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Throughout an extensive interview about his work before the initial launch of Primal, filmmaker the acclaimed director revealed a singular aspiration: "I want to be the best." He wanted his shows to resonate with wide demographics, surprise them with each development, and ensure it was impactful consistently.

Therefore, it's understandable that, after a three-year hiatus, Primal has come back as a totally different show that nonetheless stays faithful to the core of the director's foundational savage aesthetic. He will always swing.

"We're not rebooting," the animator clarified before his future presentation. "This is a complete continuation of the narrative."

However, the preview clip for Primal the third season diverges dramatically from the previous season's conclusion. The previous installment wrapped up with the passing of the main character, Spear, and a time-jump disclosure that his companion had a offspring — one who clearly inherited her parent's savagery. But this storyline element is present in the trailer. Conversely, the director unveils something much more bizarre: a undead protagonist.

The preview fully embraces surreal storytelling and, if you will, primal fear. We see an zombified warrior battling fanged-helmeted skeleton warriors, engaging a gore-soaked feline monster, and fleeing a giant desert creature. As the clip finishes, he seems to undergo a mystical trek in the sandy wastes, where he meets a... giant fly? Amidst a brief look at slithering beings chewing on dead bodies and The undead hero bashing a lion’s face in, every frame drips with graphic action and psychedelic dread.

For audiences curious the whereabouts of Mira and her daughter — who looked set to carry the series forward — the creator advises to avoid anxiety, but maybe let go of that possibility too. "Don't grasp that revelation too tightly," he commented, noting, "but it’s all canon. The narrative is coherent. The timeline remains intact."

Prior to deciding on the narrative course for the upcoming installment, Tartakovsky was already aiming to reimagine the series. "My initial idea was an anthology format," he revealed. "Primal is the brand, and then it could feature different arcs. I started developing new things… but it didn’t click." He had considered a creation myth arc — something unfamiliar, yet evoking primordial tales — but he could never draw it into existence. Plus, the affection he and viewers felt for the protagonist continued to gnaw at him. Then… "Suddenly, this inspiration struck [...] and I wrote down eight episodes instantly."

An zombified protagonist fit seamlessly with the essential world of the show. The director thought that the first season installment "Plague of Madness," which involved a zombie dinosaur, allowed narrative freedom to resurrect his caveman warrior. "Such events occur in this universe," he stated, being cautious about disclosing how it’ll all resolve in the season 3 premiere.

Within the entertainment industry where animated productions can get canceled abruptly, Primal’s return was far from a given. The director thanks his established partnerships for assisting the show's continuation periods of instability. "A third season is easy — the difficulty lies in obtaining finances, which is harder in the current climate," he says. He knows the struggle well. As he premieres the first look at Primal the upcoming installment, he’s also facing significant obstacles to get his long-gestating film Black Knight created elsewhere. Lately, he’s turned to leaking clips of experimental sequences just to get notice. In a way, Primal returning for another season — and being this intense — appears as a marvel.

Although the destiny of the broadcaster and its shows stays uncertain — especially after recent corporate shake-ups and a potential acquisition — the director looks determined to overlook the commotion. This is the way to "reach the top" in the end.

"I'm completely immersed in creation. It’s all above me," he said. "I'm a content creator, and so whatever management is in place, if they appreciate my output, that's my primary concern."

As shown in the teaser, Primal the third season premieres next January.