One of many largest cinematic surprises of 2025 was director Luke Sparke’s “Primitive Warfare.” Produced independently but sacrificing nothing when it comes to scale, it delivered blockbuster dinosaur motion for the catering finances of a superhero film. Sparke has already introduced “Primitive Warfare 2,” however the franchise might properly broaden past a single sequel.
Sparke solely simply launched the trailer for “Dinosaurs of the Wild West,” which takes issues in an sudden new route. The sequence will unite people and dinosaurs within the previous West, but it surely is not a follow-up to “Primitive Warfare.” It is one thing else completely. In honor of the launch of the Kickstarter marketing campaign to fund that sequence, I had the chance to talk with Sparke.
Through the dialog, we talked about his deliberate “Primitive Warfare” sequel and the way that is been evolving behind the scenes. As Sparke defined, he and the gang at Sparke Movies have developed a number of potential sequels inside the franchise. This is what he needed to say about it:
“For ‘Primitive Warfare,’ I’ve received a number of sequels now. I’ve spent the time mapping out the place the story’s going to go, and somewhat than simply leaping one after the other, I’ve truly mapped it out. So, we have truly received a number of scripts sitting on the bench with a number of actors and a number of issues taking place in that.”
“Primitive Warfare” basically solutions the query: What if “Jurassic Park” was a Vietnam Warfare film? It facilities on a navy recon unit throughout the Vietnam Warfare as they enterprise into an remoted jungle valley searching for a lacking platoon. Earlier than lengthy, although, they discover themselves in a struggle for his or her lives with lethal prehistoric dinosaurs.
Primitive Warfare’s sequels will not fall into the larger equals higher lure
“Primitive Warfare” is predicated on Ethan Pettus’ novel sequence of the identical title. Whereas Luke Sparke did not say a lot when it comes to what these “Primitive Warfare” sequels will appear like, particularly, he did point out that the assorted tales which have been developed do not essentially lend themselves to a straight-up trilogy or something like that.
“There’s undoubtedly a bit of little bit of non-linear. There is a couple that might shift,” Sparke stated. “There is a couple which are undoubtedly like, this should occur after X movie, however there’s nonetheless via strains of every one. Every one may need a cameo from somebody from the primary one. All of it form of comes again to the primary one, but it surely is perhaps completely different timelines that is perhaps the identical timeline taking place on the identical time, and he is over right here, and he or she’s over there or no matter.”
Sparke additionally confirmed that “Dinosaurs of the Wild West” will not take the place of “Primitive Warfare 2,” making it clear that each tasks can co-exist. The filmmaker added that he needs to return up “with attention-grabbing methods to return into that world.” Principally, he does not need to fall into the everyday sequel lure, which is assuming that larger is healthier. Per Sparke:
“I might hate simply to return and go larger is healthier sequel. After which immediately you burn out on that, which is what occurs loads with franchises. It immediately simply goes, subsequent one must be larger. Then, by the point it will get to the third one, you are like, that is simply ridiculous.”
Producers are going through a lot of challenges making films at present, notably within the impartial area. Sparke is in an particularly difficult place making an attempt to make blockbuster-scale leisure on a good finances.Â
When can we anticipate to see Primitive Warfare 2?
Going larger, in that case, solely additional complicates issues. Luke Sparke made “Primitive Warfare” for a surprisingly low finances of lower than $10 million. Anybody who has seen the film and is aware of something in any respect about film budgets will in all probability be stunned by that truth. However that additionally makes it vital for Sparke to have some flexibility when it comes to the route of the way forward for the franchise.
For the filmmaker, the viral success that “Primitive Warfare” achieved is not one thing that he takes flippantly. Because of this, he does not need to rush the sequel to market and compromise the ultimate product. That is why they pumped the brakes earlier this 12 months somewhat than rush into manufacturing. As he advised me:
“I’d hate to only rush ‘Primitive Warfare 2’ in. And there was a time this 12 months that we had been about to go on ‘Primitive Warfare 2’ on one of many scripts after which we had been like, ‘Are we simply doing it to do it? Are all of the items proper? Ought to we await the correct second?’ So, once more, there’s all these conversations that occur daily. So, it is undoubtedly very shut. It is sitting proper there, and I might like to do it this 12 months to launch it subsequent 12 months or early 2028, is form of the plan.”
Not that anybody needs to attend an excessively very long time between sequels, but it surely’s good when a director takes time to really contemplate what to do with a franchise, somewhat than rush one thing simply because it’d make some kind of monetary sense to take action. Followers, in the interim, must train some persistence.
