Author: Corey Anderson

Licensed attorney yet to be eaten on the toilet by a T-Rex.

Sam Neill Suggests Moving ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Production Down Under Amid Pandemic Delays

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Legendary actor Sam Neill, who will be returning as famous paleontologist Alan Grant in Jurassic World Dominion, has floated the idea of moving production to Australia or New Zealand to get things back up and running sooner. In an interview with an Australian radio show (Fitzy and Wippa on Nova), Neill revealed Dominion had finished two weeks of shooting before the coronavirus pandemic halted filming. As he put it, the cast and crew are “in the fridge now” waiting for production to resume.

Neill said he was supposed to be filming his parts for the movie in London, firstly at Pinewood Studios, but flew home to New Zealand as soon as things started shutting down. Not wanting to stay down for long, he remarked, “I’d like to think that maybe we can start or restart in this part of the world.” With the tenuous situation in the UK at the moment, Neill “reckons New Zealand or Australia would be the place to bring it” so filming could start back up sooner.

A move down under for Jurassic World Dominion would shake up production quite a bit for the movie. I think one thing is clear, Jurassic World Dominion should not be rushed. Fans want a good movie, not one that rushes to theaters as quickly as possible. Especially in a time where movies have been delayed for months, a move like that from Universal would simply come off as a cheap cash grab ploy.

Dominion was shut-down mid production, halting the sculpting and designing of dinosaurs, creations of animatronics, and creation of complex props and sets. Dominion was shaping up to feature the most animatronic dinosaurs, both large and small, since the original Jurassic Park films, innovating much like the modern Star Wars films. However, should the production move shops, and the release date be adhered to, these will inevitably be sacrificed to save time and money. This extends to more than animatronics, but the entire artistic vision of the film, putting undue strain on Colin Trevorrow and the actors to speed through the production, and it to be more VFX dependent with far less time.

The other issue is simply one of safety. We know that when movie productions start back up, there’s going to be a lot of safety regulations put into place. We have already seen some of the restrictions the UK is planning on using, and they are STRICT. To the point of having actors six feet apart during scenes, with something as simple as a kiss requiring VFX. These restrictions expand to the crew, meaning things must move far slower, with fewer people, and costing more money. Obviously for a franchise with as much ‘chaos’ as Jurassic, requiring intense filming scenes on both sides of the camera, that probably just will not work. Of course we want this movie to be made, but not so much to the point as we are sacrificing the health and well-being of those working on it – nor the artistic vision of the movie itself. It would be much better to resume work on Dominion once we are cleared to go about business as usual, and of course, with a delayed release date.

Waiting to resume back in London has its benefits too. With all this time Colin and crew have time on their hands to think about the story they are telling and how to make it even better. Scripts constantly change in this business, and sometimes for the better – time is not going to hurt this production, but rushing will. Not to mention that if production is moved to Australia, countless employees who expected to have steady work with Dominion will be out of a job (“Don’t you mean extinct?”). It would not be fair to the people livelihood that depending on this large production, and would only disrupt or perhaps throwaway the hardwork they already put into the films development.

Of course, there may be ways to pick up some side work in Australia and New Zealand, paving the way for a full throttle return to London – but a this point it’s hard to see its longterm benefits, at least without a formal delay and proper plan.

All in all, it’s a better idea just to let things sit for the moment. Give the production some time to breathe as the pandemic subsides – it will benefit so many people in the long run. I know we are all chomping at the bit to see this star-studded Jurassic conclusion, but let’s just remember that this virus requires are absence to die out, not our presence. And if we could only step aside, and trust in nature (plus our health care professionals), Dominion will find a way.

Any thoughts on how COVID19 is affecting movie production? Do you think moving to Australia or New Zealand would actually be a good move for Dominion? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Nova

Official Jurassic Park Watch Along with Joseph Mazzello Announced!

Posted on by Corey Anderson

In the times of work from home and social distancing, we have to find new ways to entertain ourselves and interact. Thankfully, IGN has announced an exciting new way to stay engaged during your quarantine isolation. Grab some popcorn & a comfortable chair and prepare to watch Jurassic Park with the “Human Piece of Toast – Tim Murphy” himself, Joseph Mazzello! Check out the announcement below:

 

The show starts this Thursday, April 23rd at 5pm P.T./8pm E.T. Mazzello seems excited to join fans watching Jurassic Park, saying “While we all continue to sit tight and wait for these scary and uncertain times to eventually be behind us, my favorite way to escape the worry and pass the time has been by watching classic films, and in my completely unbiased opinion, Jurassic Park is one of the all-time greats,” says Mazzello. “I can’t wait to join together with other fans to celebrate this iconic film and share the stories, insight, and fond and funny memories I collected while playing ‘Tim Murphy.’ It’s gonna be a blast!”

Participate in the chat by joining us in IGN’s new Discord server or tweet along with us using the hashtag #JurassicPark and #WFHTheater, and be sure to follow Joseph Mazzello on Instagram . Catch the stream on IGN.com, IGN’s Youtube, and Cinefix’s Youtube.

This event is part of IGN’s new Watch From Home Theater initiative, a weekly live show where they unite IGN personalities and special celebrity guest stars to watch the world’s biggest movies in your own home. Through IGN’s WFH Theater live stream, fans will see some select scenes from the movie, but they’re encouraged to watch Jurassic Park along with IGN on their personal devices for the full live commentary experience! They’ve even promised to give away digitial codes of the film and some mystery prizes from Mattel.

Now the only question is if they will announce Tim Murphy’s return in Jurassic World: Dominion. Will you be watching along? I know we will!

Source: IGN

Colin Trevorrow Shares Video of Baby Nasutoceratops Animatronic from Jurassic World 3!

Posted on by Corey Anderson

The hype train has officially left the station! Colin Trevorrow has been quite active on Twitter recently, first fueling the fires about the title of Jurassic World 3 and now giving us another first look at an animatronic that is being prepared for use in JW3 production. Hold on to your butts everyone…we have a BABY NASUTOCERATOPS. Or maybe even a Triceratops! Confirmation on the exact animal species has not been given, but check out just how adorable the little juvenile is in Colin’s tweet below.

It clearly lacks a finishing paint job, but the range of motion on this small machine is incredible. Notice the lifelike way it closes its eyes as it shakes and rattles its head. This first look shows a great deal of promise in both the quality of the animatronics being produced and the story we will be delivered. Because, come on, who is going to say NO to seeing a baby dinosaur (and a practical one at that!)? Eagle-eyed viewers might also notice some sort of tail in the background. To our eyes, it looks a little too skinny to be a velociraptor, so your guess is as good as ours. Could this be the return of the fan favorite dilophosaur?

So far, we know the animatronics for JW3 are being made by John Nolan and his studio, the very same people who made the puppets for Netflix’s The Dark Crystal series. If you watched that show, you know the studio produces some high quality animatronics, and the streak appears to be continuing here.

What are your thoughts on the animatronic? What kind of color scheme do you expect it to have? Do you have any theories on the tail in the background? Let us know in the comments below!

Uniting the Franchise: How Jurassic World 3 Should Incorporate Dinosaur Designs from ‘Park’ Films

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Art by Neemz.

2021 is swiftly approaching. Jurassic World 3 is already shaping up to be an event unlike anything we have seen since the original Jurassic Park. With Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum all returning for major roles in the upcoming film, it is easy to see that we are in store for a movie with some serious callbacks to the film that started it all. With the return of old human characters, Jurassic World 3 is posed in the perfect position to be a film that showcases the original aspects of Jurassic Park side by side with the new ideas put forth in the Jurassic World movies. We can talk about the human characters until the sun goes down, but at the end of the day, the highlight of Jurassic has always been the dinosaurs.

One complaint that we see time and time again is how different some of the dinosaurs look in the newer films. While some fans view these differences as a major drawback, it’s time to take a hard look at how these perceived differences actually present a unique opportunity to showcase exactly what these dinosaurs are: genetically engineered, theme park…creatures. In other words, these dinosaurs are simply lab-created animals melding natural science and science fiction.

So today, let’s take a look at some specific examples of these differences. Let’s start with a classic: the mighty Stegosaurus. We first got a glimpse at the creature on Isla Sorna in The Lost World Jurassic Park. This Jurassic Park era Stego was on the more athletic side. As you can see below, it featured a straight tail and narrow head, which featured a beak of some sort. Its athleticism was put on full display when it sensed a threat in Sarah Harding approaching its infant.

Now, let us compare that to the Jurassic World era Stegosaurus. The new creation featured a heavier retro build, with a drooping tail and a wider head (with lips instead of a beak). Their coloration is slightly different, and their skin texture is entirely different than their park counterparts. We’re first introduced to them roaming Nublar’s Gyrosphere Valley in Jurassic World, presumably engineered under Masrani’s supervision to achieve certain goals.

In a universe where scientists have been cloning and creating new dinosaurs for over twenty five years, these differences can be explained by genetic manipulation. Perhaps the old Stegosauruses were just too agile and destructive with their more athletic build and size. Maybe the Jurassic World scientists realized a beefier build appealed to the parks older demographs who imagine dinosaurs with more outdated views. Questions like these are exactly the kind of lore I believe are ripe for answering in Jurassic World 3. Before we move on to how exactly the movie can present those answers in a natural way, let’s take a look at another dinosaur example.

The Ankylosaurus is well-known for the armor plating all along its back, but the different eras of Jurassic took the animal in otherwise different directions. We first see the Jurassic Park era Anyklosaur in Jurassic Park 3 as it lumbers underneath the tree some of our characters are hiding out in. It touts rougher scale-based armor with a smaller, colorful head. It has a narrow and angular build overall and is not overtly large.

Once again, let’s look at the Jurassic World edition Ankylosaurus that we see duke it out with the Indominous Rex. Not only is the Jurassic World era animal bigger, it has defined armor plating and a larger, uniform-color head. Just like the Stegosaurus, it sports a bulkier, stockier build overall. It’s been theorized that ‘World’s’ Anylosaurs are female counterparts to ‘Park’s’ males.

Ankylosaurs and Stegosaurs are only scratching the surface. Numerous other species have distinct sub-species within the Jurassic films, with 3 different Pteranodon breeds, over 3 different breeds of Velociraptors, plus a variety of sexual dimorphism seen within Parasaurs, Brachiosaurs, and more.

The best step for Jurassic to take is to embrace the differences and use them as a tool to enrich the deep mythology the universe has already given to us. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see the Jurassic Park 3 raptors running around Blue? That sort of variety in appearance is a treasure trove of rich story that has largely only been explored by the DPG marketing campaign for Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. It’s important to not stifle that variety, but embrace it fully, and bring all these elements from various films together.

However, not every difference is a canonical variation – the T. rex of Jurassic World being a prime example. Many fans have complained she looks off from her Jurassic Park appearance – and it’s true – the design has changed in more ways than just aging. This love for Jurassic Park’s iconic designs is another prime reason to bring them back. Not just nostalgia – they’re some of the most iconic creature designs in cinema. Embrace the masterclass work of Stan Winston Studios, Crash McCreery and ILM that laid the foundation for Jurassic World.

We know that Jurassic World 3 director Colin Trevorrow plans to expand the universe even more and deal with these creatures on a much larger scale now that they’re part of our world. One of the best ways to explore this evolution naturally, while keeping it tied to the past films is to simply go back to the older, forgotten dinosaurs. Likewise, we can finally explore how these various subspecies may interact – what would a crossbreed of a Jurassic Park female raptor and JP3 male raptor look like? Or would they never have the chance, fighting for territory instead?

What makes the Jurassic Park novel so great is that it tackles the science aspect of the story head on – the novel version of Wu has candid conversations with Hammond about manipulating the DNA of the dinosaurs to alter their physical characteristics and change the way they behave. If we’re trying to find inspiration, that’s where to start the search. Having a character in the movie, like Wu, explain the differences between all the animals on screen only serves to deepen the canon in a positive way. Not only that, it serves as a natural explanation for why Project IBRIS with the raptors at Jurassic World was (eventually) successful compared to the more aggressive raptors from the previous movies.

What are your thoughts on the dinosaur differences? Is this a purposeful creation from Jurassic Park scientists, or do you think the filmmakers were just looking to switch up the styles? If you believe the science backs it up, would you like to see it explained on screen? Sound off in the comments below and tell us how you would explain the uniqueness of the dinosaurs!

“Dark Crystal” Animatronic Creator John Nolan Heads to Jurassic World 3

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Yesterday, Jurassic World 3 director Colin Trevorrow announced some big news about the animatronics that will be featured in the upcoming movie. Talking with the Empire Film Podcast about his involvement in Battle at Big Rock, Trevorrow reported that John Nolan and his studio had been tapped to lead the production of the animatronic dinosaurs in Jurassic World 3.

While you may not immediately recognize the name John Nolan, you probably have seen his work. Most recently Nolan and his studio put together the breathtaking animatronics used in the Netflix series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” If you have not watched the new series yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It won’t take long to understand why we are excited about this new hire for Jurassic World 3. Nolan also worked on animatronics for numerous commercials, some films, and is well known for his work on the “Spy in the Wild” nature series.


(Note: the majority of non-animatronic puppetry work on Dark Crystal was done by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.)

It was previously reported that Neal Scanlan, who did the animatronics on Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, would be returning to do the sixth Jurassic Park film. However, Neal choose to depart the project due to other opportunities causing scheduling conflicts.

Trevorrow seems to be equally excited about the news. In the interview with Empire Film, he announced that work has already begun on the animatronics for the third film. Colin enthusiastically shared the following:

“We’ve got everyone [at Pinewood Studios] carving dinosaurs out of clay.

If any of you have seen the Dark Crystal on Netflix, John Nolan who did all of the animatronics for the Dark Crystal is doing the animatronics on Jurassic World 3. He’s starting to actually build things, and we’re going to his workshop and seeing the things he’s doing with eyes and joint movement. He’s really innovating in a really exciting way.”

The veteran Jurassic director is no stranger to animatronics, having used them in Jurassic World and Battle at Big Rock. Trevorrow tweeted out a picture of the full scale Allosaurus rig used for Battle and it is an impressive machine. While the Allo was ultimately replaced/augmented with CGI for the finished project (similar to some of the Indoraptor shots in Fallen Kingdom), it is still impressive to see the resources Universal was willing to put into this eight minute short film. We hope the trend continues for the rest of the franchise – though allowing animatronics to live in their own light, without CG makeup would be fantastic.

The Allosaurus was done by Stan Winston Studios and Jurassic Park alumni John Rosengrant, and the team at Legacy Effects who also worked on the first Jurassic World. The team there is built from Winston and Jurassic Park veterans, and were a perfect fit for a Jurassic outting like ‘Big Rock’.

What do you think about John Nolan joining the franchise? Do you think he skillful work on Dark Crystal will translate well into full scale dinosaur animatronics? Let us know your thoughts below!

Source: The Empire Film Podcast

First Images and Details from Jurassic World Battle at Big Rock Revealed!

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Battle at Big Rock has finally been announced and is headed our way this Sunday on FX. Jurassic World and Battle at Big Rock director Colin Trevorrow recently sat down with Collider writer Steve Weintraub to answer some of the burning questions we have all been wondering since rumors of the production started circulating.

The new short film clocks in at eight minutes long and features a star-studded cast of André Holland and Natalie Martinez, as well as new child actors Melody Hurd and Pierson Salvador. The film is set at “Big Rock National Park,” a fictional location Trevorrow says is about 20 miles away from the Lockwood Estate from Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. The film will also star some new dinosaurs as well, including the much anticipated Nascutoceratops, a dinosaur Trevorrow describes as “a beautiful herbivore that feels like a Texas Longhorn.” We will also see a fully grown Allosaurus, promising some large scale dino skermishes! The coolest part? We will be getting a “massive animatronic” to bring us right into the action.

Much like we expected, Battle at Big Rock was shot in Ireland last winter in a redwood forest outside of Dublin. It was written by both Colin Trevorrow and newcomer to the Jurassic franchise, Emily Carmichael. This is the same team that is writing Jurassic World 3, so Battle at Big Rock should really set the stage for what we can expect to see from the new film in 2021. Battle is set to air immediately after Jurassic World on FX on Sunday and promises to be released online right after it airs. New music was specifically written for the film by Amie Doherty and composed at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Cinematographer Larry Fong was tapped to work on the project as well.

Since originally publishing this article, new details have become available. Read on for the latest!

BATTLE AT BIG ROCK will premiere exclusively at 9:50pm on FX on Sunday, September 15 following the broadcast of Jurassic World (in each respective timezone). The short will be available for streaming immediately following the West Coast broadcast on FX at 10pm PST on NBC.com, Jurassic World.com and the official Jurassic World social media channels. That means it will air on the east coast 3 hours before it releases online – so use your DVR’s!

Will you be tuning in for Battle at Big Rock on Sunday? What kind of story are you expecting and how are you hoping it will set the stage for Jurassic World 3? Let’s hear all your comments, questions, and story speculations in the comments below!

Source: Collider


New Look at the Dinosaurs of Jurassic World Live Reveals Green Raptors

Posted on by Corey Anderson

The Jurassic World Live Show tour is set to kick off its first set of shows in Columbus, Ohio next month, but much of the shows contents are shrouded in mystery. A new preview from USA Today gives us a new glimpse at the dinosaurs being made for the show – read on and take a look at their video below!

The show utilizes practical dinosaur puppets to bring the animals to life for the live audiences. Puppets is perhaps a bit of an understatement here. These dinosaurs animatronics describe more like advanced prehistoric vehicles, as the human inside each dinosaur uses advanced controls to bring them to life. In the Velociraptor, the pilot uses joysticks, levers, and triggers to control all the functions of the animal, even down to the eyelids. A small monitor inside gives the “dino-teer” a look outside of the creature in an effort to assist with steering functions.

And that’s just one of the dinosaur set to take the stage. We know the show will heavily feature a Troodon, as well as Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and T-Rex. The Rex animatronic is reportedly 43 feet long and fully piloted by Jurassic World Live staff members during the show. From a robotics standpoint, this show is shaping up to be just about as advanced as we could hope for from a traveling Jurassic show. The production has truly spared no expense with the inside workings of the dinosaurs.

However, we can’t help but talk about the Velociraptors seen in this video (who weirdly have square-ish snouts and nearly identical color schemes of Jeanie the Troodon).

You may have read our recent article about the issues that have plagued the velociraptors for decades. Jurassic World Live seems to have fallen into the same trap: green raptors. We won’t stand on a long soap box again about the raptor color here. We have already done that before and are likely to do it again, but it essentially boils down to the raptors looking pretty generic and bland – and not having any real canonical reason to keep being green. To the casual viewer, we know this probably will not be a glaring issue – though, with so many iconic wild raptor designs from Stan Winston Studios for the Jurassic Park films, we can’t help but wish they made a reappearance.

In any case, progress on building the dinosaurs seems to be drawing to a close as the first tour date draws near. USA Today reporter Carly Mallenbaum got a chance to look around the studio and even put some of the animatronics to the test. Check out the video below to see how the studio is bringing these prehistoric creatures to life.

Are you planning on catching a showing of Jurassic World Live? Are you excited about the animatronics they are using or does their appearance fall flat? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: USA Today

Jurassic Outpost Is Headed To San Diego Comic Con!

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Hold on to your butts, everybody! We are more than happy to announce that for the first time ever, Jurassic Outpost is headed to San Diego Comic Con. The year’s premiere event for pop culture and geek fandom is celebrating its 50th iteration of the convention, and organizers are sparing no expense heading into next week. To honor the legacy of the 50th San Diego Comic Con, Jurassic Outpost is following suit as we dive into our first ever Comic Con appearance. The event is a planned to last four days starting on Thursday, July 18, and ending on Sunday, July 21. A special preview night is also scheduled for Wednesday evening on July 17.

Jurassic Outpost writers Samantha Endres and Corey Anderson will be on the ground at the San Diego convention center every day covering all the newest Jurassic updates Comic Con has to offer, from new toy releases to interviews with Jurassic VIPs. The event is rife with opportunities and our team is dedicated to reporting as much as possible over the course of next week. If you happen to spot either of our writers waiting in a line or wandering the convention floor, feel free to stop and say hello!

We are also excited to announce that we are bringing some exclusive prizes to give to fans and followers at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. If you or someone you know will be at in San Diego this week, be sure to follow Jurassic Outpost on Twitter for some exciting announcements about our giveaways from the Con. Trust us, these giveaways are not something you will want to miss. Keep your eyes peeled for some scavenger hunt locations as we drop our prizes outside the convention center. You may even be able to snag a poster signed by Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow if you’re quick enough!

Do you have anything you would like to see us cover at San Diego Comic Con? Comment below and we will try our best to bring you the latest and greatest SDCC50 has to offer!

 

 

Jurassic World at Universal Studios Hollywood Revealed – Soft Opens of the Ride Begin and New Dinosaurs Debut!

Posted on by Corey Anderson

The grand opening of the Jurassic World ride at Universal Studios Hollywood is right around the corner and the park has really ramped up activities and stores in preparation for the launch. Just last month, we saw the opening of Isla Nu-Bar, a spirited effort of serving up the latest and greatest cocktails a dino-enthusiast might ever want to enjoy. Spare no expense.

Universal has raised the gate on another attraction sure to drive kids out of their mind: a baby raptor encounter. Pictures and videos have surfaced showing Universal employees dressed in Owen Grady wardrobe carrying a juvenile raptor around to park-goers of all ages. The raptor wrangler engages with people by allowing them to pet the baby raptor under its chin or even having the raptor briefly lash out for dramatic effect. Check out the video below the raptor and wrangler in action.

The great thing about this new addition to the Jurassic World section is just how mobile it is. With the traditional encounter, attendees are relegated to standing in a line and waiting for their photo opportunity with the larger Blue velociraptor. Now, the baby raptor can come to you. What this new raptor lacks in gesticulations, it completely makes up for in utter adorableness. The wranglers we have seen so far look to be doing an amazing job with their new dinosaur partners.

Universal has also unveiled another new mobile attraction this week in the form of a GIANT roaming Triceratops. The creature wanders around in the Jurassic World section interacting with guests as it passes. This is a huge addition to the current lineup in this section of the park. The animatronic looks fantastic as it lumbers around the area. The eyes may look a little off on this creature, but the rest of it is simply stunning. Check out the trike in action in the video below.

The newly redesigned Raptor Encounter is also now up and running. This attraction features a full size Blue character that can pose for pictures and scare nearby parkgoers with a wide range of movements and familiar sounds. The redesign adds a containment unit similar to the raptor pen enclosure in the first Jurassic World film to serve as a backdrop for photographs with guests. Check out the new setup below.

Last, but certainly not least, the Jurassic World ride itself has begun testing with Universal employees and VIP guests at the park. These soft opens are a way for the park to unofficially debut the ride to guests, and work out any last minute issues. Videos of the ride have emerged on YouTube giving us a POV shots of the entire ride. Honestly, most are not the best quality video and recommend people refrain from watching, to avoid spoilers. However, for those who can’t wait – check out the embed below!

Our opinion? Wait until you get the chance to visit the ride itself. The video shows a promising start, but chances are that finishing touches still need to be made and the best way to experience the ride will (obviously) be in person.

What do you think of all the new attractions opening up at Universal Hollywood? Does this get you excited for when the actual Jurassic World ride opens sometime this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for more news about the ride opening soon!

Let’s Talk About the Color of the Jurassic Park Velociraptors (They’re Not Green)

Posted on by Corey Anderson

Last August, we took you on a deep dive through the different variants of Velociraptor the Jurassic Park franchise introduced us to over the years. Today, we delve a little further into a specific aspect of the raptors of the first movie to debunk a common misconception that has plagued fans and Universal collaborations for years: the original Jurassic Park Velociraptors were NOT green.

The misconception of the green velociraptor has been perpetuated ever since promotional material from Jurassic Park hit the mainstream in 1993. The main culprit for this fallacy stems from a particular set of photos that most people have stumbled across at one point or another. Here is just a taste of few pictures from that set.

Green Velociraptors? Not quite… read on.

As you can see, these pictures give the raptors a faint, but noticeable, green tint to their skin. This mis-color can be attributed to several factors: blue stage lighting, a set full of green plants, and post-shoot color corrections.

This has been problematic for a variety of reasons, but the issue has really spread like wildfire when it comes to merchandising. Mattel’s recent Legacy Collection has been a hit with casual fans and serious collectors alike, but the toy line is not without its faults. In this case, raptor color is, well…the big one. Take the Muldoon/Raptor figurine set for example. The ill-fated park warden is sporting his signature khaki look, but we cannot say the same about the accompanying Velociraptor.

Green, green, and more green. Since the green raptor promo pictures were some of the most common materials distributed by Universal, it would not be a stretch to speculate that many partners, like Mattel, are pulling the color palettes for their toys directly from those images. Perhaps even Universal believes this is the proper color? The result is a recreation that is not exactly authentic to the source material. And let’s take a look at the SDCC Exclusive Hammond figure that Mattel just announced. See if you can predict where we might take issue with the set.

You guessed it. Another green raptor (and as one commenter comically noted, a stand that resembles “a bowl of guacamole”). Tasty Mexican food similarities aside, the raptor color is the real takeaway. So, while many of you know what we’re about to say, let’s set the record straight. Without any doubt, we can tell you the Jurassic Park raptors were BROWN. Photos unmarred by color corrections or studio lighting reveal exactly how the predators were supposed to look.

Stan Winston’s studio took great care in creating the scariest possible version of the Velociraptor, including the color selection. The finished product was a molted brown color to allow the animals to blend in with the earthy tones of the Costa Rican forest. And you do not just have to take our word for it. The folks over at the Stan Winston School have shared numerous pictures of the original animatronic raptors.

Check it out below!

As you can see, not a hint of green. Just watch the film!

The Winston team put so much work into building the scariest and most advanced and lifelike animatronics on the planet for Jurassic Park, as you can tell from the painstaking details in each figure. In our minds, it’s time we honor the legacy of Stan Winston’s work and get these toy raptors (or any other homages to the original, like potential appearances in Jurassic World Live Tour or Camp Cretaceous) back to the way they were meant to be colored…Brown, inspired by a Leopard.

What do you think about the colors used for the raptors in toy sets? Does the green color bother you? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think!