The dinosaur movie that went claw-to-claw with the latest installment in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park universe is officially becoming a franchise.

Primitive War pitted Vietnam-era soldiers against jungle-dwelling dinos, and now the low-budget Australian sleeper hit released three months after Jurassic World Rebirth is getting its own sequel (via Variety).

Returning director Luke Sparke promises that Primitive War 2 will up the ante on the first movie’s action, saying in a statement, “The first film was about discovery. This is about escalation — what happens when control is lost, when nature adapts faster than military doctrine and when the war itself becomes secondary to what’s been unleashed.”

Primitive War 2 is currently in the late stages of development and is targeting a 2027 release date.

The film’s synopsis says, “‘Primitive War 2’ expands the scope and mythology of the franchise, pushing deeper into the Vietnam conflict zone where 1960’s warfare collides with prehistoric predators.

“The sequel is positioned as a darker, more intense escalation — and more grounded war epic — continuing the series’ distinctive blend of military realism and survival horror.”

It continues, “Set in the aftermath of the original film, ‘Primitive War 2’ follows a new U.S. platoon sent into an increasingly unstable valley, where competing kill zones, rival apex predators and secret Cold War agendas converge.

“As containment collapses, the mission becomes one of survival — and the cost of failure threatens to extend far beyond the battlefield.”

Primitive War received a limited theatrical release in October 2025, going on to gross $1.2 million worldwide on a reported budget of around $5 million.

Critics gave the film a mild seal of approval, pushing it to a 65% Rotten Tomatoes score. Reviewers called it cheesy but entertaining, praising it for being a cut above the usual Asylum-style blockbuster rip-off schlock.

Negative reviews called out the movie for bad dialog, a ridiculous premise, and a lack of diversity in casting.

ScreenRant’s Primitive War review praised the film for outdoing the Jurassic World series on a much more reasonable budget. “Writer-director Luke Sparke took some bold swings with his dinosaur horror movie Primitive War, and it yielded an over-the-top, riotous blast of a movie that somehow manages to compete with box office juggernaut Jurassic World Rebirth for the title of 2025’s best dinosaur movie.”

The latest installment in the Jurassic Park/World franchise was made for $180-225 million, and grossed $869 million worldwide. Critics preferred the low-budget Primitive War, whose 65% RT score tops Jurassic World Rebirth‘s 50%.