“It’s just about this feeling”: Steven Spielberg’s 1 Movie Had a Lasting Impact on Genndy Tartakovsky That He Always Tries to Recreate in His Projects

Steven Spielberg stands as one of the most accomplished and influential filmmakers in cinematic history, inspiring countless others over the years. Among those profoundly impacted by Spielberg’s work is Genndy Tartakovsky, the mastermind behind animated series such as Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack.

In a previous interview, the animator revealed the profound influence Spielberg’s filmmaking expertise has on his creative journey and continues to serve as a guiding light in his quest to infuse his projects with palpable action and emotion.

Genndy Tartakovsky Revealed Steven Spielberg’s Influence on His Work

While promoting his 2019 animated action TV series Primal, Genndy Tartakovsky discussed the concept of rhythm in storytelling, particularly in the context of action sequences. Drawing parallels between comedic timing and the pacing of action scenes, he emphasized how both rely on rhythm to engage the audience.

He argued that the poorly executed action sequences lack this rhythm, where everything feels rushed and chaotic. In contrast, he mentions movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, which features carefully curated moments of rest, keeping it rhythmic and engaging for the audience.

Some of the films that have highly impacted his approach to making the action sequences more rhythmic and exciting have been Steven Spielberg’s Jaws along with the 1971 action thriller film, French Connection, defining them as prime examples of storytelling with masterful control. He told Polygon,

“They affected me. And I remember how I felt about it and I’m always trying to capture a feeling with what I’m doing. It’s never just about how simple it is or whatever it is, it’s just about this feeling.”

He further shared his desire to continue sharing the stories even in action sequences, which evoke emotions among the audience, stressing that their primary focus remains to fulfill a goal within the context of the narrative.

Genndy Tartakovsky Discussed Plans For Primal Season 3

Premiered in 2019, Primal is among some of the highly acclaimed animated projects of Genndy Tartakovsky and has earned praise for its visuals and execution. And following two hit seasons, Adult Swim has renewed the animation series for a third season.

While the creator of the show has not provided recent updates, the acclaimed animator has earlier discussed his plans for a third season of the show. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he shared,

“I feel like this season we’ve done it all, in a way. I want it to almost become an anthology show, where season 3 would still be called Primal, but with a different subheading.”

He also shared that he would retain the core elements of the series, such as minimal dialogue, high emotion, survival themes, rawness, and visual storytelling in season 3 as well. However, he wants to continue the story with different characters.

Season 3 is currently in production with Tartakovsky once again taking the helm. However, a specific release date for the next season is not available yet. Primal revolves around the bond between a caveman named Spear and a T-Rex named Fang.

Primal is available to stream on Max.