One of many greatest cinematic surprises of 2025 was director Luke Sparke’s “Primitive Warfare.” Produced independently but sacrificing nothing by way of scale, it delivered blockbuster dinosaur motion for the catering price range of a superhero film. Sparke has already introduced “Primitive Warfare 2,” however the franchise might effectively develop 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 collection 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 solely. In honor of the launch of the Kickstarter marketing campaign to fund that collection, I had the chance to talk with Sparke.
In the course of 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 acquired a number of sequels now. I’ve spent the time mapping out the place the story’s going to go, and relatively than simply leaping one by one, I’ve truly mapped it out. So, we have truly acquired just a few scripts sitting on the bench with a number of actors and a number of issues taking place in that.”
“Primitive Warfare” primarily solutions the query: What if “Jurassic Park” was a Vietnam Warfare film? It facilities on a army recon unit through the Vietnam Warfare as they enterprise into an remoted jungle valley seeking 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 entice
“Primitive Warfare” is predicated on Ethan Pettus’ novel collection of the identical title. Whereas Luke Sparke did not say a lot by way of 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 would shift,” Sparke mentioned. “There is a couple which can be undoubtedly like, this should occur after X movie, however there’s nonetheless by means of strains of every one. Each may need a cameo from somebody from the primary one. All of it sort 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 similar time, and he is over right here, and she or he’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 desires to return up “with attention-grabbing methods to return into that world.” Principally, he would not wish to fall into the standard sequel entice, which is assuming that greater is healthier. Per Sparke:
“I would hate simply to return and go greater is healthier sequel. After which immediately you burn out on that, which is what occurs loads with franchises. It immediately simply goes, subsequent one needs to be greater. Then, by the point it will get to the third one, you are like, that is simply ridiculous.”
Producers are going through numerous challenges making films in the present day, significantly within the impartial area. Sparke is in an particularly difficult place attempting to make blockbuster-scale leisure on a good price range.Â
When can we count on to see Primitive Warfare 2?
Going greater, in that case, solely additional complicates issues. Luke Sparke made “Primitive Warfare” for a surprisingly low price range 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 shocked by that truth. However that additionally makes it necessary for Sparke to have some flexibility by way of 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. Consequently, he would not wish to rush the sequel to market and compromise the ultimate product. That is why they pumped the brakes earlier this yr relatively than rush into manufacturing. As he advised me:
“I’d hate to simply rush ‘Primitive Warfare 2’ in. And there was a time this yr 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 look forward to the precise second?’ So, once more, there’s all these conversations that occur on daily basis. So, it is undoubtedly very shut. It is sitting proper there, and I would like to do it this yr to launch it subsequent yr or early 2028, is sort of the plan.”
Not that anybody desires to attend an excessively very long time between sequels, but it surely’s good when a director takes time to actually think about what to do with a franchise, relatively than rush one thing simply because it would make some kind of monetary sense to take action. Followers, in the meanwhile, must train some persistence.
