Adult Swim taps into animal instinct with launch of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal on Showmax

There’s something mysterious lurking in the wilderness and it’s all about survival of the fittest. On Monday, 13 April 2020, Adult Swim, the adult-oriented programming block offering animated and live-action series for young adults, will launch Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, a brand-new, non-dialogue animated series, exclusively on Showmax.

From the creator behind the Emmy® award-winning series Samurai Jack comes a new tale that follows a caveman at the dawn of evolution and a dinosaur on the brink of extinction. The two creatures, one on the way out and one on the way in, bond over unfortunate tragedies and become each other’s only hope of survival in a treacherous world. In this series, creator Genndy Tartakovsky draws inspiration from the imagery of Conan the Barbarian comics, and the brutality of nature.

“I was very much inspired by animal documentaries which, for example, present and make us attach to a polar bear and a baby seal,” says Tartakovsky. “The next moment, we understand that for the survival of one, the other must die. It was a complex, confusing and cruel feeling that I wanted to transcribe. In Primal, we bring the audience to face this brutality, and in the end, it will hurt you.”

The series dazzles and thrills with its silent treatment, where the characters solely express themselves through grunts, roars, and gestures. Yet their emotions and personality come through extremely clearly, thanks to Tartakovsky’s phenomenally detailed animation, as well as the art direction by Scott Wills (Samurai Jack) and use of music by Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Samurai Jack) and co-composer Joanne Higginbottom (Samurai Jack), urging the audience to awaken their basic instincts and establish a deeper connection with the characters. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal will premiere on Monday, 13 April 2020 on the Adult Swim corner on Showmax. The full season will consist of 10 episodes. But if you just absolutely can’t wait that long, check out the trailer here – right now. It’s survival at all costs!

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