Author: Chris Pugh

Colin Trevorrow: Jurassic World 2 will be ‘richer, deeper, and better’; have more animatronics

Posted on by Chris Pugh

As Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow continues to do press rounds for his new film, ‘The Book of Henry’ (which I have seen and quite enjoyed!) more questions regarding the upcoming Jurassic World sequel are being asked. Recently, Screenrant sat down with Trevorrow (who is a writer and producer on Jurassic World 2) and when they asked for the latest details, and Colin did not mince words when praising director J.A Bayona, and hyping the upcoming sequel.

“He is a different director but it’s interesting, we have so many similar instincts as far as suspense and family and fears of childhood and the perspective that we want to tell the story from that even though I wrote the film, it’s J.A.’s movie from start to finish. He’s just – the film looks beautiful and is exciting. We’re using more animatronics because I learned so much about how they can be utilized, so I built scenes that would allow us to use them – because they can’t run, these are the lessons. Belén Atienza has been great as well, and it’s just been something that we’ve all delved in and tried to make something deeper and richer and ideally better. I’m going to be the hype man for this movie, I think it’s going to be a better movie – sorry.”

More animatronics, and sticking true to the sensibilities of Jurassic Park with richer and deeper stories are the things longtime fans like ourselves want to hear, and despite some of my personal criticisms, I quite liked Jurassic World – so hearing he believes it will be better means great things to me. Colin went on to say that despite him writing the film, he constructed it to adhere to J.A Bayonas voice and vision:

“That was by far the most rewarding creative experience of my life, just making a movie for another director who I respect. And I built it for him, so it’s different than maybe even the movie I would have written for myself. [It’s] a Spanish horror/thriller with dinosaurs in it. And I loved doing it.”

Colin Trevorrow also talked to Comingsoon about JW2, discussing the challenges of working on Jurassic while also on Star Wars, and the rewarding nature of his involvement:

“That script had to be delivered for a February shoot, and we had to think of ‘Star Wars’ somewhat simultaneously… While we were in the early stages of story on ‘Star Wars,’ we shot ‘Jurassic’ at Pinewood. Now, we’re wrapping in about a month and everyone is going to Hawaii.‘Jurassic’ ended up taking up more time and attention than I expected just because I care about it so much, I surprised myself by how much I wanted to be there for J.A. [Bayona], just as a writer. I remember directing a ‘Jurassic Park’ movie and how much I would have loved to have a writer to think about the dailies and wonder what alterations we could make that would make it that much more effective. I was there with him every day to try and provide something for him that I didn’t have myself.”

Corroborating Colin’s comments about the wrap date, Bryce Dallas Howard took to Twitter today to announce that it was indeed the final day of shooting at Pinewood Studios, and all evidence points to Jurassic starting in Hawaii in just a few days.

Filming on Jurassic World 2 is expected to conclude around July 7th, where it will then move to post production. As the wrap date draws closer, fans have become more and more starved for official information. As it stands, there has only been one official still from the film, and there is yet to be a teaser poster, logo, or title announced. Will any of those hit before the end of this month, which marks the 1-year mark until the sequel releases?

While we wait for Jurassic World 2, I do suggest checking out Colin Trevorrow’s new film ‘The Book of Henry’. As I said earlier, I have seen it and genuinely enjoyed it – it’s a tough film to describe and sell, but it is loaded with real and likable characters all while beautifully dealing some heavy themes.

If that’s not enough to sell you, perhaps Colin Trevorrow asking readers of this site specifically to see the film might!

As always, stay tuned for the latest news, sound off in the comments below, and enjoy Jurassic June 2017!

Source: Screenrant, Comingsoon

New screenshot of early Jurassic World Survivor build – will it be at e3? #JurassicJune

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Jurassic Park fans are in dire need of a good videogame – and they aren’t shy about making it known. While movie tie-in games are often times weak, games allowed to find their own voice within the franchise can be groundbreaking and a ton of fun. The Jurassic franchise has had its fair share of games in the past, though most were nothing to write home about, especially the more recent entries. Nowhere to be seen is anything like ‘Alien: Isolation’, ‘The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay’, ‘Star Wars Battlefront’, ‘Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’, ‘Knights of the Old Republic, or even ‘Jurassic Park Operation Genesis’.

JurassicWorldSurvivor2015Leak from Jurassic June on Vimeo.

This complete drought of new, well made videogames within the Jurassic world is made all the more frustrating by knowing the raw creative potential that exists. That potential, coupled with the record breaking success of the most recently released film makes the lack of any high budget games within the film universe entirely puzzling. Sure, there are the mobile Free-to-Play Pay-to-Win games by Ludia, but those are mainly mindless time killers, and nothing genuinely intriguing.

That’s why it hurt so much in May of 2015 when we learned that Cryptic Studios Seattle was working on a Jurassic World game – only to have it canceled due to the studios closure. Later that summer, game artists began to post some of their artwork and videos from the game, and we covered it. But then something interesting happened – Perfect World Entertainment, the games publisher, went after the artists. It appeared the game was not dead.

More recently, another artist posted a screenshot of a very early Pre-Alpha build of Jurassic World Survivor (then called Jurassic Park Survivor) – we believe this predates the builds of the game we have seen prior, and is when it was quite early and exploratory. What stands out the most, is this version of the game was a First Person Shooter – everything we have seen and heard about the game has indicated it will be third person, so again, this points to it being from very early in development. This version of the game was described as “Left 4 Dead like” and “was cancelled by Universal because of weapons in the game.”

The latter quote aligns with what we heard about other versions of the game, which would have minimal gun usage, and rely more on other tools – and that it would not be possible to kill dinosaurs, only injure and scare them. What we know about the game now is it will be third person, open world action MMO (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) with a heavy emphasis on survival and exploration of Isla Nublar. The game was dude to hit Steam on PC first, followed by its Xbox One and Playstation 4 console releases back in 2015, but those plans may have shifted since.

What we do know is the game is very much not dead, or at least was still alive and kicking as recently as December 2016, which is when Universal applied for trademarks on the title. Prior to that, Perfect World Entertainment registered domains for the IP in late October 2016, so all signs point to the game existing, surviving, and waiting to be officially announced. Gaming expo e3 kicks off June 13th, with some panels starting sooner – our money is on if it is shown, it will be revealed at the PC Gaming Show this upcoming Monday, June 12th at 1pm EST.

However, it is worth noting that Perfect World and Cryptic Studios California (the developer we assumed took over when the Seattle branch closed) just announced a new Free to Play Magic the Gathering game. Sadly, this does seem to reduce the odds of Jurassic World Survivor making an appearance, but perhaps it’s just one of many new surprises Perfect World has up their sleeves.

Stay tuned for more news, and let us know what you want from a Jurassic World game – do you think Universal is on the right track to stop the property from becoming a shooter, or are they getting in the way of solid gaming entertainment? Sound off!

Universal clarifies: No plans yet for a Jurassic World 2 teaser trailer

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Sorry all, it seems we all got a little too caught up in the excitement when Daniella Pineda tweeeted that a teaser was coming soon. It sounded too good to be true, and it appears that was the case. We contacted Universal, asking if they could comment on or corroborate the reports of a teaser trailer being around the corner, and they were direct with their answer:

“No plans yet for a teaser trailer. Not sure what is being shown at the London wrap party, but it’s not official marketing materials.”

The first Jurassic World did not see a trailer released until November 2014, and it seems likely the latest installment will stick close to the distribution pattern. However, next month is #JurassicJune, and the 22nd marks the one year until the Jurassic World sequel hits theaters mark – news hitting around this time seems to be a given, even if it is not footage. Perhaps a final title and logo?

Image not official

June also marks e3 (13th-15th), and fans are hopeful that it may mark the announcement of the long rumored Jurassic World Survivor. A video game is long overdue in the Jurassic Park universe, and the potential is nearly endless – with any luck, June will deliver the goods.

Until then, enjoy the fun teases Daniella posted about Jurassic World 2, and stay tuned for the latest news!

Daniella Pineda has seen Jurassic World 2 footage, and says a teaser is coming “soon”!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Update 2: “No plans yet for a teaser trailer.” – Universal Pictures

Update: the footage, though described as a trailer by some, was not an actual trailer but a sizzle reel of scenes.

Hold on to your butts – something is coming (and this time it’s not our website rebrand being mistaken as the Jurassic World 2 title). A Jurassic World 2 trailer is looming on the horizon, ready to break free at any moment. Well, ok, it may not be that dramatic or soon – but it sounds like we will get a trailer before November at any rate.

Jurassic World 2 star Daniella Pineda took to Twitter this evening to hold a spontaneous AMA – and she teased quite bit about the upcoming Jurassic World sequel. During last nights London wrap party, the cast and crew were treated with a reel of behind the scenes footage, as well as the very first Jurassic World 2 trailer! Daniella had this to say about the trailer:

“UK WRAPPED. HAWAII AWAITS. Guys, I’ve seen footage. It gave me SHIVERS. Oh it’s BAAD (as in James Brown GOOD). When you look at the footage, it FEELS like the biggest movie ever made. It’s going to be VERY special. Trust me, and I hate EVERYTHING.”

The praise is to be expected from someone working on the project themselves, but it’s hard not to get a little excited by it all the same. Jurassic super fan and twitter frequenter  Matt (@Sickle_Claw) replied to her tweet about the footage, asking when fans could expect to see it. She replied with good news:

Daniella also shared a few more promising teases about the upcoming sequel, including animatronics and a return to the sensibilities of Jurassic Park:

While we’re on a kick with Daniella, check out this great picture of her with BD Wong at the wrap party:

@wongbd ??❤️

A post shared by Daniella Pineda (@therealmiddlefinger) on

While she seems confident that fans will have a teaser soon, I would recommend everyone holds off from being too expectant. Soon is quite vague, and could really mean anything – however, Jurassic June is inbound, and June 22nd marks the one year until release date. Perhaps fans can expect something around then, as the timing would be perfect!

What I find most curious is that even Daniella Pineda does not know the real title of the movie – and it seems they have whipped together a JP3 style logo in meantime. Will the title come before the teaser, or will the teaser use the “Jurassic World II” logo as seen at the after party?

As always, stay tuned for the latest news – and sound off in the comments below with what you want to see the trailer!

Jurassic World 2 has wrapped shooting in London!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

It’s official: cameras have stopped rolling in London for Jurassic World 2 (or will stop very soon). Tonight the cast and crew congregated at the Natural History Museum in London to celebrate this event with the official wrap party! While the movie itself still has a little over a month left to film in Hawaii, this marks a very important milestone in the production.

Cameras first rolled on the upcoming Jurassic World sequel February 23rd, 2017 – can you believe it’s been 93 days already? The production has filmed quite steadily for those 93 days, though it appears to have typically taken the weekends off. We know Bryce Dallas Howard filmed for 40 days of that shoot, while Daniella Pineda filmed for 59 days – could she be the new lead?

So this just happened!! Met Chris Pratt, just hanging out. #wrapparty #nightwiththestars #chrispratt #justdoingmyjob

A post shared by Kimberley Selwood Jewellery (@kimberleyselwood) on

Filming is expected to start in Hawaii around June 5th, and wrap July 15th – so hold on to your butts, we’re on the final stretch! Until then, we can stare at the logo from the wrap party above, and hope to god ‘Jurassic World 2’ isn’t the final title. Our bet is they will go less in the direction of Jurassic Park 3, and more in the direction of The Lost World when naming the highly anticipated sequel.

Stay tuned – more news and official images are sure to drop in the future! Until then, sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think!

Volcanic Jurassic World 2 marketing art and tagline erupts at Licensing Expo 2017 (updated)

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Life finds a way – and so does Jurassic World 2 news, for that matter.  As Licensing Expo 2017 prepares to open tomorrow (the 23rd), the first marketing materials have appeared in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. While the primary assets are just renders and images from the first Jurassic World marketing art, the backdrops and compositions are entirely new.

The image first appeared on Instagram via user curvycamera (first reported by Reel News Hawaii)

#viewfrommyoffice today… #licensingexpo

A post shared by Kimmie (@curvycamera) on

The first thing that caught my eye was the iconic “Life Finds a Way” tagline – could this be the new marketing slogan akin to ‘The Park is Open’? While the title and logo for the sequel are still closely guarded secrets, what I immediately noticed was a theme on all the banners (other than the Mosasaurus one) – they seem to feature orange glowing embers blowing around in the background and foreground. Could the rumors of a plot line with a Volcano be true?

Some on Twitter even suggest that it may be a Volcano behind Chris Pratt and the Gallimimus on the top left – it’s slightly unclear in the one image available, but we’re hoping to have closer and clearer pictures soon. One thing is clear, while the image of the dinosaur and Chris Pratt as Owen are not new, the backdrop pictured was never used in previous Jurassic World marketing. Plus, it meshes well with JA Bayonas birthday cake, which had a volcanic look as well:

Update! A new photo of the banners show a clear volcanic theme!

This one is for@chrislikesdinos #jurassicpark #licensingexpo #geekmom #geeklife

A post shared by Kimmie (@curvycamera) on

We also have some glimpses at the Universal booth at the expo – and it’s clear that Jurassic World 2 is a huge push for the studio. These images come via Instagram user heavydeathrobes

Siiiiick.

A post shared by Timm Hood (@heavydeathrobes) on

In 2014 Universal brought the first Jurassic World to Licensing Expo, and unveiled some of the first products that teased things like an open park and Mosasaurus (see below). While at this point we’re unsure if what they’re bringing will be shown publicly, or be kept behind closed doors, we know the Jurassic World sequel and Jurassic Park 25th anniversary will be represented.

Stay tuned – as news and images hit the web from the latest Licensing Expo in Las Vegas we will be sure to to keep you updated! With any luck, Universal will showcase something new for fans to dissect.

Jurassic World 2 casting for Hawaii shoot: Filming June 5th – July 15th; looking for “Military types”!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

UPDATE: The portal to submit has been removed, allegedly at Universals request. It is possible the submission email was not meant to be public, or they received too large of an influx of submissions and temporarily suspended entries. Stay tuned for any updates – and in the meantime, if you’re in Hawaii it may be best to contact local casting centers and inquire about work on ‘Ancient Futures’.

Original article:

Live in Hawaii? Want to be in a Jurassic Park film? Now’s your chance! Universal Pictures is looking for photo doubles and extras for Jurassic World 2 under the working title of ‘Ancient Futures’. The roles available are the following:

  • Photo Double No. 1: 6’ 1/2”; light-skinned Pacific Islander or Hispanic; muscular build; mostly bald with short, dark hair on sides and back; age range: 20s-40s. Chest and coat size: 44-46; waist: 39.5”, inseam: 35”; collar: 18”.
  • Photo Double No. 2: 6’2”; fair-skinned Caucasian; very muscular build; dark hair; age range: 20s-40s. Chest and coat size: 48-51; waist: 42”; inseam: 33”; collar: 18.8”.
  • Background actors/extras: Male and female military types: Age range: 20s-40s.

Filming is taking place on Oahu, and you must be available between June 5th and July 15th, 2017. The Jurassic World sequel has been filming in and around London since February 23rd, and will likely wrap its filming run and go into post after these Hawaii dates. If you think you fit the bill for any of those roles, don’t miss this opportunity – follow this link for how to submit!

I can’t stress enough how cool of an opportunity this is – so don’t miss out! As a general disclaimer, please don’t submit yourself for the roles unless you can actually film in Hawaii on those dates. Otherwise, you’ll just make the job of the casting directors needlessly complicated and frustrating.

Will you try to partake in the Hawaii shoot? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!

Source: SAG Actor on Facebook

New set photos from Jurassic World 2 tease Jurassic Park connections!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Jurassic World 2 director JA Bayona took to Twitter today to celebrate being over halfway done filming the latest Jurassic Park sequel with a mysterious new image from the set. Captioned only with “Over half way now! #JW2”, he let the image speak for itself:

The image is immediately recognizable as a amber topped cane, much like that of John Hammond’s in Jurassic Park – however, it is not the same one. John Hammond’s is shaped different (most noticeable on the top of the cane where the amber ‘egg’ attaches), is white rather than dark brown, and of course, features a prehistoric mosquito inside. This mysterious amber piece does not have a mosquito inside but rather something else. While it’s hard to say what exactly is inside, it appears to be plant material, or perhaps damaged soft tissue from a prehistoric creature (such as blood).

Who the cane belongs to is unknown, but we’re willing to bet it’s Benjamin Lockwood played by James Cromwell. Cromwell recently shared details about his character, saying that he was John Hammonds old partner and helped develop the technology to resurrect dinosaurs from extinction. It seems likely that they each had their own unique canes made to commemorate the achievement (of course, we assume their relationship went sour sometime afterwards, because otherwise why have we never heard of Lockwood?)

To further add to the excitement of today, Jurassic World director and JW2 writer/producer Colin Trevorrow took to Twitter to tease the return of Dr. Ian Malcolm:

While the picture doesn’t necessarily mean Jeff Goldblum is filming yet, Frank Marshall’s tweet does seem to allude to his first day of filming on the project being today. And that would make sense, as they wouldn’t need to clutter the set with a chair for a man who has yet to arrive! It seems our favorite mathematician – uh, chaotician – is back in action. I’m not sure what I’m more excited to learn: his role in the story, or if he will steal the show with a randomly dramatic shirtless scene akin to Jurassic Park.

In one other bit of news: yesterday was JA Bayona’s birthday, so wish him a happy belated one if you haven’t already! To celebrate, the Jurassic World crew presented him with a custom cake:

While we can’t glean much from it, it’s interesting they choose a red and orange color pallet rather than JW’s blue. Could this be the direction of the Jurassic World 2 logo – and am I crazy, or does the cake outside of the logo look a little like volcanic rock?

Let us hope the title and logo are revealed soon – the only lead we have is the sequel might have the word ‘Epoch‘ in its name. It would make sense, the return of dinosaurs would mark a significant change, and shift us past the Anthropocene Epoch.

As always, sound off in the comment below and our forums, and stay tuned for the latest news!

$10 to a Good Cause Can Win You A Visit to the Jurassic World 2 Set in Hawaii!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Chris Pratt has taken to Instagram to announce a chance to a win a trip for 4 to the set of the Jurassic World sequel. How you ask? $10 to a good cause earns you an entry! Check out the video below, and read the details! Already in – hit the link!

Chris Pratt is teaming up with his friend, 14 year old, Makenna Schwab, a patient of Seattle Children’s Hospital with a rare connective tissue disorder called Larsen Syndrome. Over the course of her life, she has been treated at Seattle Children’s Hospital and received over 15 life-changing and life-saving surgeries.

Chris and Makenna met a year and a half ago and decided to work on a project together to help other kids. Chris has kept his promise and they are launching this fundraiser benefiting the orthopedics department at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Seattle Children’s Hospital is a leader in pediatric health and wellness through clinical care, research and compassion for children and their families. Providing funds for children with bone, joint, muscle and tone conditions, the Orthopedics Team delivers innovative treatment and world class care to help every child live their healthiest and most fulfilling life possible.

  • 4 round-trip coach tickets from the US/Canada on Delta Air Lines
  • A 4 night stay at the Marriott in Oahu
  • Visit the set of the Jurassic World Sequel
  • Hang out with Chris Pratt
  • Get a sneak peak of the film as you watch scenes get filmed

There are 27 days left – enter now!

James Cromwell shares he is playing ‘Benjamin Lockwood’ who has a connection to John Hammond in Jurassic World 2!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

The news keeps roaring in! After last nights thunderous announcement that Jeff Goldblum will return as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World 2, the first plot detail have hit via James Cromwell! While he doesn’t say much, what he does say is enough to get our already excited selves more thrilled.

Watch the clip below where James Cromwell appeared on Larry King, and read on for more!

“The character Richard Attenborough plays [John Hammond], I’m his partner, uh Benjamin Lockwood, and we developed the technology of being able to clone the genes – and so I am, uh, trying to deal with the blowback from what we have done.”

It sounds like the world has changed to become much less receptive of dinosaurs post the disastrous events of Jurassic World. As the movie is said to deal with ‘animal rights‘, and enough evidence has come out showing that it will feature a rescue mission of sorts, we’re willing to bet he is funding the attempts to ‘save them‘. Further, this seems to be the final bit of confirmation that James Cromwell’s Lockwood is the owner of the mansion seen in the first official set picture.

The implications this has for the story are incredibly fascinating – just where was Lockwood during the events of Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Jurassic World? Why has Hammond, Masrani, or nobody else ever spoken of him, and why is he just now stepping out of the shadows? I have hypothesized that whomever owns the mansion may be a dark reflection of John Hammond, a less than ideal version of his already flawed self. While it’s likely that Lockwood is a protagonist, part of me can’t help but to distrust him and his motives.

The still untitled Jurassic World sequel releases June 2018, which cannot come soon enough. As always, sound off in the comments below and stay tuned for the latest news!

Until then, listen to our latest podcast where we discuss this news along with the return of Malcolm!

Thanks to Brian Belukha for sharing this news!