The See Jurassic Right Podcast‘s Back To School series returns for a new season Friday September 12th, featuring exciting new conversations with scientists, paleontologists, educators and more! You can listen to the trailer for the series here and read more from host Steven Ray Morris below.
Logo by Abigail Ervin-Penner
From Steven Ray Morris and the See Jurassic Right Podcast:
Hey everyone, Steven Ray Morris here, I am so thrilled to tell you about the return of the Back to School series on See Jurassic Right. Now besides sharing my love of the Jurassic Park (and Alien) franchises here on the podcast, I have a deep love, admiration, and respect for hardworking scientists and science educators of the world.
As the former editor of Ologies with Alie Ward, and filled with childlike wonder and curiosity instilled in me from an early age by visiting museums and watching shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, Magic School Bus, and Eyewitness, the Back To School series is your chance to learn about a bunch of cool scientists doing cool shit, today!
Every Friday, starting September 12th, I will be sharing conversations with: paleontologists, science communicators, disease ecologists, science activists, biologists of numerous disciplines, and more. This is your chance to not only get a window into their work, but how you can help science right here, right now.
The return of the Back to School series is a long time coming (the first season was named New & Noteworthy by Apple Podcasts in 2020), and I am really excited to take all of you on a journey of discovery with me and all my amazing guests. So be sure to subscribe, like, follow, all the good stuff before the series launches this Friday, September 12th on See Jurassic Right. Hold onto your butts, see you soon!
Orbx, in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, has officially released Jurassic World: Archipelago, a brand-new expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, inspired by the Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment films. Available now on PC via OrbxDirect, the add-on brings a unique blend of cinematic storytelling and scenic flying to the sim world.
With more than four decades of history behind it, the flight sim world now welcomes something entirely new. This release marks a unique moment, offering something fresh for long-time flight sim fans while inviting Jurassic World fans to experience this beloved IP in the game for the first time.
With Jurassic World: Archipelago, players and pilots can explore a fully recreated version of the iconic island chain, including Isla Nublar, Isla Sorna, and the greater Muertes Archipelago. They will fly over lush terrain, land at tucked-away airstrips, and spot dinosaurs moving through the trees, all designed using detailed references from the movies.
What is included:
Highly detailed islands: Isla Nublar, Isla Sorna, and the Muertes Archipelago islands
Custom airfields and helipads
Animated dinosaurs and reptiles roam land, water, and skies
Themed aircraft liveries and unique flight activities integrated into gameplay
Jurassic World themed missions
Exclusive aircraft liveries
“This project has been a real passion for our team,” said Anna Cicognani, CEO of Orbx. “Combining flight simulation with our love of Jurassic World has been both exciting and groundbreaking. We’ve aimed to create something that feels fun, familiar, and full of surprises for fans of both worlds.”
Jurassic World: Archipelago is available now for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC via OrbxDirect and Orbx Central for approx. USD 24.99 (AUD 38.44). The final amount at checkout may differ based on the country’s taxes and currency exchange rates.
Versions for Xbox, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, and X-Plane are currently in development and will follow soon.
About Orbx Orbx is a global leader in flight simulation scenery and technology, known for creating detailed and accurate digital environments for almost 20 years. With products spanning Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D, and DCS, Orbx has developed hundreds of airports, cityscapes, and regional sceneries that are trusted by simmers worldwide. The team combines real-world data with artistic and technical expertise to deliver high-quality experiences that enhance flight simulation across all major platforms.
About the Jurassic World Franchise From Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World immerses audiences of all ages in a new era of wonder and thrills where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. At every turn, this $6 billion film series delivers a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery, and epic adventure. Dinosaurs live again and they live in Jurassic World.
About Universal Products & Experiences Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal’s iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company’s extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, as well as engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and third-party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s lines of business include Consumer Products and Games, along with Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. More information is available at universalproductsexperiences.com.
Jurassic World Rebirth released on digital platforms just over a month ago, and it is now possible to get your very own physical copy! The film is now available to purchase on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD disc at any media retailer. Physical media is still a great medium for consuming films, and there are some great options out there including steelbooks and exclusive packaging and covers.
“Intelligence is massively overrated as an adaptive trait.”
“Enlighten us.”
“Look at dinosaurs… pretty dumb, right? And they survived for 167 million years. Homo sapiens, with our cranial size, geniuses by comparison, only have around 200 thousand so far. I doubt we’ll even get to a million. And yet we already have the capacity to annihilate ourselves.”
“Don’t we rule the earth? We must be doing something right.”
“We don’t rule the earth – we just think we do.
And we’re the ones changing the environment, which makes us the ones to worry about not the planet. When the earth gets tired of us, believe me, it will shake us off like a summer cold.
Of all the species that have ever existed on this planet, 99.9% of them have gone extinct.
Survival is a long shot.”
– Dr. Henry Loomis, with interjections from Martin Krebs
After an intense build-up, Jurassic World Rebirth has arrived – and what a movie it is. The Jurassic franchise continues with its seventh entry, and it feels equal parts Alien, Jaws, King Kong, and ultimately Jurassic.
For context in this review: Jurassic has been my favorite thing for most of my life, my favorite story to explore, and my top choice for escapism in the world of 2025.
Eleven viewings in, Jurassic World Rebirth truly contains all the elements I want in a Jurassic film. It’s a great mix of the tone, subject matter, science, and creatures I love about both the Jurassic Park & Jurassic World films. It feels strongly injected with the DNA of the original trilogy, while also containing the spectacle and unpredictability of genetics that the sequel trilogy continued and aggressively expanded. The thrill ride and adventure the audience is taken on is a step in a very exciting direction for Jurassic. I loved it overall.
The prologue/lab accident scene establishes Rebirth as a Jurassic film early on with many artful nods and elements, but is also partially set outside the lab – in the jungle. I love how the opening shot sets a tone of wild, open nature. It’s breached by what becomes a gorgeous, undeniably Jurassic shot of a sleek helicopter traversing mountainous jungle and landing on a helipad. Chaos ensues from there, swelling into a Psycho-esque slashing of strings in a flurry of blood red. Jurassic opening scenes are arguably supposed to leave you horrified, and this absolutely does that trick. The opening scene of Rebirth lands among the very best in the series in my book.
There are phenomenal, top of the franchise moments in this movie. The Mosasaurus chase sequence is exhilarating, thanks in no small part to the ways the film and score echo Jaws’ swashbuckling shark hunt. Combined with the way it was shot and the mosasaur’s colossal, whale-like behavior, it’s truly a blast every time.
The spinosaur/mosasaur mutualism and the resulting peril are the type of motor vehicle-destruction-by-carnivore I cheer for in this franchise. The Spinosaurus backs up its vicious franchise reputation, and to make it even better, “they’re amphibious!”
The swamp walk & talk is a standout scene with excellent dialogue directly from the brain of Michael Crichton. David Koepp does this kind of thing really well, and his writing is refreshing and engaging to have back in Jurassic.
The entire Titanosaurus sequence is the best of the film. Utterly massive, deeply moving, and full of majesty in sound and scale. Jonathan Bailey is perfect as Dr. Henry Loomis. His growth from slightly timid into an “adrenaline junkie” courageous enough to play into the titanosaurs’ distraction and touch a living dinosaur is completely relatable as both a Jurassic and paleontology fan. I truly enjoyed Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, the entire Delgado crew, and all of the family dynamics in Rebirth, but in case it wasn’t clear, Loomis is my favorite character in this movie. He loves dinosaurs and quickly learns how to live in the moment with them in spite of his fears. I both feel represented by and love that.
And of course, the river raft sequence is worth the price of admission. It’s incredible to finally have it exist in film form (with the mind-blowing visual effects that are possible these days) after imagining it while reading the Jurassic Park novel. Rebirth’s napping, lumbering, rumbling T. rex is as Jurassic as can be – a wild animal and an inevitable predator.
Alexandre Desplat’s score achieves everything I hoped for this film, and I am really loving it more with each listen. From a musical perspective, it’s orchestrated and written in the spirit of John Williams (beautiful and aleatoric brass & woodwinds steal the show) and that makes it feel like yet another piece of classic Jurassic DNA injected into the movie. In-film it is packed full with wonder and adventure but also ominous suspense and terror. Another part of what really works for me in Rebirth is the care taken in cuing the score. While previous films could have perhaps dialed back the sheer volume of music present, this movie knows when to use music as well as silence to manipulate every single emotion. It’s very dramatic and French (not surprising given the very talented composer at the helm), but it plays into all the right types of drama, from human to monstrous. “Natural History Museum,” “Boat Chase,” “Dino Lovers,” “Crossing the River / T. rex,” “Bella and the Beast,” and “Sailing Away” are my favorite cues so far. Because of my personal attachment to his work and his previous relationship with Gareth Edwards, I wanted Desplat to score this film and have been ecstatic since he was announced. He has delivered a fantastic and solid addition to the Jurassic music catalog as well as his own.
I really love what this movie has to say about making difficult decisions to survive both normal life and life in the presence of dinosaurs & other creatures. Placing that in a story driven by pinnacle Jurassic anti-messing with nature and anti-capitalist themes – that also shouts “science is for everyone” – really makes this a great modern Jurassic film.
My qualms with this movie are small. I do wish some elements were fleshed out a tiny bit more when it comes to franchise details and lore, and I wish the Velociraptors were a bit more present. However, overall I love David Koepp’s thrilling writing, Gareth Edwards’ gorgeous visual style, and everything this film contributes to the franchise’s story, old and new.
And for what it’s worth, I think some of Rebirth’s choices are a response to what has come before, for better or for worse. But I also think these things are very capable of being expanded and made even better in the future.
In a way this film is its own genetic experiment:
Can another (the seventh!) Jurassic film with new characters, a new story, and enough familiar DNA survive and be successful at the box office?
Can it satisfy fans, general audiences, and critics?
I think the answer, overall, is a pretty loud yes.
While going back to a lot of what makes Jurassic the icon that it is (culturally, artistically, thematically) Rebirth also continues the Jurassic World era’s pattern of embarking in a daring and fresh direction. At the same time, the animals feel like animals, the science is tangible, and the wonder & terror are gripping.
Some people will blame Snickers for major events in this film, but to paraphrase a line from the incredible Mahershala Ali:
How about we just not fuck with weird genetic shit in the first place?
In all seriousness, this film’s ending and its many similarities to the ending of Jurassic Park make me so happy and emotional.
Jurassic has once again proven itself a capable box office powerhouse, and I would imagine more of this story is on deck. I honestly can’t wait to see where it goes. I have a few ideas.
Just over four weeks after its release in theaters on July 2nd, Jurassic World Rebirthis now available to own digitally and watch at home! There are numerous behind-the-scenes special features and deleted scenes included on the home release as well. Will you be purchasing the film and watching soon? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to SDCC 2025! San Diego Comic-Con will commence at the San Diego Convention Center July 24 – 27, 2025. There will be tons of Jurassic at the con with Jurassic World Rebirth, Mattel, and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory at the forefront of the franchise at the moment. Plenty of Jurassic creators and merchandise will be present as well, not to mention the numerous Jurassic-adjacent dinosaur, paleontology, and film-related opportunities. Jurassic Outpostwill be on-site and have you covered on all things Jurassic and dinosaur!
From paleodioxin to paleontology, read on for everything Jurassic happening at San Diego Comic-Con 2025:
If you’re heading to SDCC this year be sure to download the Comic-Con app. Click here to download the SDCC 2025 Exhibit Hall map.
Award-winning composers Ryan Lott (Thunderbolts*), Laura Karpman (Captain America: Brave New World), Brandon Roberts (Andor season 2), and Mick Giacchino (The Penguin) discuss their scores with clips. Moderated by Oscar Award–winning composer Michael Giacchino (The Fantastic Four: First Steps,Jurassic World trilogy). Intros by Ray Costa (Costa Comm. producer/consultant).
6:00PM PDT, Grand 12 & 13 – Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Law finds a way… for amusement parks with dinosaurs to be liable for employee safety, injuring guests, and invasive species. Can dinosaur DNA be patented? Could Jurassic Park be insured? Would parents sue for children left at a youth camp to fend for themselves against dinosaurs? Could injured guests sue as a class action? Featuring Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman, Magistrate Judge Stan Boone, Kathy Steinman, Christine Peek, Stephen Tollafield, and Micheal Dennis for their analysis of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Camp Cretaceous. Moderated by Joshua Gilliland, Esq. Organized by The Legal Geeks.
For more on Jurassic law, check out our very own blood-sucking lawyer Corey‘s expertise here.
6:00PM PDT, Seaport Ballroom – Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Hosted by founder Ashley Eckstein, The Her Universe Fashion Show 2025 Presented by Universal will showcase emerging designers from across the country dazzling San Diego Comic-Con from a new location within the Manchester Grand Hyatt. In celebration of this year’s theme: “Defying Fashion: Fashion That Defies Expectations,” the selected finalists will debut their designs inspired across Universal Pictures franchises including Wicked, Jurassic World and Universal Monsters as well as DreamWorks Animation franchises such as How To Train Your Dragon and Trolls. Each designer has been carefully selected for their talent to blend fandom with fashion. They will unveil their one-of-a-kind creations to the show’s largest audience to date from the Seaport Ballroom at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
William Stout has had the amazing good fortune to work with Kurtzman, Elder, Eisner, Kirby, Moebius, Harlan Ellison, and Russ Manning. He co-founded the Comic Art Professional Society (and was its 10th resident), shared a studio with Dave Stevens and Paul Chadwick, and has attended every single San Diego Comic-Con. Bill has 14 murals at the San Diego Natural History Museum and the San Diego Zoo. His newest publication will be a three-volume Flesk Publications box set of all his comics-related work, due this October. Come see a preview of this momentous work!
Film adaptation writer/director Luke Sparke (Occupation Rainfall) will be joined by cast members Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Nick Wechsler (The Boys), and Jeremy Piven (Entourage) to premiere exclusive footage from Primitive War, a Vietnam War thriller where the Vulture Squad realizes they are fighting both men and dinosaurs.
Celebrating the Eras: A Crash Course In JurassicWorld Toy Design
The MattelJurassicWorld Design Team will take fans behind the curtain of creating the toys based on dinosaurs from Jurassic WorldRebirth and more. Designers Rafael Bencosme, Greg Murphy, Chandra Hicks and others will be on hand for product reveals, trivia, and giveaways.
Cosplay for Science will have a pop-up museum focusing on the science of Jurassic Park franchise with emphasis on the most recent Jurassic World Rebirth and real-world connections to the recent “de-extinction” announcement from Colossal. Fossil casts from the Alf Museum will also be on-hand as part of the pop-up museum.
The dinosaurs have returned – Jurassic Park is in concert at L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl this August, and you can get your tickets now!
See our favorite paleontologist, paleobotanist, and chaotician big and loud on the big screen with the magnificent Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performing John Williams’ score live to picture. Oh, and there will be plenty of dinosaurs as well!
Multiple new Jurassic World Rebirth TV spots and clips have roared online and appeared during television events, revealing much more about the upcoming film. Watch the clips and our breakdown:
After months of speculation and anxious anticipation, the question of who will score Jurassic World Rebirth has finally been answered: French composer Alexandre Desplat! A brand new composer is joining the Jurassic franchise, announced by Entertainment Weekly in an interview and the great behind-the-scenes recording session video below:
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ changes composers! EW exclusively reveals that Alexandre Desplat takes over for Michael Giacchino with a “goosebump-inducing” score that references John Williams’ music from ‘Jurassic Park.’ https://t.co/R5azgZH6iC
Jurassic World Rebirth director previews ‘goosebump-inducing’ homage to original score as series changes composers (exclusive)
EW exclusively speaks with Desplat as he takes over for “Jurassic World” composer Michael Giacchino, and tries to “inject some” of John Williams’ 1993 score “as a reminder.”
Ahead of the new film’s theatrical bow on July 2, Entertainment Weekly can exclusively reveal that two-time Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat is stepping in to compose the fourth Jurassic World movie’s score.
“Every score John Williams has written has become an iconic score, so it’s quite a daunting task,” Desplat tells EW of carrying the legacy he and Giacchino inherited from Williams, who composed the 1993 Jurassic Park film’s instantly recognizable theme.
Desplat explains that he wanted to incorporate“quotes of John’s music” to honor his contributions, while also forging a new path for his material within the context of director Gareth Edwards‘ story in Rebirth.
The film picks up after the events of 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, with operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leading an extraction team (Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey) to a forbidden, dinosaur-inhabited island at the request of a pharmaceutical company. While there, they cross paths with the shipwrecked Delgado family, who survived an attack by ocean-dwelling dinos.
Desplat found himself balancing “how and where” he could “inject some of [Williams’] theme as a reminder” in the new story, using a “mainly orchestral” score with help from a 105-piece orchestra and a 60-piece choir. “You try to make it your own, and at the same time, pay homage to Williams’ music, and try to find your own way through that by inventing new themes and ideas, but staying in the same artistic zone as the scores of the franchise.”
Desplat also sees the film’s music as separated into specific sections. “It’s the emotional aspect, which is divided into two stories: this group of people looking for the dinosaurs, and another group of people, which is a family. There are two themes and melodies that belong to these two groups,” he explains. “The other aspect is all the action!”
In a statement to EW, Edwards praises Desplat’s approach.
“Like the epic dinosaurs in our film, Alexandre is the last of his kind, a rare species with the talent and knowledge to orchestrate his own classical scores,” he says. “If studios could clone him, they would. Until science finds a way, I’ll happily settle for those goosebump-inducing memories of hearing his music at Abbey Road as he conducted a one-hundred-piece orchestra for our ‘little’ Jurassic movie. Chills.”
While Desplat says he’s long been inspired by Williams, particularly by his Star Wars score, he didn’t consult the composer before joining the project.
“John Williams is a very iconic composer that you don’t call on the telephone every morning to ask his opinion about what the heck you’re doing. So, I would never have dared asking him anything,” Desplat says, laughing. “I have too much respect for him. I’m much too humbled to think he’d have an answer to me. I tried to be as good as I can be.”
He hopes his work will resonate with Steven Spielberg, who directed the ’93 original and executive produced Rebirth, written by returning screenwriter David Koepp.
“I hope that when he hears the score, he’ll be happy, and that I won’t be embarrassing the franchise with what I wrote,” Desplat says, joking that he, too, might one day become extinct when it comes to the Jurassic franchise. “John Williams’ wings are flying above us, so I do hope Spielberg enjoys the score. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll be fired! You never know.”
Watch Desplat conduct the Jurassic World Rebirth orchestra in EW’s exclusive preview video before the film releases July 2 in theaters.
Alexandre Desplat will compose the musical score for Jurassic World Rebirth! The composer, known for his collaborations with Wes Anderson, his work taking over for John Williams on the Harry Potter series, and his score for Rebirth director Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, is joining the Jurassic franchise.
So we finally have our answer as to who is composing the score for this movie. And not only that, we were treated to a great behind the scenes video – which is excellent marketing.
Are you familiar with Desplat’s work? He is a composer that we have predicted and discussed for quite some time, and a name that already seemed somewhat connected to the franchise, having scored Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla.
Anxiously awaiting a Jurassic World Rebirth composer announcement… 🦖🎶
Alexandre Desplat is at the top of my list, personally – a new voice for the franchise, a 2-time Best Score winner, and someone who has scored big lizards with Gareth Edwards before: https://t.co/iDQdRNuQKA
The silence until now, the lack of a composer, began to feel like either something had happened behind the scenes causing a shift in composers, or that they were saving a big announcement. And it seems they were definitely saving a big reveal. The spotlight on the music and composer for this movie is a great thing, and much appreciated. Many had assumed and speculated that John Williams might return. Alas, it was not true, and it makes sense. Alexander Desplat is a two-time Best Score Academy Award winner, he clearly has a solid relationship with Gareth Edwards, and his score for Godzilla was well received.
Desplat is an engaging and entrancing composer known for his memorable themes and big, sweeping orchestral style. He can fit well into the Jurassic musical world by channeling John Williams’ best choices, but also brings something new to the franchise with his willingness to delve into the dark, mysterious, and sometimes weird – demonstrated in his work on Harry Potter, The Shape of Water, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Godzilla, and many others.
The mysterious-sounding chord progression with the flutes in the video is present in John Williams’ The Lost World: Jurassic Park score multiple times, including when the groups are running through the jungle after the T. rexes attack the camp, and right after David Koepp gets eaten and people are running in San Diego. While totally coincidental, it is a thrilling sound from the orchestra and a very Jurassic one at that. Honestly, that applies to all of the music we hear in the announcement video. It’s also exciting to hear about Desplat creating themes for the “two groups”: Zora Bennett’s team and the Delgado family as well. We can’t wait for his take on a Jurassic film score!
Also in the announcement video, we see the shot below of an instrument part for the score recording, likely a flute or other woodwind part based on the instructions in the lower part of the shot. The cover of this part has “SAGA” top left, the working title for Jurassic World Rebirth, our composer’s name (Alexandre Desplat) above the cue and version number, and then we can see the cue is titled “Opening-Lab.” This tells us that the opening scene of Rebirth is indeed a lab sequence. Many have assumed that the shots of the Mutant in the red tank seen in the trailer are part of an opening scene. Maybe they are correct in that the opening inciting incident is going to setup that particular creature, but maybe not. The opening might be something we’ve currently seen nothing from… Jurassic and “labs” certainly go hand in hand!
What do you think of this announcement, and are you excited about Alexandre Desplat as the composer for Jurassic World Rebirth? Let us know in the comments, and watch our full breakdown of the composer news below!
