Primitive War Cast Reveals How New Movie Balances Being a War Movie and a Dinosaur Movie

Primitive War seems like a silly premise at first glance, but it actually has to maintain a delicate balance as both a Vietnam War movie and a sci-fi action adventure. The movie is set in 1968 and follows a group of American soldiers in a remote, isolated part of Vietnam as they discover that it is somehow still populated with living dinosaurs. Writer-director Luke Sparke sat down with ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con this year to discuss how this movie handles this tightrope act, along with several cast members. Star Jeremy Piven felt that the process of editing on set in real time was vital to the cast’s immersion in this world.

“Well, I think if it doesn’t work as a war film, then you’re not going to buy anything else,” Piven said. “So, you’ve got to set the table. Even just looking a little bit — they were editing on set, and just seeing some of the shots, it really looked lush, and it was inspiring.”

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Sparke, meanwhile, trusted the source material to keep this story on track. It’s based on Ethan Pettus’ 2017 novel of the same name, which Sparke adapted into a screenplay with Pettus’ help. He said that he focused on the characters, ensuring that each of their arcs within the movie had the time and space needed to play out and resolve. He felt that that would be the key to making this movie feel authentic even through its silliest jump-scares and monster moments.

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“When I adapted it, I wanted to make sure it was as faithful as it could [be],” Sparke said. “It’s a cult status book, so I’m not out there expecting everyone’s read it, but there is a hugely loyal fan base to it. So, when I adapted it, one of my first things was that I hate when other adaptations go, ‘We’re going to take it, but do our own twist on it,’ or do something different. I’m a fanboy myself, and I hate when my favorite shows or video games do that.”

“So, I wanted to keep it faithful as much as I could, but there’s also a through-line of, you know, a two-hour movie with seven, eight characters, nine characters — that have to weave their way though, so there’s enough character development for everyone, so you feel for them when they’re in the situation,” Sparke concluded. “That was my big overall arcing theme as I was writing it.”

Primitive War is the first Australian movie ever to headline a panel at SDCC, and now it’s getting a wide theatrical release in the U.S. via Fathom Entertainment. It will be screening at participating theaters around the country from August 21st to August 25th, and tickets are on sale now.