Long- gestating Full Moon project directed by the late special effect wizard David Allen is finally out in cinemas this weekend. So, let’s take a step back and see how this unique project came to be and why it took so long.
The Primevals has origins in another project, Raiders of the Stone Ring that was developed in the 60s for British Hammer Films. Later it was re- developed as Primordium or The Glacial Empire in the 1970s but it still struggled to find financing until Charles Band (Empire Pictures, Full Moon) took an interest. Unfortunately the project again stalled but Band pushed through and finally managed to secure the financing in the early 90s and movie was finally filmed in Romania and Italian Dolemites in 1994. Allen planned to work on stop- motion effects for two or three years, inspired by the old Ray Harryhausen classics (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans) . Unfortunately 14 months later he fell ill and tragically passed in 1999 without completing his magnum opus.
Full Moon also suffered financial difficulties after separation from Paramount Home Video which further delayed the project. But Allen did leave all storyboards and stop-motion puppets to his colleague Chris Endicott who on and off worked on finishing the movie. And after many years and 2018 Indiegogo campaign movie was finally finished (although in a slightly truncated form) in 2020 and after a festival run The Primevals is now out in limited release- Alamo Drafthouse theaters (you can check listings right here to see if there’s a showing near you).
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