Category: Jurassic World 3

Jurassic World 3 Casting Extras For British Columbia Shoot Later This Month!

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

Jurassic World 3 - BC 1

[Image from Trade and Invest British Columbia]

It looks like the pre-production phase of Jurassic World 3 may almost be over – as our good friend Reel News Hawaii stumbled upon a casting call for the upcoming production in Merritt, British Columbia which evidence points to being Jurassic World 3, AKA ‘Arcadia’ (Update: it has since been confirmed to be casting for Jurassic World 3 by the British Columbia Film Commissioner).

Merritt is a smaller town about 3 hours outsid of Vancouver, with surrounding area featuring landscape which looks incredibly cinematic – with gorgeous, sprawling vistas, woodlands and hills creating a truly picturesque location which is bound to translate well when it comes to the big screen. It also looks quite a bit like where we last saw Blue the Velociraptor at the end of Fallen Kingdon.

This also matches up with additional information which we at Jurassic Outpost learned some time back, which pointed to the production heading to the Cache Creek area for some of the production time in Canada. Cache Creek is a village in British Columbia not too far from Merritt – so it certainly seems as though some of the shoot will be taking place in the surrounding areas.

The excitement doesn’t end there, however, as the casting call itself does have a few interesting details which we wanted to break down.

As we can see from the casting call in question, the casting agency are looking for both males and females to play Mill Workers, Fishermen and Townsfolk as part of the feature film. This could potentially suggest that the film will include sequences where we see civilians interacting with the dinosaurs – something which could be an interesting and meaningful way of picking up from the end of Battle at Big Rock. Indeed, a Carnotaurus rampaging through a busy mill, tearing it apart, or a Mosasaurus hunting down fishing ships in a Jaws-esque homage certainly sounds appealing and fulfilling for some initial set pieces within the film.

Jurassic World 3 = Town Image

[Image from Travel Weekly]

Regardless of whether this news has you excited or not, I think it is safe to say that this confirms that we may be seeing more than our standard isolated dinosaur incidents. It certainly looks like Jurassic World 3 is ramping up to provide larger-scale, city-sprawling events which will have real implications and ramifications for the world which our characters inhabit. How these events escalate within the new film, and how our return cast of characters will tackle them is entirely up to debate right now – but it is exciting to know that production on the third instalment of the Jurassic World saga is now within reaching distance.

As previously stated in an update to the article, the casting call has since been confirmed to be for Jurassic World 3! This is bound to be an exciting opportunity for anyone who lives in the area – and we encourage any readers living in British Columbia to get involved in this project. You never know – you might just see a dinosaur…

If you live in the area and would like to apply for a role in the production, then click here to complete an application. 

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!

Colin Trevorrow Confirms Someone Has Guessed the Title of Jurassic World 3 – but What Is It?

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

As we continue to approach the start of filming for Jurassic World 3, it is safe to say that there is a lot of excited speculation within the fandom about what the title of Jurassic World 3 may be. Whilst we know that the working title of the film is Arcadia, as confirmed by production weekly, we know that this will not be the final title for the film.

There has been lots of speculation in the fandom about the nature of the name of the new film – and recently, Jurassic community member James Ronan shared a great thread on Twitter which Colin Trevorrow actually got involved in – adding fuel to the speculation fire – and eventually confirming fans within the thread have guessed the title.

Colin’s involvement within the thread involved teasing fans, before adding some additional context to some of the titles. Whilst he replied to some, such as ‘Jurassic World 3: Duel of Fates’, to poke fun at some of the ideas which fans were throwing out, he did also offer some hints about the direction which the title of the third entry in the film series may be taking.

While the above tweet isn’t from Colin, it is part of the thread, and one of the few Colin liked within it. Considering that, it stands to reason the title will be something more hopeful. Another thing Colin did confirm on this thread was that ‘Jurassic World: Extinction’ will NOT be the title of the new film. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed to read this as I and several other fans had been excited about the prospect of ‘Extinction’ being an obvious new subtitle for the series – as it was nearly the title of Jurassic Park 3 – but it does now bring into question where exactly we may be heading next. There were several fantastic suggestions within the thread such as ‘Paradigm Shifts’, New Era and ‘Welcome to Jurassic World’ – all of which I personally really appreciate as they have they communicate the current nature of the franchise well. Other great suggestions included ‘Jurassic World: The Edge of Chaos’ and ‘Jurassic World: Paradise Lost’ – though they skew less positive sounding, and more grim.

So you’re probably now thinking ‘but I saw people saying Colin Trevorrow confirmed the title is ‘New Era’. He didn’t. While that title is the current running theory, as it was guessed within the thread, and reads in a positive way, Colin’s tweet using the words dates back to the Summer, regarding a very different topic.

The running theory is Colin chose the words New Era on purpose, as an easter egg of sorts, that would only come to light after the title of the film is announced. It wouldn’t be the first time he did that – in past interviews with Jurassic Outpost, he snuck direct quotes from the Fallen Kingdom script into his answers to our questions. However, only time will tell!

‘Jurassic World: New Era’ or not, these titles should have one thing in common – they suggest that the title should reflect the new nature of the third instalment in the series now that we are off Isla Nublar, and well within the domain of the general population. Short features like Battle at Big Rock and The Jurassic World Motion Comics have provided tantalising hints at the nature of the world after the fallout from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – so this is something which I feel should be further emphasized in the title of the third film. It is safe to say that the stakes which we are facing within the upcoming sequel are the most extreme they have been within the franchise so far – so I am hopeful that the title will reflect the change in scale and scope which we are likely to see when this film debuts in cinemas everywhere next year.

Battle at Big Rock Graphic

Equally, however, the title may be something much more on the nose like ‘Jurassic Park: The New World’ – hinting at the more open and ‘new’ nature of the franchise moving forwards. With Universal Pictures ramping up the amount of energy Jurassic is getting, and with more toy-line and spin-off materials than ever before, I think that this film may be used as a springboard to debut a new world of Jurassic content – functioning as an ending to the story saga we have followed, but also as a new start for wherever the franchise may go in the future.  It’s safe to say that we could speculate over the title all day – but, at the end of the day, it is just a title – and it may not even directly hint to what happens within the film but may be something much subtler, so we will have to wait and see how the title eventually ties into the film.

With all this said – I’m eager to hear what you are all thinking about Jurassic World 3. What do you hope the title of this new entry in the saga will be? And what are you hoping the film will explore thematically? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more news on Jurassic World 3 as soon as we get it!

Mysterious New Dinosaur Spotted in Recent Jurasssic World 3 Animatronic Video!

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

Jurassic World 3 - Baryonyx Header

In recent Jurassic World film entries, Dinosaur fans have been treated to a plethora of new dinosaurs which have brought new and interesting designs to the table. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom introduced a plethora of new animals to the franchise – including the Stygimoloch, Allosaurus, Baryonyx and Sinoceratops, amongst others. This was further built upon within the release of the recent short film Battle at Big Rock – which introduced not only an adult version of the Allosaurus, but also the brand new Nasutoceratops.

Now, with new footage from behind-the-scenes production on the upcoming Jurassic project (under the production moniker of ‘Arcadia’) being released by Colin Trevorrow on Twitter earlier today, it is safe to say that the introduction of new dinosaurs is set to continue within the upcoming entry to the series. Eagle-eyed fans have been quick to spot a brand-new dinosaur lingering in the background of the footage:

First things first – cutouts like these are typically life size, and used by the props and animatronics team to begin roughing out their actual dimensions. With that in mind, it’s important to note this dinosaur is roughly 3 – 4 feet tall, at most.

Although the design of the creature is pretty hard to make out, we can see a dinosaur which has a long neck and slender limbs – suggesting something which will be very agile and predator-like. Fans are racking their brains as to what this new creature could be. There have been an assortment of different suggestions from community members. Some have speculated that this dinosaur may be a young Beipiaosaurus – a feathered dinosaur which existed in China during the Early Cretaceous period. This dinosaur was a species of therizinosauroid – something which may be hinted at by the way the dinosaur’s hand merges together into what appear to be large, curved claws. If we are to believe that it is this kind of dinosaur, then perhaps it may be the Therizinosaurus itself – a popular dinosaur which has already appeared in Jurassic World as a contributor to Hybrid DNA. With this in mind, it isn’t that extreme to consider that perhaps another company, such as Biosyn, may have recovered the DNA to create this creature in the fallout from Jurassic World.

Other fans have been suggesting that this dinosaur may be a different juvenile animal – and is perhaps a younger version of a Jurassic World-style Velociraptor. If this was the case then it would not be the first time that we had seen flashbacks to younger versions of the Velociraptor – as we did see the Baby Raptor Squad appear within Fallen Kingdom. Whilst this would be an interesting way of further building apon the relationship between Owen and Blue, we don’t believe that this is a juvenile raptor, as the two designs have some distinct differences which stand out when compared to one another – particularly the longer neck, shorter head/snout, and much larger hands.

Jurassic World 3 - Blue/New Dino Comparison

As you can see, it’s similar to Blue, but clearly not her.

It is safe to say that whatever these creatures end up being within the film, it is very exciting to see them presumably also getting the animatronic treatment! Many of our team here at Jurassic Outpost are hoping that this raptor-like creature will be feathered – bringing some much needed diversity into the roster of dinosaurs who are a part of the Jurassic World franchise. I think I speak for us all when I say it is very exciting to see who these dinosaurs are being created by – and for what purpose. The recent Motion Comic hints that dinosaurs are already causing chaos within the natural Ecosystem, so anyone releasing more dinosaurs into the mix is unlikely to be doing so for a good reason. But, that said, who knows? We know InGen had more facilities across the globe, so perhaps these dinosaurs are being found near or at those facilities. However it is explained, we are excited to see how the introduction of even more new dinosaurs will shape the story of Jurassic World 3.

How do you feel about the introduction of new dinosaurs? Is there any particular dinosaur you would like to see appear in Jurassic World 3? I know I would love to see Giganotosaurus! As always, share your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for more as we get it.

First Teasing Look at Jurassic World 3 Animatronics from Director Colin Trevorrow!

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

News on the next instalment in the Jurassic World franchise, Jurassic World 3,  continues to flood into the fandom thick and fast – with the director Colin Trevorrow teasing this short video on Social Media a few moments ago:

It is safe to say that this small teaser from Colin, which is only eight-seconds in length, has the community erupting with excitement for the new entry in the franchise. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom returned to the roots of the franchise with a focus on more physical puppetry and animatronic work after Jurassic World was criticised for its reliance on CGI for many sequences.  It appears this much more practical approach to film making is here to stay – with this clip indicating a high-level of animatronic being produced for the new film. The short clip highlights a variety of natural movements – including the flexing of jaw muscles, the movement of the tongue, and the natural movements of the glass eyeball.

Whilst the animatronic featured in this clip is just a skeleton, it is safe to say that it is more than enough to highlight the level of detail and realism which we can expect from the creatures to populate the film in 2021. There are also a lot of guesses about the nature of the dinosaur itself – with some fans guessing it may be a Corythosaurus or Stygimoloch (however the Stiggy has oblong, goat-like pupils which this does not). Other popular theories include a Baby Triceratops – its narrow skull and beak-like apparatus would make sense – perhaps suggesting we may see a fully-fledged ecosystem for the dinosaurs of Jurassic World 3.

No matter which creature this ends up being, it is safe to say that this small clip will only serve to further build upon our excitement for the upcoming film. With additional Motion Comic segments presumably on the way,  and with the working title for the upcoming project now public knowledge, it is safe to say that things are kicking up a gear in the Jurassic production world – with loads more news bound to land in the coming months!

‘Dinosaur Crossing’ Jurassic World Motion Comic Drops – Featuring A Triceratops vs Ankylosaurus Battle

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

Jurassic News seems to be dropping thick and fast for fans of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World – with the second instalment of the Jurassic World motion comic series already dropping on the official Jurassic World YouTube Channel! This entry, titled ‘Dinosaur Crossing’,  continues the idea of giving us a bite-size look at a post-Fallen Kingdom world with some interesting tidbits thrown in which perhaps hint at the direction which we will see the story take in 2021’s Jurassic World 3.

Before we dive into our own thoughts, you can check out the second episode, ‘Dinosaur Crossing’ below.

The focus of the second short is two Herbivores – the Ankylosaurus and the Triceratops – locked in an all-out dual on a busy road somewhere in America. The main character of the short, who is an employee for the Department of Wildlife (and also the husband of Rebecca, whom we are introduced to in the first short), heads out to a job in the middle of nowhere when he stumbles upon the two animals brawling. Thrust into a dangerous situation, he has to quickly get his vehicle out of a sticky situation so that he can drive away and escape the potential threat which the herbivores may pose.

I have to admit – it is incredibly fun getting to see two Herbivores ‘butting heads’ in a literal manner. Frequently within the films, we will see fight sequences which Carnivores are particularly prominent within, since they tend to have more appeal for wider movie-going audiences. With this in mind, it is nice seeing the creative team behind the motion comic experiment with bringing different creatures to the forefront. Whilst both the Ankylosaurus and the Triceratops have appeared in the films, they only have a handful of memorable moments – so seeing them going toe to toe is pretty awesome. However, the short brings much more to the forefront than just the two animals fighting.

Dinosaur Crossing - National Emergency Screenshot

As the above image shows, this particular short also looks at the wider impact which the dinosaurs being lose in the public is having – with a state of National Emergency declared. We also see several other sequences with different dinosaurs causing injury to members of the public – building upon the short pieces of footage which we saw at the end of Battle at Big Rock. Clearly, this is becoming an issue a lot quicker than we would have predicted after Fallen Kingdom – so perhaps more dinosaurs have escaped from other InGen facilities, like those hinted at within the Live Show. It is apparent that something will need to be done within the third film to round these creatures up – and the way in which they do this will be interesting. Perhaps Sanctuary Island does exist?

Returning to the short, however, it is a fun dive into a world which is being ravaged by dinosaurs. Whilst I am not a massive fan of the art-style which Universal have chosen for the Motion Comic, I am incredibly grateful to see more Jurassic material being pumped out in a non-movie year. This shows that Universal are willing to invest in the franchise year-round now, and also has me hopeful for what else we may say in 2020 and throughout the buildup to the third entry in the Jurassic World series.

What did you all think of ‘Dinosaur Crossing’? Were you happy to see Herbivores getting to come to the forefront for a change? And what do you think about the Jurassic universe currently being in a state of emergency? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more on the Motion Comic as soon as it releases!

‘Jurassic World 3’ Filming Under the Working Title of ‘Arcadia’; Adds Vancouver Canada to Filming Locations

Posted on by Jack

If you’re like us, you’re itching for some new Jurassic World 3 news, and thankfully today we can scratch that itch with some fun information. First off, we’ve received public confirmation that Jurassic World 3 will be filming under the working title of “Arcadia” (or Arcadia Pictures Limited). For those unfamiliar, a working title is used as a placeholder prior to final titles being chosen, and sometimes to help ‘hide’ the real title, avoiding too much casual bystander attention when in public areas. “Arcadia”, the final of the current Jurassic World trilogy, joins Ebb Tide (Jurassic World) and Ancient Futures (Fallen Kingdom).

The other, and more substantial bit of news, is the reveal of a new filming location: Vancouver Canada. This location, while a popular spot for film and TV, marks the first time Jurassic has ventured its way. However, this is not the core filming locale, as it is currently expected to film from February 24th, 2020 to March 6th 2020 only. Vancouver Canada joins Pinewood Studios in London, and the island of Malta as current known filming and production locations.

However, that’s not all – Hawaii is expected to return as a filming location as well!

It’s unclear what capacity any of these locations will play in the film, as the story remains tightly under wraps. The core of the production will be completed in the soundstages of Pinewood Studios, which will no doubt double as numerous real-world and fictional locations for the film. As Fallen Kingdom released the dinosaurs onto the mainland, and the technology into numerous hands, we’re excited and curious to see how these filming locations will play out on screen.

Do you think ‘Jurassic World 3’ will focus on all new locations, or might we see the return of Isla Nublar or Sorna? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for all the latest news!

Source: Production Weekly (via @Sickle_Claw), Hollywood North


Watch the Brand New Jurassic World ‘Motion Comic’ that Explores the Events After Fallen Kingdom!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Get ready to journey back into the growing Jurassic World, this time in ‘motion comic’ form. In a surprise release, Universal Pictures unleashed the first episode of an ongoing motion comic series titled ‘A Rising Tide’, following the events at the end of Fallen Kingdom. Much like ‘Battle at Big Rock’, this canon entry explores new content not tied to the core characters of the films, however directly tied to the events they partook in.

Check out the first episode of the series below, and read on for our thoughts!

It’s a new world as humans and dinosaurs are forced to coexist. An unwelcome contestant enters a surf competition in Hawaii.

About Jurassic World:
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 set against a global backdrop of diverse locations, with a sprawling story grounded in believable science and populated by distinctive dinosaurs, heroic humans, and cunning villains at both ends of the evolutionary spectrum.

Cinema’s only dinosaur-driven live action franchise, Jurassic World has earned three Academy Awards® and over $3.6 billion worldwide across four films. Its cross- generational appeal can be attributed to audiences’ enduring fascination with dinosaurs and boundless imagination, both nurtured by each new installment. Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. It is a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery, and epic adventure. Dinosaurs live again, and they live in Jurassic World.

In the first episode, we’re introduced to who appears to be the core character of this mini-series: Rebecca Ryan. Rebecca is a TV reporter who gives a report on what was ultimately the scene we saw at the end of Fallen Kingdom: the escaped Jurassic World Mosasaurus eating someone during a surf competition in Oahu Hawaii. After we see some first hand accounts of the events, and the report wraps up, Rebecca’s character is seen driving home and making a call to her family.

During the aforementioned call some ominous music plays: the InGen/Mercenary theme from the World films. Is this a hint at her having more ties to Jurassic World beyond simply reporting on the events? O is that music an anthem to her new call to action, unlocking the secrets behind the prehistoric residents of Isla Nublar no longer being contained to the island. Three more episodes will follow today’s installment, and we expect her character to remain an important player throughout (although the series promises unique points of view each episode).

The other obvious question is what does this motion-comic series mean for Jurassic World 3? Could Rebecca in fact be a character from the sequel, which is due to begin filming in a few short months, or could her character stumble upon some larger plot elements (beyond the dinosaurs on mainland) that will come into play? This story already feels like setup for something larger, and we’re excited to see how everything unravels, expands, and connects.

It’s great to see the Jurassic World universe grow, and we’re hopeful more content like this, as well as traditional comics and books will become a regular thing. Truth be told, we’re really keeping our fingers crossed for another live-action short film, and this series certainly has the potential to lead right into one – and of course pave the way to Jurassic World 3.

Let us know what you hope to see from this series as it moves forward and evolves in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for all the latest news!


Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith to Reprise Fallen Kingdom Roles in Jurassic World 3!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

The cast of the third Jurassic World film continues to amass its star-studded cast of new and returning actors, adding two familiar names to its roster. Revealed first by Collider, Daniella Pineda and Justice Smith have joined the upcoming Jurassic sequel due to begin filming early 2020.

Daniella Pineda (Zia Rodriguez) and Justice Smith (Franklin Webb) first appeared in 2018’s ‘Fallen Kingdom’, as key members of the Dinosaur Protection Group, run by Bryce Dallas Howard’s character Claire Dearing. While we’re uncertain where the plot of the sixth Jurassic Park sequel will go, the recent short film ‘Battle at Big Rock’ show’s us that dinosaurs are becoming commonplace and a nuisance in some locations. The return of the DPG members signals the likely continued venture of that groups dinosaur rights and conservation lobbying, all while dealing with a rapidly evolving world where dinosaurs are free on US soil.

Justice Smith most recently starred in the live-action Pokemon movie ‘Detective Pikachu’, while Daniella Pineda is part of Netflix’s upcoming live-action ‘Cowboy Bebop’ series due to resume filming next year. They’re joining Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Mamoudou Athie, DeWanda Wise, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon, and Chris Pratt in what promises to be the largest Jurassic ensemble yet, uniting characters from across the eras all while introducing new faces.

Jurassic World 3 is well into pre-production at London’s Pinewood Studios, with a script written by Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael, with Trevorrow directing. Much like the cast, the behind the scenes teams compromise of old and new players: ILM will be returning to bring the dinosaurs to life, collaborating with an all-new animatronics team headed by John Nolan.

Jurassic World 3 will release June 11th, 2021.

Are you excited for the growing cast? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!

Source: Collider


Jurassic World and Soft-Canon: a Counteractive and Convoluted Conundrum

Posted on by Jurassic Outpost

This article is a guest contribution by Thomas Fishenden.

When it comes to the Jurassic Park franchise, it is safe to say that there has been a lot of world building over the duration of the five installments which Universal Studios have produced. It is certainly safe to say that a lot has been added to the franchise over the years. The films have added new locations and new animals and characters, whilst the secondary materials – such as the viral marketing – have aimed to add in more continuity between the sequel installments. Canon, however, has not always been maintained – and there have always been issues which have plagued the Jurassic franchise and the continuity it shares between its various outings. We have seen Universal and Colin Trevorrow take steps towards addressing these issues in recent years – but unfortunately, a recent announcement during the press for Jurassic World: The Live Tour has us concerned about the future canonical consistencies within the franchise.

In the past, Colin Trevorrow has stated that he is the overseer of the franchise – and would oversee issues, such as Canon, moving forwards to ensure better continuity and cohesion across the property in the future. This had many of us excited, as it seemed to indicate that both Colin and the studio behind him were willing to take meaningful steps towards building a much more coherent cinematic universe. Indeed, it appeared that the Jurassic franchise would take a similar approach to other great franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, building outwards with meaningful connections to the very core pillars which first established the franchise. For a while, this seemed to hold true – with inconsistencies around the geography of the Isla Nublar report in both Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom openly addressed by the director, who proceeded to work with the team behind the viral marketing and surrounding canonical materials (Chaos Theorem) to build a meaningful explanation which alleviated the canon-breaking implications that the change in island geography had. Furthermore, the team working behind the scenes had the opportunity to build upon the background of the franchise – adding in new implications for the canon which alleviated some of the strained connections that the narratives of the more recent films had. It is safe to say that the Dinosaur Protection Group website, and other subsequent ventures, did a lot to build upon the canon in meaningful ways – addressing the concerns of long term fans and creating much more of a cinematic ‘universe’ than we had ever seen for the franchise before.

Whilst the Dinosaur Protection Group faded into obscurity after the cinematic debut of Fallen Kingdom, it appeared canon would continue to grow and expand within the franchise. This brings us to Jurassic World: The Live Tour. Press Events for the tour (see Chris’s coverage from an event in April of this year) got fans excited – with a clear focus on developing a story which could fit within the confines of a pre-established Jurassic World narrative. Indeed, whilst some of the live show would build upon the back of the blockbuster film, showcasing the Indominus rampage on Isla Nublar, the clear majority was stated to be a brand-new story exploring a top-secret InGen Facility in Chile. The story follows Doctor Kate Walker, who was working with dinosaurs in a similar behavioral capacity to Owen Grady, and has essentially been pitched as the other half of the IBRIS project which we see on screen within Jurassic World. This, again, is a project which has always been relatively secretive on-screen, so fans were excited to be able to learn even more about this new piece of lore which was sure to build upon the fundamental ideals explored within the first Jurassic World film. Anticipation was high – and this was only exasperated further by the debut of Battle at Big Rock, which explored more new characters within the same universe, after the events of Fallen Kingdom.

Unfortunately, however, it seems that the story continuity will not last.

Fast forward to the start of November, when the Live Tour is kicking off with its worldwide premiere. Colin was interviewed by the Social Media team working on behalf of Feld Entertainment., and in an Instagram story on the official tour account, Colin was asked where the events of the show fit within the timeline of Jurassic World. His response was as follows:

“We have something we call soft canon – which is that it happens, but it also exists within its own space. You know, Feld’s writers and creators made a new and original story which exists within the context of Jurassic World and I think people are really going to love it.”

This statement is great when we consider how passionate Colin is for the franchise, and it is nice to see how excited he is about the live show – but it also poses a very real problem for the franchise moving forwards. That statement of ‘soft-canon’, and the careful phrasing of this show ‘existing within the context of Jurassic World’, has set alarm bells ringing for many fans – suggesting that the show may not be a meaningful fit within the pre-determined canon of the franchise, as was previously implied. Soft-canon itself is an alarming phrase, considering its what ‘Jurassic World Evolution’ is described as — something that is not canon at all, but adheres to the rules of the universal while carving out its alternate reality.

This becomes problematic as a universe which is built without canon in mind can very quickly crumble and implode if not handle with a degree of oversight and brand management. Disney know this all too well – and it is the reason why the Star Wars Expanded Universe is now referred to as ‘Legends’. Here, Disney told too many stories which conflicted with one another and posed potential problems for the canons of the franchise so they had to restart this from the ground up and discount any of their old stories as being non-canon unless reintroduced into modern films or properties. Whilst this soured many Star Wars fans, Disney could get away with this because of the sheer scale and scope of Star Wars and its fan-base, with many more pre-established stories already under the franchise’s belt. Jurassic, in contrast, is a relatively new and expanding franchise with a smaller fan base, and so the movements made to grow the brand really need to be considered and thoughtful to connect with audiences and build a meaningful and consistent fan base. Therefore, the term ‘soft canon’ being thrown out so early in the growth of the franchise has both I and many other Jurassic fans concerned about the future direction of the franchise.

It should also be noted that Star War’s non-canon ‘legends’ media only consists of expanded fiction that came out prior to The Force Awakens. Everything since then has been carefully cultivated to fit within the ever expanding galaxy, working with their brand team, writers, and directors as to not contradict the films, but add to them all while telling their own stories. Why Jurassic cannot do this, especially given their stable creative team, and smaller universe size, is a frustrating mystery.

Whilst I appreciate that it is hard to canonise a Live Tour (other properties like ‘Marvel Universe Live’ opted to tell entirely separate stories), I think straddling the line between canon and ‘soft canon’ is an attempt for Jurassic to have its cake and eat it too. Whilst it’s a humble attempt at developing upon the IP, I feel that it misses the mark and misses what fans have truly been clamoring for – which are stories which will have larger impacts on the overall franchise whilst enabling them to connect with these characters and these stories in much more meaningful ways. The attitude of utilizing ‘soft canon’ poses a worry for fans, as it brings into question upcoming properties like Camp Cretaceous, and where they will stand in terms of both canon and impact on the other properties within the franchise. Whilst there is certainly an argument for these being more children’s tailored properties, it is important to note that even in that regard a canonical middle ground is achievable. Take, for example, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This property found a way to tell stories within a pre-existing universe whilst not damaging canon. In fact, Clone Wars could build upon the pre-established in interesting and meaningful ways – connecting with both older and younger fans alike. This was due not only to the creative vision of Dave Filoni, but also due to the creative oversight and brand consistency which Disney and the Star Wars team had in place – and something which Jurassic seems to be sorely missing at this moment in time.

For the Jurassic World Live Tour, the format itself doesn’t entirely mesh with real world antics – so we understand that the action and context that which the story plays out may not be 1:1 to canon. But there is no reasons the overarching story itself of Dr. Kate Walker, InGens facility in Chile, and the events that subsequently played out cannot be canon. A simple “The story is canon, the action within and execution of it is soft canon” would be far more understandable. It was stated numerous times that Colin Trevorrow was involved from the start to make sure the story is hard canon. So what happened?

Make no mistake – I, and many others, are excited for new stories to be explored within the Jurassic universe. Many of us have clamoured for more from this brand for years, so the fact that we are finally getting this is exciting, and is a true testament to the creative passion of individuals like Colin Trevorrow. But, with that said, oversight is important too – and it’s important that this is built into a brand with solid foundations so that these stories can continue to be told for years to come. With that in mind, an organisation like Chaos Theorem or someone else altogether really need to be empowered to get more involved in the day-to-day canon of this universe, so that we can finally have something which feels cohesive. Continuity has always been a matter of discussion for Jurassic – and in some ways, poor continuity adds to the charm of these films. But, if Jurassic is to ever grow into a franchise with the power to do more than beat back other big names at the box office, then it is crucial that canon is considered, and that the time is taken to build a rich universe for these stories to take place within.

What do you all think? Where do you stand on canon in cinema, and is it important to you that these side projects tie in? Sound of in the comments below!