primitive War Director Luke Sparke Made the Vietnam-Dinosaur Mashup Hollywood Rejected, SYFY WIRE](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/primitive-war-vietnam-war-dinosaur-mashup-interview-with-director-luke-sparke)
6. [Fathom Entertainment press release (2025)](https://www.fathomentertainment.com/news/fathom-entertainment-brings-the-u-s-theatrical-release-of-luke-sparkes-dinosaur-vietnam-war-thriller-primitive-war-to-theatres-nationwide-starting-august-21/)
7. [Primitive War, Samuel Goldwyn Films](https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/primitive-war/)
8. [The Best Non-Jurassic Park Dinosaur Movie Ever Is Now Streaming on Hulu, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-best-non-jurassic-park-dinosaur-movie-ever-is-now-streaming-on-hulu-theres-sequel-on-the-way/)
9. [Jeremy Piven Fights Dinosaurs During the Vietnam War in New Movie, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/primitive-war-jeremy-piven-fights-dinosaurs-during-the-vietnam-war/)
10. [プリミティヴ・ウォー 恐竜戦争 (2025), シネマトゥデイ](https://www.cinematoday.jp/movie/T0032160)
11. [Everything You Need to Know About Primitive War Movie (2025), Movie Insider](https://www.movieinsider.com/m24026/primitive-war)
12. [Primitive War, Australian Classification](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/primitive-war-0)
13. [Meagan Navarro (2025). 'Primitive War' Review, Bloody Disgusting](https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3894331/primitive-war-review-vietnam-dinosaur-movie-gets-bloody-but-takes-itself-too-seriously/)
14. [映画『プリミティヴ・ウォー 恐竜戦争』公式サイト](https://primitivewar-jp.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 2020s › Science fiction films of the 2020s › Titles M to X*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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