Zombie Spear Is Real: Genndy Tartakovsky Breaks Down Primal Season 3’s Trippy NYCC Trailer
Genndy Tartakovsky has shared new details about Primal season 3 after debuting a trailer at New York Comic Con. The short teaser leans into surreal horror, it features an undead version of Spear, and Tartakovsky says the season continues the show’s existing story rather than rebooting it.
1. Trailer highlights
2. Tartakovsky’s comments
3. Season context
4. Production and future
Trailer highlights
The NYCC preview shows a markedly different tone. For example, the trailer depicts a zombie Spear fighting fanged skeleton warriors, trading blows with a blood-soaked demon cat, and fleeing a massive sandworm-like creature. Additionally, the footage contains unsettling images such as small humanoids gnawing on remains and Spear savaging a lion’s face, all wrapped in a trippy, pulp-horror aesthetic.
Furthermore, the trailer ends with Spear on what appears to be a spirit or desert journey, and a surreal encounter with a giant fly. The sequence moves quickly; therefore, it gives more of a mood than a clear plot outline.
Tartakovsky’s comments
Tartakovsky clarified that the new season is “not a reboot.” He described the work as “a complete continuation of the story.” In earlier remarks about his goals, he said, “I want to be the best.” He also warned fans, “Don’t cling to [the scene] too tight,” while adding, “but it’s all canon. Everything makes sense. I’m not rewriting history.”
On how the season came together, he noted that he briefly explored turning Primal into an anthology: “I thought I would do an anthology,” and that at one point he had a mythology idea inspired by Adam and Eve that he could not draw into existence. Then he said, “All of a sudden this idea popped into my head […] and I wrote down eight episodes instantly.”
Season context
Season 2 closed with Spear’s death and a flash-forward revealing Mira had a daughter who seemed to inherit her father’s ferocity. However, the new trailer does not show that thread; instead it focuses on the undead Spear and nightmare imagery. Tartakovsky pointed to season 1’s “Plague of Madness” — an episode featuring a zombie dinosaur — as creative precedent, saying, “This happens in this world.” He did not reveal exactly how the resurrection will be explained in the premiere.
Production and future
Tartakovsky credited Adult Swim and his relationships at Cartoon Network for helping Primal keep going through recent industry turbulence. He acknowledged the financial realities, stating, “A third season is easy — it’s just finding the money, which is more difficult nowadays.” He is also actively working to get his long-gestating film Black Knight made at Sony and has recently leaked test animation clips to draw attention.
Meanwhile, broader corporate changes could affect networks and studios. For instance, recent reporting about a possible acquisition has been discussed in the press; see recent reporting on a potential acquisition.
Finally, according to the trailer, Primal season 3 is scheduled to arrive in January 2026.
