Primitive War Is a Smash Hit in the U.S. on Hulu

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Look, I’ve always been a huge dinosaur movie fan, and for me, nothing beats the original Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg. It really set the standard. Since then, I’ve seen a ton of films try to capture that same magic, but honestly, very few have even come close.

I’ve been hearing so much about Primitive War! It came out of nowhere in 2025 and is really connecting with viewers. It didn’t have a massive budget like the Jurassic Park/World films, but people are loving it. And get this – just two days after hitting streaming, FlixPatrol is already reporting it’s a huge success! It’s great to see a film do so well based on word-of-mouth.

So, a new movie called Primitive War came out on April 4th, and by April 6th, it was already hitting the charts – landing at number three! It’s looking to grab the top spot, but right now, that’s held by a different film. Below that is Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, the action flick starring James Marsden and Vince Vaughn.

Beyond its popularity on Hulu, Primitive War is performing well internationally, ranking 10th on Amazon’s digital charts in Germany and 5th on Google’s PVOD charts. It’s currently gaining traction in numerous countries worldwide.

What Happens in Primitive War?

Luke Sparke’s 2025 sci-fi film, Primitive War, is adapted from Ethan Pettus’s 2017 novel of the same title. Pettus also helped write the screenplay alongside Sparke.

Primitive War is a science fiction war film set in 1968, during the Vietnam War, in a jungle valley reminiscent of Vietnam. The story follows a rescue mission for a US Army Special Forces platoon that goes awry when a reconnaissance unit is attacked by dinosaurs brought back from extinction.

The movie first came out in a few theaters in August 2025 before becoming available digitally. Critics had a mixed reaction, but it still earned a generally positive rating – 63% approval from critics and an impressive 86% from viewers.

Audiences loved the movie, calling it a thrilling action adventure packed with guns, dinosaurs, and excitement. One reviewer summed it up by asking, “What’s not to love?” Others highlighted how incredibly entertaining it was, praising the unique dinosaur action. One viewer even declared it the best dinosaur movie since the original Jurassic Park.

Despite being shown in only a few places, the film earned $1.2 million globally. Director Luke Sparke revealed in an interview with SlashFilm that the movie was made entirely independently, without funding from governments or major studios, and has generally avoided discussing the production costs. He simply stated it was a ‘completely independent film’.

Sparke said his film cost less to make than Godzilla Minus One, which had a budget of about $15 million. He described his budget as relatively small, and confirmed reports that it was around $7 million – though that exact number hasn’t been officially verified.

Primitive War Will Receive a Sequel

Despite not being a big hit with audiences, the film Primitive War generated enough buzz to warrant a sequel. Director Sparke announced the news earlier this year and will return to write, direct, and produce. Primitive War 2 will be based on the 2020 novel Primitive War 2: Animus Infernal by Pettus.

Sparke described the new movie as a logical next step for the story. He explained that the first film focused on initial discoveries, while the sequel will build on that with increasing stakes and action.

Primitive War is streaming on Hulu.

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2026-04-07 03:06