Primitive War: Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer star in “dinosaurs in Vietnam” sci-fi horror film

Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, and more have signed on to star in Luke Sparke’s “Vietnam soldiers vs. dinosaurs” film Primitive War

Jeremy Piven

Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Nick Wechsler (The Boys), Anthony Ingruber (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Aaron Glenane (Danger Close), Carlos Sanson Jr (Legacies), Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2), Adolphus Waylee (Nautilus), Richard Brancatisano (The Messenger), Marcus Johnson (Talk to Me), and Jake Ryan (Savage, Underbelly) have all signed on to star in writer/director Luke Sparke’s sci-fi horror film Primitive War, Deadline reports. An adaptation of Ethan Pettus’ sci-fi military book series, the film will be set during the Vietnam War and feature American soldiers facing off with dinosaurs!

The story follows an elite recon unit known as the Vulture Squad. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War they are sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. They soon discover they are not alone. Dinosaurs have been let loose in the jungles. 

Sparke is producing Primitive War under his Sparke Films banner, alongside producers Carmel Imrie and Carly Sparke, executive producer Geoff Imrie, and co-producer Alex Becconsall. The writer/director/producer had this to say about the project, which is said to blend action with survival-horror and war themes: “This ain’t no walk in the park. I was captivated by the imagery surrounding Ethan’s book and the story it told. I’ve worked hard on capturing that essence but also the grittiness, horror aspects and military edge. My vision is to feel like the characters have walked out of the film Platoon and into the jaws of the greatest predators the planet has ever known.

Pettus added, “I’m thrilled to see Luke’s interpretation of my work. I know his team is giving this project everything they’ve got.

Filming will begin soon on the Gold Coast of Australia, with the production employing more than two hundred local crew members.

I haven’t read the books by Ethan Pettus, but Vietnam soldiers taking on dinosaurs sounds like the makings of an awesome movie to me. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one is going to turn out.

Are you interested in Primitive War? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Tricia Helfer

Source: Deadline

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.