Australian Indie Film ‘Primitive War’ Makes Comic Con History

For years now, major Hollywood films starring killer dinosaurs have largely been restricted to the “Jurassic” franchise, in both box office numbers and audience interest. Some independent dinosaur-centric action films, like the Adam Driver-starring “65” have cut through, but the next entry in that list is the independent Australian-made “Primitive War” — the first film of its kind to headline a panel at SDCC later this year.

Adapting the book of the same name by Ethan Pettus, “Primitive War” follows a squad of American soldiers in the Vietnam War, who are sent to find a team of Green Berets lost in a remote valley, only to discover that the area has somehow become infested with prehistoric creatures of land, sea and sky. Bloody dinosaur action ensues.

The first trailer for the film has gathered over five million views on YouTube and other social media platforms, making it one of the most viewed trailers for an independent Australian film in history.

That response thrilled the films creators. Director and writer Luke Sparke (“Occupational Rainfall”) said “The reaction to the first trailer has been absolutely insane. The team and I have worked extremely hard to make this film as action packed and wild as possible. It’s a dino-action extravaganza.”

Few Australian-made films get the opportunity to headline a panel at the yearly San Diego Comic Con, but Sparke will be joined on-stage by stars Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”), Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”), Nick Wechsler (“The Boyz”) and Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) to discuss the film and present some teaser footage.

“From what we know this is the first time an Australian indie film or any Australian film has been given a major panel at the comic con, it’s exciting and surreal,” said Sparke.

“Primitive War” will have a wide release in Australian cinemas with Rialto Distribution and a wide release in the U.S. with Fathom Entertainment, both on August 21, 2025.

Correction: a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the U.S. distributor of “Primitive War” is Rialto Distribution, it is Fathom Entertainment.

 Reference: https://au.variety.com/2025/film/news/australian-indie-film-primitive-war-makes-comic-con-history-25134/

Exclusive Primitive War Photo Shows Tricia Helfer & Ryan Kwanten in Dinosaur Action Movie

ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive Primitive War photo previewing the upcoming dinosaur movie based on the hit book and comic series. The photo shows off a look at stars Tricia Helfer and Ryan Kwanten in the upcoming movie.

Who is in Primitive War?

Primitive War comes from writer and director Luke Sparke and stars Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Jeremy Piven, Nick Wechsler, Carlos Sanson, Aaron Glanane, Anthony Ingruber, Albert Mwangi, Adolphus Waylee, Henry Nixon, Jake Ryan, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Lincoln Lewis, and Ana Thu Nguyen.

The film follows the story of a recon unit sent into an isolated jungle that soon discovers they’re surrounded by dinosaurs. Primitive War is slated to release sometime in the summer of 2025, with no exact release date available as of yet.

Check out the exclusive Primitive War photo below:

 

Primitive War is based on the cult classic book series of the same name by Ethan Pettus, which was published in 2017 and is the first novel in the Primitive War series. A comic book adaptation of the book was also crowdfunded in 2022, with Pettus raising nearly $10,000 to create the comic.

“In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, an elite recon unit known as Vulture Squad is sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “They soon discover they are not alone. Dinosaurs have been let loose in the jungles.”

 

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