Month: February 2018

Opinion: Jurassic Park 3’s Importance to the Franchise

Posted on by Marcus McCowin

I was eight years old when Jurassic Park III was released.

I can vividly remember jumping in the car with my mom and dad and heading to the theater. It was hard to believe they had made a 3rd movie. Dinosaurs and the Jurassic franchise were my thing. My sister had Disney princesses, my brother had NASCAR —I had dinosaurs. I loved JP 3. I still do. For a long time after the movie’s release, it was by far my favorite of the three in the franchise. I can remember opening a huge (but very light) box on Christmas morning in 2001 to find that silver VHS. I couldn’t have been happier.

Over the years I began to love each of the three films equally, because I love the individual personalities that they bring to the screen. Jurassic Park brings wonder and awe of these amazing animals. The Lost World brings a feeling of wilderness and safari while exploring the dinosaur universe. Then Jurassic Park III came along and delivered a type of big-action, jungle vibe that was altogether different from the first two. I’m not saying that any of these three films are perfect. There are flaws in them as there are in every movie. However, they are darn good and entertaining. The question still stands — was Jurassic Park III a good stand-alone movie and solid addition to this franchise at the time? Maybe not. What is awesome, however, is that with the addition of a new trilogy and backstory, fans may want to take another look at it and its newfound place in the Jurassic universe.

Once I became more in touch with the internet as I got older, I realized something that both surprised and bothered me. There was some serious hate (and still is) being thrown JP 3’s way. I couldn’t believe it and had no idea why. Once I dug further, I realized it came from two main sources — Spinosaurs killing a T-rex (not even our beloved Rexy,) and the Kirbys.

The fight between the Spinosaurus and T-rex is something that will live in Jurassic infamy for fans. At that point in paleontology, Spino was considered the biggest and most ferocious animal to walk the Earth. I don’t think everyone properly understood at the time, but the T-rex in JP 3 is young. This information comes from the Wiki information of the Jurassic franchise, as well as the dinosaur size charts for the films. This rex was more than likely an inexperienced fighter as well. This fight could have absolutely been handled better by the screenwriters. But to hate the movie over a fight? That doesn’t make sense to me.

Dr. Grant said that Spinosaurus “wasn’t on InGen’s list,” and it made him wonder what else they were up to. Flash forward 14 years to Jurassic World — we can now venture a guess as to what InGen may have been dabbling in at that time. When Grant said that in JP 3, no one had any idea that the franchise was going to carry on, and the movie ended with hardly any other mention of InGen. We now know the origin of Spinosaurus, thanks to the Dinosaur Protection Group (DPG). Spino was one of several secret experiments by InGen, which began after Masrani acquired them in the late 90’s. DPG gave extra meaning to JP 3 by explaining where its main antagonist came from. No longer do we need to be confused as to why this beast seemingly fell from the sky.

Dr. Grant also gives a chilling warning in JP3 that now seems to foreshadow Jurassic World. He tells Billy “some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions.” In Jurassic World, Vic Hoskins makes me believe that he has good intentions, even though his end game is more than likely making big money from his Indoraptor idea. In the end he loses his life, but before that, a large part of his concern is saving the lives of soldiers via militarized raptors. Grant’s words can really resonate with you when you see clips of the Indominus and Indoraptor wreaking havoc. In fact, I would get chills if they inserted his quote into the Fallen Kingdom trailer.

If the new Jurassic World trilogy did not exist now, would you care whatsoever about what InGen was up to back in the early 2000’s? Or care to wonder where Spinosaurus came from? Most likely not. If you look back at the movie now and listen to the confusion in Grant’s voice, it’s interesting to think (and now know) what Masrani’s acquired InGen team was working on somewhere in the world.

Jurassic fans should be happy with how much raptor intelligence was explored in the third film. We learned about their communication, their ability to set traps and their fierce loyalty to keeping their young in their possession. Jurassic Park let us know the preliminary information on these animals, but JP 3 really dove in. For this reason, it allowed me to be able to buy into the fact that they can be trained. Raptors are supposed to be brilliantly smart creatures. If dolphins, gorillas and whales can be trained, why couldn’t raptors? This is especially true when they come in contact with their alpha from birth, just like Owen. I totally bought into the idea that raptors could be trained, and a large part of that reason was because of how smart they were portrayed to be in JP 3.

In the movie, the Kirbys may have been slightly annoying, but at the end of the day they’re supposed to be parents scared to death that their son is dead. Amanda also did something that had a roundabout effect on what is going on in the Jurassic universe today. When escaping from the Pteranodon enclosure, she doesn’t take the time to fully shut the door. This allows the Pteranodons to escape their cage and flee from the island. It is now a known fact that those Pteranodons ended up in Canada. Who was tasked with the job of corralling them up? Vic Hoskins. And because of the excellent job and manner in which he presented his team in Canada, he was hired by Simon Masrani. A few years later, with his job at InGen, Hoskins would be plotting with Henry Wu to make an ultimate weapon of war — the Indoraptor.

It’s my theory that Hoskins and Wu worked to come up with something like the Indominus. They made it. They wanted it to escape. And when it did, Hoskins knew that he could exploit Owen’s raptors’ intelligence and tracking ability to hunt it. Then after their success, he could really push the idea of a shrunken Indominus without the T-rex DNA to use for war.

So now go back to Amanda running from the Pteranodon enclosure. If she stops to shut that door properly, does any of this ever take place? I think that’s a fair question. Would there be hybrid dinosaurs? Probably. In the late 1990’s, Wu was successfully creating hybrid plants. I think it would have only been a matter of time before he went to hybrid dinosaurs. However, would he have been corrupted in the way he was after Hoskins got to him? Hard to say for certain.

Is Jurassic Park III perfect? No. But, I find it highly entertaining, with great-looking dinos and fantastic graphics. Standing as a third and potentially final installment of the franchise, I would say this movie is lackluster. However, being the middle piece of the puzzle that fills in some gaps gives it meaning and value. When you watch this movie today, you can relate it to the future of the Jurassic franchise much better than you could have for the last 17 years. Today, its dialogue and premise makes sense and should be appreciated more for what it is.

What are your thoughts on what Jurassic Park 3 adds to the franchise? Sound off in the comments below!

Opinion: Who Should Direct Jurassic World 3?

Posted on by Maggie Rachael


It’s official: we now have a release date for the third film in the Jurassic World franchise! Set to be released on June 11, 2021, this third film has fans everywhere excited. However, the announcement of a third film begs one very large, very important question:

Who’s going to direct it?

Who can bring about those classic Jurassic Park sensibilities and inject those intense elements that fans love so dearly, while still putting their own mark on the film? By no means is directing a franchise of such a large caliber an easy job, but there are many directors out there who have proved that they are more than capable of reining in a few wayward dinos (and a few more wayward actors).

But, it takes something special to create a truly unique film that appeals to everybody, and with the clear sign that diverse movies sell well, it’s high time that the directors and stars of a franchise as big as Jurassic World change to reflect the vast fanbase.

So, we present (in no particular order), a list of five diverse, talented people I believe would serve the Jurassic franchise well:

(Source: IMDb)

Ava DuVernay

Arguably the biggest name on this list, DuVernay is one of the spearheads of a new era of Hollywood blockbusters: those that are diverse, and tell diverse stories. And that’s exactly what the Jurassic franchise needs. While we’ve always had women at the forefronts of these tales, and they’re certainly not just there to look pretty, bringing someone like DuVernay in could open up endless opportunities to put people of color in the spotlight in one of the biggest film franchises in history. From the success of films like Black Panther, it’s clear that diverse films sell, and it feels like it’s time for the Jurassic franchise to catch up.

Projects like Selma prove that DuVernay has the determination and the intense ardor needed to create a great film, as well as tell a story that it is far more than what it seems to be on the surface. DuVernay is devoted to creating a n entire experience within her films – an admirable quality that gives her a seat at the table of Hollywood’s best contemporary directors.

And of course, the director’s previous work shows excellent examples of the whimsy and nostalgia that everyone feels when they watch (or rewatch) the original Jurassic Park – just look at what we’re expecting to see from A Wrinkle in Time. DuVernay tells very human stories while balancing it with the magic we all want to feel, and could bring something totally different to Jurassic World 3 that would change the game entirely.

(Source: IMDb)

Karyn Kusama

Having won awards from both the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals for her films, Karyn Kusama certainly has the experience necessary to helm a Jurassic film with the poise and determination it takes to make a great film.

Her work on the horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body is highly underrated, and like DuVernay, Kusama is a woman of color who could bring a much-needed lens of diversity to the film. (When making her debut, Girlfight, she insisted that the protagonist be Latina rather than whitewashed to become a white actress’ star vehicle.) And, in addition to that, Kusama’s roots in horror with works like Jennifer’s Body and The Invitation can lend an unsettling quality to the Jurassic films – one that could bring the grit back around that Crichton’s original novels offer so effectively.

Kusama’s work with female-centric works like Girlfight, her breakout film, and the all-female horror anthology XX, also indicate a perspective that the Jurassic franchise could use. The idea of strong, independent, Sexy Lamp Test-passing females has been a staple of the films for the past twenty-five years, but we could always use more. Third film’s the charm, right?

(Source: IMDb)

Ana Lily Amirpour

Amirpour is perhaps best known for her 2014 vampire drama, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, as well as 2016’s The Bad Batch, a post-apocalyptic story featuring Keanu Reeves, Jason Momoa, and a one-armed Suki Waterhouse. She’s straight and to-the-point with her storytelling – there’s no creatively masking violence or insecurity, and the directness helps to build the brave new worlds her characters exist in and interact with.

Her work is delightfully bizarre, but also carries with it a heavy sense of sharpness and honesty that few other filmmakers can display in such intense genre films. She tells compelling stories using the bare minimum amount elements, and it’s clear that she knows exactly what she’s trying to achieve with each new project.

Amirpour only has two feature-length credits to her name – plus a directing credit on an upcoming episode of Legion – but other franchises have had clear success pulling directors from small, indie film backgrounds (see: Taika Waititi’s successful turn directing Thor: Ragnarok) and Amirpour’s style is perhaps exactly what the franchise needs. A bit strange, more than a bit dramatic, and pointedly different.

(Source: IMDb)

Sarah Adina Smith

Sarah Adina Smith is a woman known for her off-the-wall takes on the human psyche and the human experience. These tales have won several awards, including multiple Best Film awards for 2014’s The Midnight Swim, the story of three women unable to let go of the death of their mother. Off-the-wall is precisely what the Jurassic films need to continue pushing the envelope of the sci-fi genre, so why not put Smith in the driver’s seat?

Like Amirpour, Smith is also directing an upcoming episode of Legion, suggesting her propensity for stretching the limits of audiences’ imaginations to create an unbelievable world of sci-fi and fantasy – much like Michael Crichton did when he originally published Jurassic Park.

The indie director says that her approach to film is not intentionally unconventional – in an interview with Daily Dead, she said that “it’s all about listening and seeing what [the] movie wants to be, and letting the movie have a life of its own, and letting it dictate where it wants to go, and being less controlling about the process”. What would happen if she were made head of a large film like Jurassic World 3? Perhaps the story would go in a direction that no one ever imagined it could go, slipping down a rabbit hole that could reinvigorate the entire franchise with something fresh and different.

(Source: IMDb)

Julia Ducournau

Many of the women on this list are those who work in horror and have no qualms with getting their hands dirty to make a good film. Julia Ducournau has perhaps the dirtiest, bloodiest history of any of these directors, diving straight into body-horror with her first film. But, that type of blood, sweat, and tears in her work betrays a true, deep humanity that could lend incredibly well to the characters in Jurassic World, making them more than simply characters in an action film.

Her breakout film, Raw, examines the human condition through a very inhuman lens, taking the audience to new extremes to discuss something very close to them. Ducournau’s narrative of a teenage cannibal at veterinary school deconstructs the way people – specifically women – are looked at and how society treats them, turning a genre film from simply something that makes viewers faint to a dark commentary on social politics.

Cannibalism and dinosaurs aren’t exactly the same thing, but Ducournau’s method of storytelling is one that could apply well to the Jurassic franchise. The politics of genetic cloning and animals rights are being hotly debated in today’s society, and offering someone like Ducournau the opportunity to take the reins of a big budget sci-fi franchise could take audiences down a yellow brick road of genre horror – replacing the glitter on the audience’s ruby slippers with a bit of blood, of course.

What do you think? Who are your picks to direct the third Jurassic World installment? Let us know in the comments below!

‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Viral Website Answers Questions While Creating All New Mysteries

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Get ready for a deep dive into Ingen’s secrets and inconsistencies.

Alongside the ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Super Bowl trailer earlier this month, the viral website for Dinosaur Protection Group formally launched with a trove of new information and images. The DPG is a fictional organization introduced in the upcoming Jurassic Park sequel founded by Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), with the goal of gaining public and financial support to save the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar from the ‘extinction level’ eruption of the once dormant Mount Sibo.

Claire’s ambition to save the dinosaurs is driven by not only an empathetic bond to animals in need, but the moral responsibility of those who created the dinosaurs to save them from a doomed fate – a fate humanity dictated due to their unnatural forced containment and isolation. The DPG argues mankind must be held accountable for the life they’ve created, for better or worse, and it’s their obligation to save the dinosaurs via relocation or other means.

Thus, the ‘in-universe’ intent of the Dinosaur Protection Group website is to educate the world not only about the prehistoric life created through de-extinction, but to also help the public better understand the history of InGen’s actions, and the range of impact the epochal company has induced.

In a new DPG update today, the groundwork is set for explaining many of the mysteries of the Jurassic universe (such as why was the Spinosaurus not on InGen’s list, for starters). But before we go that far, it’s best to understand the lay of the land – after the San Diego incident in 1997, the Gene Guard Act was passed by the US House Committee in collaboration with InGen. The act rewarded currently existing dinosaur species the same rights as naturally existing endangered species, protected the islands from outsiders, and outlawed furthered creation of extinct prehistoric fauna.

This act was put into place before John Hammond passed away, and at the time InGen was fully committed to upholding a greater standard of ethics, standing as guardians of these majestic animals from the past. The restrictions would remain enforced when Masrani Global acquired InGen in 1998, though it was later discovered the company neglected the law well before the sanctions were dropped in 2003 (note: those sanctions were later discovered to be removed under illegal pretenses such as bribery).

The breaches in the Gene Protection Act began as soon as 100 days after Masrani Globals acquisition of InGen, and led to the creation of the Spinosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Corythosaurus* (all new species which first appeared in Jurassic Park 3). Curiously, the Jurassic Park 3 Ankylosaurus varies from that seen in Jurassic World – perhaps it’s an example of sexual dimorphism, where the males of the species have a different body structure and a splash of red on their face. The aformentioned file leak dates to 1997, prior to the acquisition; presumably any new variation of dinosaur seen in ‘World’ not listed as illegally cloned was created after 2003.

*Note: Despite what the DPG says, the Corythosaurus was not cloned illegally, and existed on Isla Sorna prior to the Gene Protection Act. It can be seen as part of the species list in ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’.

The files also point to the breeding Velociraptors, and much like Grant did, assumes Frog DNA is to blame. However, this does not take into account that modern reptiles and birds have been observed changing sex, and breeding in nature. As birds are a direct decedent of dinosaurs, and share the common archosaur ancestory with reptiles, it can be assumed that particular genetic ability evolved naturally. Hence, even without the frog DNA, dinosaurs would likely find a way to breed in certain circumstances. This is further evidenced by the documented breeding of Stegosaurs, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurs, Gallimimus, Pteranodons, and in all likelihood, numerous other species (for example sexual dimorphism can be observed in Parasaurolophus with green females, and orangeish males).

What the InGen file leak does not account for is the curious omission of Proceratosaurus, both a species on the Jurassic Park map, and a viable embryo stolen by Dennis Nedry – perhaps this can be explained by carelessness in InGens archival of information, or it was scrubbed from record for even more nefarious motives. Further anomalies that are yet to be explained are the separate sub-species of Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, and Pteranodon observed on Isla Sorna during the events of Jurassic Park 3.

The latest DPG blog entry is vague on the status of Isla Sorna – it’s alluded that InGen at least claimed they moved all species to Isla Nublar, however the likelihood of that being true or possible seems slim at best – especially as many of the species of Sorna are nowhere to be found on Nublar. While one may account that to population extinction, earlier DPG updates suggest the only known extinctions are Metriacanthosaurus and Edmontosaurus on Isla Nublar only.

There is a lot more to dig into on the Dinosaur Protection Group website, such as dinosaur population counts from 1993 to 1997, illustrating the various survival rates and hunting patterns of the animals on both islands. Further, it showcases that some of the new dinosaurs seen in ‘World’ were species InGen aspired to create via incomplete genomes during the ‘Park’ era, such as the Dimorphodon and Allosaurus.

This is an exciting time to be a Jurassic Park fan, and further dig into the canon of the films. Be sure to check the website out, and sound off on what you think of this latest lore expansion!

Source: Dinosaur Protection Group

Jurassic World 3 to Release June 11th, 2021 – Emily Carmichael Joins as Writer!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Hold on to your butts – Jurassic World 3 has a release date, and a new face joining the writing team!


Jurassic World 3 will release June 11th, 2021! Pacific Rim Uprising writer Emily Carmichael joins Colin Trevorrow as a writer for Jurassic World 3, working from a story by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly. No details have been shared about who is directing, though we suspect Colin Trevorrow may return.

Emily Carmichael is no stranger to Amblin Entertainment, as she was brought on to write and direct an upcoming action-adventure titled Powerhouse – further, she recently rewrote ‘The Black Hole’ for Disney. Colin Trevorrow had this to say about her joining the team (via Variety):

“It’s important to this franchise that we welcome new creative voices to keep our storytelling fresh and alive,” says Trevorrow. “I’m thrilled with the tension and beauty J.A. has brought to ‘Fallen Kingdom,’ and I know Emily will add another layer of emotion to the concluding chapter of our trilogy.”

Emily Carmichael fell onto Amblins radar from work on projects like her short film Stryka, which you can watch below:

Jurassic World 2 is directed by JA Bayona, and release June 22nd, 2018.

Who do you want to direct the 6th Jurassic Park film, and where would you like the story to go? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for everything Jurassic!

LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Sets Unveiled

Posted on by Josh Evans

The past 24 hours have been a wild one for Jurassic fans, especially Jurassic fans who love collecting toys and merchandise. If you haven’t already taken a look at all the photos Jurassic Outpost took at the New York Toy Fair yesterday please make sure to check them out here.

In addition to all the Mattel toys and other products shown off, some of the LEGO sets for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom were also officially unveiled. Mashable has a look at some of the new sets we will be getting. A total of 13 sets will be released for the new film.

Pteranadon Escape – $19.99

Raptor Rescue Truck – $24.99

Carnotaurus Gyrosphere Escape – $79.99

Pteranadon Chase – $19.99

Stygimoloch Breakout – $29.99

Gentle Giants Petting Zoo – $19.99

Also check out the Jurassic Outpost Facebook page where there is an album of photos taken at the Toy Fair of the LEGO sets, including ones not unveiled in the Mashable article. You can see all those photos here.

The LEGO sets will be hitting shelves this April! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and on our forums.

Source: Mashable

Hands On With the First Mattel Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom Toys!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

If a picture is worth 1000 words, what is 1000 pictures worth?

That’s the question I’m asking myself as I sit in my hotel room, overwhelmed by everything I had the chance to see and experience today, while trying to find a way to filter and present the information on this website. There are just too many pictures – I’m not sorry about that, but I am struggling to find the best way to share them all!

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. Today, as you no doubt already know, Universal Pictures held a first look event at their numerous Jurassic World toys and merchandise – this of course included LEGO, Mattel, and Funko – but also included high end fashion, candy, and much more! We were there to see, hold, and demo the items, geek out, take pictures and videos, and ask way too many questions.

To be as in depth as possible with our articles, we will be uploading images to social media first – particularly Facebook. Major brands such as Mattel will get their own designated articles, like so. As Toy Fair continues to roar on this weekend, we will provide numerous updates via new articles, however, if this article see’s updates we will also make note of it. I’ll do an in depth ‘blog/review’ of my experience (spoiler alert: I loved it all) later, perhaps via podcast, but for now I wanted to share as many direct images as possible.

As a buffer to the Mattel items, you should know their main line has all been scaled around 3.75″ humans – so each separate SKU houses dinosaurs of the same relative size, meaning the entire lineup scales proportionately. This is something Jurassic Park fans haven’t had since the Kenner days, prior to Jurassic Park 3, and in many ways, Mattel has raised the bar. With that out of the way, it’s time to dig in.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy – starting with this video:

NOTE: These are only select images – see our Facebook Album for every photo we took!

Basic Dinosaurs ‘Attack Pack’ (price N/A):

The basic dinosaurs – these dinosaurs are articulated, and represent the smaller Jurassic Park and World species. Perhaps the most interesting one on display was the Herrerasaurus, based on the Telltale game – Universal has confirmed they’re dedicated to making a robust expanded universe, and this is the evidence! Take note, a few of the dinosaurs such as the Dimorphodon and Dilophosaurus have color variants on display.

Blink and you’ll miss it! Part of this lineup is the male Velociraptor from The Lost World, as pictured on the back of the packaging:

Basic Human Figures ($7.99):

Humans – packed with gear and sometimes a small dino! While it looks like only one is backed with an actual hatchling (Owen and Baby Blue), these figures sport lots of articulation and great paint applications. With great play factor along with fun collectability, these should be a welcome addition to everyone.

Electronic Dinosaurs ‘Roarivores’ ($14.99):

These electronic toys sport great articulation, biting actions, and button activated roars. They’re based on the mid sized dinosaurs of the Jurassic universe, such as Triceratops, Allosaurus, and Metriacanthosaurus. One thing that stood out to me was how detailed the toys were, and the fact that they are larger than the pictures implied – while I had initially thought they were close in size to the JP3 electronic dinos, they are in fact closer to the 2013 Dino Showdown sets.

Jurassic World ‘Action Attacks’ ($19.99):

Based upon the medium large dinosaurs of the Jurassic franchise, these toys are large, detailed, and eye catching. These are certain to attract fans of all ages, with their button activated attack features, and their striking paint applications. The Carnotaurus is easily the standout from this lineup, and is hands down the best Carnotaurus toy in the series.

Indoraptor (price N/A)

The new villain of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Not much is known about this new dinosaur, but from the name alone one can assume she is a variation of the Indominus Rex, favoring more Velociraptor DNA over Tyrannosaurus. This toy is super articulated, and ultra detailed, though sadly there was no loose sample to experiment with – however we were quite impressed with what we saw!

Real Feel Mosasaurus ($29.99):

This toy is massive and made out of a hollow soft plastic (or perhaps a harder rubber?), and features an articulated jaw and fins. It’s simple, kid friendly (while it’s not made for water play, it’s been tested), and yet still attractive to collectors. I fully expect this toy will fly off the shelves faster the Mosasaurus jumping to eat the Indominus Rex.

Thrash N’ Throw T rex ($39.99):

This was the toy I was most worried about – while we didn’t cover it on our website, images had previously leaked, and it didn’t look great. Thankfully, the leaks were not representative of the real item, which ended up being one of my favorite toys of the lineup! The play factor on this toy is next level, and while reminiscent of the Thrasher from ’97, it adds far more action (see the video) as well as electronic roars!

Super Colossal Tyrannosaurus Rex ($54.99)

The Tyrannosaurus Rex is the star of Jurassic Park, and the queen of Isla Nublar – so it’s no surprise Mattel has made a massive toy based on this iconic dinosaur. Measuring at least 3 feet long, this toy is a showstopper, towering over the rest of the line – it features articulated jaws, and a hollow belly, allowing it to chomp and eat smaller toys, such as the ill-fated mercenary in these pictures!

Lights and Sounds Vehicles ($19.99)

Both the ‘Deep Dive Submarine’ and the ‘Off Road Rescue Rig’ are based upon key vehicles in Fallen Kingdom, and feature moving parts plus authentic light up features. They’re quite large, and can fit multiple basic human figures – and perhaps even a dino or two! Their paint applications are basic, but effective, and they’re surprisingly affordable for their size.

Gyrosphere Blast Vehicle ($29.99)

This vehicle is cool enough even without the Gyropshere functionality, which takes it to a whole new level – this heavy armored truck is perfect for hunting down the dinos, but if things get too dangerous, the drivers can make a quick escape via the push of a button, launching the Gyrosphere out! Be sure to watch the video at the top of this article to fully appreciate the feature!

Thats not all!

This was just a sampling of the items on showcase today – check out the expanded gallery below, the full gallery on Facebook, and the PDF embedded at the end of this article for every Jurassic World Mattel item announced so far (and yes – more are coming!).

As always, stay tuned – we will continue to cover toy fair, build a section based on the toys, and all the latest news. Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think!

[pdf-embedder url=”http://jurassicoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Jurassic-World-Mattel-Toy-Fair-Preview.pdf” title=”Jurassic World Mattel Toy Fair Preview”]

Huge thanks to Tim Cianfano for assisting with photos and video!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom at Toy Fair New York 2018

Posted on by Maggie Rachael

Jurassic World seems to have quite the presence at New York City’s Toy Fair this year, with news and merchandise announcements pouring in left and right.

In addition to the announcement of Mattel’s Fallen Kingdom line from earlier, the franchise also has multiple figures on display at the Toy Fair, as seen below. Figures displayed include some of the new Fallen Kingdom action figures, including sculpts of the stygimoloch (or “stiggy”, as it’s being called on the product packaging) and carnotaurus that fans saw in the trailer.

A preview of some of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s upcoming merchandise.
The new, three-foot long Super Colossal T-Rex (Images courtesy of Jurassic Outpost’s Chris Pugh)
Indoraptor Articulated Action Figure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the new articulated dino action figures, including a carnotaurus and a stegosaurus.
More articulated dino action figures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the new story pack playsets that will be available, featuring Blue, Owen, Claire, and a gyrosphere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No information has been released on when these toys will be available, but they certainly look gorgeous, and it seems like there will be a wide variety of products coming to us very soon.

The official Jurassic World social media accounts have also been previewing some of the merchandise, with cameos from Bryce Dallas Howard herself, who attended the fair to promote the new products.

By the looks of it, everything from Lego sets to new Jurassic World-themed fashion has been put on display at the Toy Fair, with several sneak peeks available on the official JW Instagram story.

Bryce Dallas Howard with Mattel’s Claire Dearing Barbie
Some of Gen Art’s new Jurassic World-inspired fashion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News on the new young adult novel centered on Claire Dearing has also been released! Bryce Dallas Howard previewed the novel’s cover on the official Jurassic World Instagram, and we now know the official title of the novel: Jurassic World: The Evolution of Claire.

A full synopsis of the novel has also been released along with the cover:

Freshman year in college is full of obstacles one must learn to overcome – messy roommates, dining hall food, and cranky professors are just a few. Never has a student added, “How to properly avoid being eaten by a dinosaur,” to her list of freshman year complications, but Claire Dearing isn’t just any student.

The year is 2004. The future theme park, Jurassic World, is currently under construction. Nineteen-year-old Claire Dearing, the multi-tasking, self-possessed heroine of Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, has chosen to spend her summer interning with the Masrani Corporation on Isla Nublar following her freshman year in college. The result is a pulse-pounding coming of age story set against the backdrop of Jurassic World advancing towards its opening day.

The story begins with Claire as she starts her internship with laser-focused goals set on bettering the lives of all animals worldwide. While exploring the island, and performing various theme park/dinosaur-related tasks, Claire quickly forms a tight bond with her fellow interns while also making a name for herself amongst the senior members of the Jurassic World staff. It isn’t long before romance sparks between her and a fellow student, which leaves Claire conflicted once a larger, and more sinister plot develops, forcing her to question the motives of everyone on the island.

Over the course of a thrilling mystery full of intrigue and suspense, this novel details the origins of Claire’s nuanced character in a rich and complex way, allowing the reader to witness the transformative moment when Claire begins constructing walls around herself, and steps forward as the guarded character we meet in the first Jurassic World film.

In addition to books and toys, Jurassic World also released news of upcoming Fallen Kingdom Pop! Funkos. Funko announced the release of three new Fallen Kingdom collectible figures on their Twitter, in addition to showing them at the fair. Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, and Blue will all be available for purchase in May.

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A preview of the new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Funkos. (via @OriginalFunko on Twitter)

Stay tuned for a detailed first-hand write up of all the new Jurassic World merchandise, featuring HD photos and videos of all the new products!

Entertainment Weekly Releases Exclusive Preview of Mattel’s Fallen Kingdom Merch!

Posted on by Maggie Rachael

Entertainment Weekly has released an early, exclusive look at the toys that are set to be released by Mattel, inspired by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Highlights of the toy line include a three-foot long, articulated Super Colossal T-Rex, an assortment of story pack playsets featuring scenes from the film, and several dino sculpts modeled authentically after the film’s dinos. The products range in design and target demographics, stretching from Hatch’n’Play dinosaurs for younger children (featuring models of a t-rex, triceratops, stygimoloch, and Baby Blue) to a t-rex anatomy kit for older ones.

Images of some of the new products can be seen below, and Mattel has certainly gone all out with their product range.

Jurassic World Super Colossal T-Rex ($54.99)
Jurassic World Story Pack Assortment ($14.99, sold separately)
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Jurassic World Hatch’n’Play Dinos ($14.99, sold separately)
Jurassic World Tyrannosaurus Rex Anatomy Kit ($49.99)
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Jurassic World Gyrosphere Blast Vehicle ($29.99)
Uno Attack Jurassic World ($24.99)
Jurassic World Roarivores Assortment ($14.99)

This announcement comes on the heels of Bryce Dallas Howard’s appearance on the Today Show on February 15th to preview Mattel’s Fallen Kingdom Barbie doll line that will also be released.

More details on Mattel’s toys and other Fallen Kingdom merchandise are set to come later, but what do you think about these new toys? Will you be purchasing any? Let us know in the comments below!

Jurassic Park Rex to Appear in Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’

Posted on by Alex Evans

Finally answering months of speculation, a new TV spot for Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ lays to rest the debate over whether or not the film will pay homage to Spielberg’s own work with a resounding YES!

This reference to Spielberg’s portfolio of classics comes in the form of none other than the Jurassic Park Rex!

It was previously reported that Spielberg would not be referencing any of his previous films for fear of it being interpreted as vanity, thankfully however this is not the case and at least one throwback has slipped the net.

The film which is due out later this year, is based on the 2011 novel by Ernest Cline. Despite being set in the future, the novel is grounded in references to pop culture from the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s. Other references include the time travelling DeLorean from the 1985 hit ‘Back to the Future’ and the titular ‘Iron Giant’ from Brad Bird’s animated classic.

Whilst it remains to be seen if this will be a cameo or more of a featured appearance, this will be the Jurassic Park Rex’s second appearance of the year outside of the Jurassic Park/World franchise, after the Jeep Wrangler advert that debuted at the Super Bowl earlier this month.


‘Ready Player One’ is due out on March the 29th.

Bryce Dallas Howard Shows Off Fallen Kingdom Toys on the Today Show

Posted on by Jennifer

Bryce Dallas Howard stopped by Kathie Lee and Hoda on the Today Show this morning and she gave us a first look at some of the new toys for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It was also the very first time Bryce got to see the Claire Barbie Doll from Mattel in person.

Another new toy that was shown off was the Pterano Drone, which in our opinion will be very popular among the new line of toys. Check out the full Today Show interview with Bryce in the video below.


Video credit to the Bryce Dallas Howard Network

If this news is up your alley, you may want to keep an eye on Jurassic Outpost around 1pm EST tomorrow.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and on our forums!

Source: Today, The Bryce Dallas Howard Network