Jurassic Park in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall – A Documentary

At the start of November, many fans were lucky enough to visit the Royal Albert Hall in London to watch Jurassic Park in front of a live symphony orchestra. It was an incredible event; hearing a live orchestra perform such a perfect score by John Williams was magical, and a brilliant way to experience the movie.

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Sam Phillips from our friends at the JurassicCast Podcast has directed and produced a documentary on the event, which you can now watch below!


The team go behind the scenes to show the musicians talk about why this event is so special, and how it is to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, one of London’s most prestigious venues. Be sure to give it a watch and share!

Were you lucky enough to witness Jurassic Park at the Royal Albert Hall? Share your photos and stories in the comments section below!

Bernat Vilaplana joins Jurassic World Sequel as Editor

Jurassic World Sequel director J.A. Bayona today announced on Twitter that Bernat Vilaplana will be the Editor on the upcoming sequel that is scheduled to start filming at the beginning of March. This comes one week after Bayona announced that Oscar Faura will serve as the film’s Cinematographer.

bernatvilaplanaBernat Vilaplana(left) with Elena Ruiz(right) at the Goya Cinema Awards in 2013

Bernat Vilaplana joins the sequel having served as film editor on many films including Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, The Impossible and the upcoming A Monster Calls which is also directed by J.A. Bayona.

panslabrinth2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth

What do you think of Bernat Vilaplana joining the Jurassic World sequel, which hits theaters in June 2018, as the film’s editor? Let us know in the comments below and on our forums.

Source: Twitter

Universal Pictures trademarks new Video Game ‘Jurassic World Survivor’!

In June 2015, a rumor had surfaced that the recently closed Cryptic Studios Seattle location was working on a secret Jurassic World video game. In November of that year, we shared screenshots and art from the game posted by artists who had worked on the project – they had thought their contract was voided as the studio closed, but soon after the publisher Perfect World went after them. We had removed the pictures as a favor to the artists, but as many of you know, the story had already went viral.

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Some time went by without an update, and most assumed the project was extinct – but in June of this year we had heard the project was still alive, and being developed at another studio. Today this news has been confirmed with recent trademark applications of the games title: Jurassic World Survivor.

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The trademarks were applied for on December 24th, 2016 – so it’s likely an announcement is right around the corner. Doing further digging, I discovered www.JurassicWorldSurvivor.com was purchased by Perfect World Entertainment, the projects publisher, in October of this year. The game was initially planned for release on Steam Early Access before going wide on consoles in 2015 – and while the development has changed hands, and the project no doubt evolved, perhaps a similiar roll-out will occur.

The game itself is shrouded in mystery, though it was reported to be an open world third person survival game taking place on Isla Nublar. Similar to titles such as H1Z1, crafting and player interaction was to play a role – though it was apparently light on story. However, since its delay it is likely the scope of the title has continued to expand and evolve in the hands of its new developer (likely Cryptic Studios California). All we know is the play style and story concept are married with the title: survival. Reportedly, it takes place during or shortly after the events of the Jurassic World movie, and centers around player created characters simply trying to outlast the subsequent carnage.

Whether or not the upcoming title will have any easter eggs or tie-ins to the currently untitled Jurassic World sequel remains unclear. However, this game definitely presents an opportunity to do so, and as the upcoming IDW comic series will tie-in to the 2018 film, it’s not improbable this will as well.

Stay tuned: an official announcement of the game is surely coming soon! While it remains unconfirmed, I wouldn’t be surprised if the title is released some time in early, or mid 2017. As always, sound off in the comments below, and let us know what you want from the game!

Source: Trademark Applications, Domain Registry

Jurassic World 2 adds Oscar Faura as Cinematographer

Jurassic World 2 has added a crucial player to the team: the incredibly talented Cinematographer, Oscar Faura. Oscar has previously worked with director J.A. Bayona on The Orphanage, The Impossible, and A Monster Calls – all of which are beautifully shot films. This news come straight from J.A. Bayona himself on Twitter.

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Cinematographers work with the director to define the visual style of the film, and are in charge of the camera operation. Faura is a newcomer to the Jurassic cinematography family, which includes Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park), Janusz Kamiński (The Lost World), Shelly Johnson (Jurassic Park 3), and John Schwartzman (Jurassic World). Each of these talents brought a unique look to the franchise, and Farua will certainly provide an incredibly striking refresh. There is no doubt in my mind his inclusion will lead to one of the best looking films in the franchise.

Jurassic World 2 begins filming in Hawaii and London March 2017, and releases June 2018. More crew and casting news is surely around the corner, so stay tuned!

Source: Twitter

 

 

Ed Verreaux Returns for a Fourth Trip to Jurassic

Here is a fun little tid-bit for fans of behind the scenes information on Jurassic movies. Ed Verreaux, who worked on Jurassic Park and then later did the production design for Jurassic Park 3 and Jurassic World, is returning for the sequel to Jurassic World as an illustrator in the art department. This news comes from IMDB which may make some raise an eyebrow to this news however it should be noted that for information regarding the crew on a film’s production, the site is usually reliable.

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If this were to be true, Ed Verreaux would be one of the few individuals to have had a hand in four of the five Jurassic movies. It is also nice to see that the Jurassic World sequel might be continuing the trend from Jurassic World by bringing in veterans of the Jurassic franchise, which may in turn help keep the spirit of the original Jurassic Park series alive through the new movies. Stay tuned to the site for more information as the sequel begins filming in a short few months.

Source: Ed Verreaux IMDB

Michael Giacchino To Score Jurassic World Sequel

The Hollywood Reporter today dropped a juicy news nugget confirming that Jurassic World composer Michael Giacchino will be returning to compose the score for the upcoming Jurassic World sequel due in 2018.

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While Giacchino did not discuss the Jurassic World sequel during the interview, the Hollywood Reporter mentioned that the film is on his to do list along with multiple other films.

Giacchino took a break to speak with THR between Rogue One and his next geeky gigs, which include Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, War of the Planet of the Apes, the next Jurassic Park sequel and Pixar’s The Incredibles 2.

The news of Giacchino returning for the Jurassic World sequel is not a huge surprise and most fans expected this to be the case. Given that he did a remarkable job on the Jurassic World score, has developed a solid working relationship with the Jurassic World sequel writer/producer Colin Trevorrow and already has a friendship with the Jurassic World sequel director J.A. Bayona it seemed like he would definitely be back.

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Michael Giacchino with J.A. Bayona in 2013

So are you excited that composer Michael Giacchino will be returning to score the Jurassic World sequel? Let us know in the comments below and on our forums.

Thank you to Fede on Twitter for the heads up!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

J.A. Bayona Currently Scouting in Hawaii, Discusses Political Element in Jurassic World 2

The Hollywood Reporter and Spanish website El Pais have both reported that director of the upcoming sequel J.A. Bayona is currently on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, scouting for locations for Jurassic World 2. El Pais stated: “Bayona is in Hawaii preparing the second part of Jurassic World.”

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This correlates somewhat with our report last August where we revealed that the location scouting will take place in November. Our friends at Reel News Hawaii have also heard that location scouts for the sequel are currently on island.

Deep in pre-production on Jurassic World 2, Bayona is also making the press circuits for his latest movie, A Monster Calls. Speaking with Birth.Movies.Death., the director revealed that Claire will not be wearing her infamous heels this time around, instead she’ll be wearing some form of boot, much more suited to the environment. He also revealed that there will be new dinosaurs in the film:

“Claire doesn’t wear high heels in this movie,” Bayona promises. That will make it easier for her to flee its prehistoric menagerie, which will have some additions. “There will be new dinosaurs,” the director says, and then adds, “Finding that proper balance between what the audience is expecting and new stuff is always a challenge in doing a sequel.”

While mentioning how this is the largest and most complex movie he has worked on, he discusses his love for the original and why he’s excited to be directing an instalment:

“I remember the first time I saw that first Brachiosaurus, and the huge impact it had on me,” he says. “I have always been a huge fan of Steven Spielberg, and I never thought I would end up doing a Jurassic movie. So it’s very exciting and a privilege to work with Steven, Frank Marshall and the other producers.”

In another interview with ComingSoon.net, Bayona was asked about the underlying political themes that the Jurassic Park movies have, and if the sequel will feature similar themes:

“Yeah, you’re right,” Bayona told us. “I think there’s a lot of that in the new ‘Jurassic.’ I think there’s a lot of possessiveness towards our creations. I think it’s very interesting where the new movie is heading. It’s so different from the other films, it talks a lot about the moment we live in right now. It’s darker… but at the same time it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s a blockbuster, you have Chris Pratt, it’s a great adventure, but it’s very interesting the way the film is darker than the other ones.”

He also spoke with them about why he was offered the sequel and how it will relate to his previous films:

“You need to adapt, you need to know where you are,” suggested Bayona. “‘Jurassic’ is going to be very different from ‘A Monster Calls’ or ‘The Orphanage,’ but they called me because they loved ‘The Orphanage’ and ‘The Impossible’ and they wanted me to be leading the new ‘Jurassic.’ I think you’re going to find some stuff that will remind you of my movies. At the same time I’m very aware that this is Steven’s baby and I’m going to take care of his baby as much as possible, knowing where I am all the time.”

I am excited to hear that the sequel will be darker and hopefully it will feel more in line with the style of The Lost World. With Bayona’s background in horror and drama, I hope the sequel will feel less safe and less secured than Jurassic World, and the terror that is present in the first three movies will return.

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In related news, Chris recently found two new domain names registered by Universal Pictures: IslaNublarRescueMission.com and AllCreaturesHaveRights.com. Obviously the domains lead nowhere, but it hints at what may feature in the sequel. 

With scouting now taking place in Hawaii, Universal registering domain names, and auditions taking place, Jurassic World 2 is in full pre-production and will be filming in February/March of 2017.

Which new dinosaurs do you hope to see in the sequel? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: Birth.Movies.Death., ComingSoon, El Pais, THR

Chronicle Collectibles Jurassic World 1:9 Owen & Blue is Now Available for Pre-Order!

Chronicle Collectibles continue to delight fans with highly-detailed and accurate Jurassic Park/Jurassic World products with the announcement of their latest item – the 1:9 scale Owen Grady and Blue statue, which is now available for pre-order!

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The statue stands at 11″ with a width of 8″, and weighs 3 lbs. The pose was inspired by the Entertainment Weekly photo shown below, and our friends at Chronicle Collectibles worked closely with Universal Pictures and ILM to ensure the product is absolutely perfect.

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The statue was first seen at the San Diego Comic Con earlier in the year, where Chronicle debuted a number of their upcoming items, and showcased an unpainted version of this statue.

Thanks to Chronicle, we have some exclusive behind the scenes photos of the statue:

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As with all of Chronicle Collectible’s fantastic products, this is a limited edition run and will include individually numbered units that are assigned numerically by the time and date of the order. Owen and Blue will be available for a price of $349.99, switching to $400 after 30 days. Don’t forget, Chronicle have many payment plans so you don’t have to pay in one lump sum!

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Check out the pre-order page here – and check out the other products that are still available for purchase. My personal favourite is the Compy… or the Stegosaurus… or the Breakout Rex… you know what? I don’t have a favourite. I want them all. Here’s some more behind the scenes photos:

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If you’re as excited as us to see what else Chronicle Collectibles are planning for this franchise, take a listen to our interview with Paul Francis, Art Director and Co-Founder of the company. He dishes some juicy details on their upcoming products!

Have you pre-ordered any of these collectibles? Let us know in the comments section below and be sure to follow Chronicle Collectibles on Facebook and Twitter for more photos and information.

Jurassic World: Regenesis – A Fan Made Interactive Online Comic

Timack Creations have just released the first two chapters of their new project – an interactive online comic called Jurassic World: Regenesis. Regenesis is a collaboration between two fans, Timothy L. Glover and Jack Anthony Ewins, whose previous project was the official Jurassic World viral marketing website, Masrani Global.

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The project, as stated above, is an interactive online comic featuring 2D and 3D animation, which tells a series of events that happen after the Jurassic Park incident in 1993. Dedicated to the creators and fans of the franchise, Jurassic World: Regenesis truly is a labor of love from fans to the fans, and it shows what can happen when talented and creative individuals get together to produce a piece of work.

With 2D artwork from Jack and Jaroslav Kosmina, 3D animation from Manuel Bejarano, and music from Tim, the team have created an interesting story that is fun to read through and showcases the tremendous talent that exists in this fan-base.


Above is one of Manuel’s visual effects shots seen in Regenesis, but before watching we do encourage you to head to the Regenesis website to read through the story yourself! You’ll be glad you did, and it’s worth experiencing the project the way the creators intended.

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As expected with any fan project, the story is filled with references to the original films, but there are also some references to the fan-base – did you catch them?

After reading the first two chapters, I can’t wait for more! What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below and don’t forget to follow Timack Creations on Twitter!

Director J.A. Bayona talks Balancing Animatronics and CGI in Jurassic World 2

Back in September Colin Trevorrow confirmed to us that the upcoming Jurassic World sequel would feature more animatronics than its predecessor. Jurassic World skewed noticeably CGI heavy, only utilizing an animatronic neck and head for the dying Apatosaurus. Now, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter J.A. Bayona elaborated on their upcoming plans and challenges:

“Obviously you don’t have real dinosaurs — sometimes you have people playing dinosaurs — but we love animatronics and we’re trying to do as much with them as possible, it’s complicated because the audience now is so used to seeing CGI that they’re sometimes reluctant towards animatronics. But at the same time, I think animatronics bring soul and reality to it. We’re trying to find the balance between animatronics and CGI in order to cheat the audience so they don’t know what they’re seeing.”

Unfortunately, the mention of audiences having a reluctance to accepting animatronics as ‘real’ on screen feels like pushback from the studio. It’s no secret those in charge of the business end have a tendency to prefer CGI over practical effects for numerous reasons – and they often seem to covince themselves it’s an artistic favor for the audience, when in reality it is not (for more on the challenges modern filmmakers face with utilizing practical effects, give our podcast with Matt Winston a listen). The Thing (2011) particularly made a name for itself when the studio forced to replace all its practical effects work with CGI.

The Jurassic Park franchise has always done an amazing job balancing its practical effects work against CGI, and the results show. The first Jurassic Park still holds up – namely with the practical effects, which look stunning and lifelike. Jurassic World is a strange film, visually. In terms of the technology, it is the best looking Jurassic film – however, the majority of its creatures are the worst looking in the franchise, coming off as cartoony and not grounded in reality. The major exception for this tends to be the Indominus Rex, who looked stunning in almost every scene, and had a sense of reality behind her animation. There is certainly nothing wrong with CGI when done right, and 90% it is done right and the audience doesn’t even realize what they’re seeing isn’t reality. However, when you can actually put something real on screen, it’s going to have a sense of reality that computer generated images do not.

Take the Tyrannosaurus Rex from Jurassic Park, and compare her to the Rex from World. Park outclasses her entirely, and while World’s CGI may be more advanced, it has almost no sense of reality behind it when compared to the orginal.

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No audience is going to say that the top image from Jurassic Park looks less realistic than the bottom one from World. However, that’s not to say practical VFX are always the answer – I think the CGI compys in The Lost World look far better than the practical counterparts. Actually, I think the CGI Compys look ridiculously ahead of their time and more real than most creatures in World.

There is nothing wrong with animatronics/practical effects when used right – nor is there anything wrong with CGI. For some reason those in audience (and sometimes the industry) tend to lead a crusade against one or the other, which is certainly unnecessary as both are phenomenal artistic tools. But make no mistake, practical effects are the underdog currently. They’re more difficult to get right, take more planning and time, which tends to scare studios. However when they are done right they will almost always outclass CGI (unless we’re talking about real jaw droppers like Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.)

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All I ask is that Universal listens to the artistic talent heading the franchise, and listens to the fans. Jurassic Park made a name for itself for cutting edge practical effects, and CGI. Take a note from Lucasfilm and Disney with the Star Wars franchise: embrace its history, its legacy, its identity. Let the franchise continue to be what made it special, and let it blow audiences away with what they see on screen.

Jurassic World may have visually faltered at times, but now that the franchise has proven itself in the box office, let it redefine cutting edge effects as it resurrects dinosaurs once more. Jurassic World 2 is in a position to usher in a new epoch of visual effects, and I hope it embraces its chance fully. I dare say fans would even embrace a delay if that is what it took to get realistic animatronic work in the film.

As always, sound off in the comments below and weigh in on the discussion, and check out our interview with Matt Winston below:

Source: The Hollywood Reporter