World Premiere of Ray Harryhausen Tribute The Primevals at Fantasia International Film Festival (2023)

The years-in-development World Premiere of David Allen’s The Primevals at the Fantasia International Film Festival will represent the genesis of a longtime dream by visual effects wizard David Allen, whose career stretched from 1970’s Equinox through Oscar-nominated work on Young Sherlock Holmes, Willow and much more.

According to reports, The Primevals was originally conceived as a vehicle for his stop-motion animation talents during the 1970s. After years on the back burner, Allen finally began developing the film project in the 1990s with producer and Full Moon Features founder Charles Band, for whom Allen had created numerous special effects creatures that now make up the Full Moon cult movie lexicon.

Unfortunately, the movie was never completed, tragically interrupted by Allen’s death from cancer in 1999 at only 54 years old. Since that time, Band and longtime Allen associate Chris Endicott (The Avengers: Infinity War) have worked to complete Allen’s creation. Now David Allen’s Primevals will enjoy a stop-motion animation filled World Premiere at Fantasia as a tribute to the classic films of Ray Harryhausen.

The cast helping to bring Allen’s vision to life includes Juliet Mills, Leon Russom, Robert Cornthwaite, Richard Joseph Paul, Walker Brandt, Tai Thai and Kevin Mangold.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a large and varied program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.

Charles Band has released an official trailer for the completed film project on the Full Moon Features website. Click on the image below to watch it as part of Band’s latest edition of the Full Moon Universe show.