Category: Jurassic Park

Check out Our Interview With Joseph Mazzello About All Things Jurassic Park and World!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Are you looking forward to tonight’s ‘Watch from Home’ party of Jurassic Park, hosted by Joseph Mazzello? While you know him as Tim Murphy from Jurassic Park, his career has been incredibly diverse, with roles in films like The Social Network, and most recently starring as John Deacon in Bohemian Rhapsody.

We were lucky enough to chat with Joe about all things Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and dinosaur. We cover a variety of subjects, such as runaway raptors, deleted scenes, and where his character may be today.

Tonight’s watch party starts at 8pm EST, and can be watched in the embeded video above once live. Until then, be sure to read our interview below!

—————————————————————————————————————————————

You have an upcoming Jurassic Park ‘watch from home’ with IGN, can you tell us a little bit more about that?

JM: I was approached by Universal first, and I really jumped at the chance! The last time I saw it was in 3D in theatres -a bunch of my friends made me go watch myself, and have their 3D glasses on and look at the screen and look at me back and forth like that for 2 and half hours. That was a chance to really think about what a great movie it was and how it still holds up today. You know I would hold it up against any action movie, any monster movie, really anything. I just think the visual effects hold up really well, the story is beautiful. Spielberg the way he was an artist with every shot, every single one, and you still feel it to this day- the care he took with everything. So any chance that I get to kinda come back to the fans a little bit. If there’s one constant in my entire life, it is guys around my age telling me that they went and saw Jurassic Park 4, 5, 6, or 7 times in theatres and telling me how much they identified with me. They wanted to be me when they were growing up. Stuff like that warms my heart, knowing that I could be apart of something that was so special in people’s lives. To be able to do it for as many people as possible while we’re all at home, we’re all trying to deal with these strange and heartbreaking events together is a great escape for us. Its a way for us to come together and enjoy a great film and impart my insight about it and great memories, and I can wait to do it.

I’ve grown up with Jurassic Park, I’m too young to have seen the original in theaters, but I grew up with it on VHS and it was always a really big part of my life, especially with dinosaurs because ultimately it guided me to go to school for paleontology — though I eventually shifted over to film. But Jurassic Park has been kind of a constant in my life, so outside of Jurassic Park, do you have a continued relationship with dinosaurs, going to the museum or anything along those lines?

JM: Well it’s funny, I have a five year old nephew now who is of course obsessed with dinosaurs. So I’ve been waiting for all this to be over so I can take him to the Natural History Museum in New York and kind of spur his excitement about this thing that was such a big part of my childhood. I think that I’m reliving a lot of it because of him, it’s probably close association with dinosaurs themselves. Jurassic Park of course I live everyday, but dinosaurs, it’s fun to see how excited kids can get about them.

Outside of the Jurassic Park films, do you have a favorite dinosaur that you like that wasn’t a part of the films?

JM: Oh man, that’s tricky looking at Jurassic Park ,and with all the sequels, you see a much bigger variety than you see in the first film. Even like the ‘pterodactyls’… When you saw them in some of the sequels, like in Jurassic World, I thought that was pretty awesome.

So have you kept up with the sequels then?

JM: I have yeah, absolutely! I usually don’t go see them in theaters and then once they kinda…you know I get recognized a lot from the original film. So I try to see them a little more in private now. But yeah, I watched them.

So here’s a question, and its probably a bit of an oddball one but it might the type of thing you would get from a jurassic park fan site. Over the years, Jurassic Park 3 and Jurassic World, had a very long development with many different stories. Was there ever a time that you were potentially going to be involved with Jurassic Park 3 or Jurassic Park 4.

JM: You know, I don’t know if I was. It was probably something that was discussed internally. No one at the time reached out to me about those two films in particular. Obviously, The Lost World, Steven called right away and kinda have me and Arianna come in there, and advance the ball and kind of away we go with the film. And even that was so much fun. But no, in terms of Jurassic World, but if they did, I wasn’t privy to it.

Do you think Tim would have visited Jurassic World when it opened? Do you think that’s something his character would like to do?

JM: My goodness, its funny because I feel there’s still so much character and you could go so many different ways with it. You could go the way it was a traumatizing event and his love for dinosaurs kind of faded – or became a fear instead of a love. Or you could do that it was something more, and he’s a average kid and being the grandson of John Hammond and being the heir to these things that he might want to get involved. But being at the park as a spectator, we could go either way with that, but either way it would be interesting.

It would be interesting to see his character’s perspective. Its funny, there was a comic book series released called Jurassic Park Redemption that featured an adult Tim and he kind of started his own little park, and his rules were no carnivore’s this time and lets do it right, and of course the scientists didn’t listen and things went astray. It would be one of those things that fans have wanted to see where Tim’s role would go. Tim and Lex have a legacy with Hammond and they probably still fit into the puzzle somewhere.

JM: I hope one day that’s something that gets answered. There is so much you can do with these characters and its such a phenomenal franchise that has grown and now been beloved across generations. It’s still a character that is near and dear to my heart and there is so much you can do with him going forward.

Now with Jurassic Park, I’m sure you get asked this a lot, what’s your favorite filming story.

JM: The one that stood out to me, there’s obviously a couple, the Hurricane Inniki, which at the time was the biggest hurricane to hit the US. The fact that was going to be happening, and on the last day of shooting [before halting for the hurricane] we wake up in the morning and they say we’re going to evacuate — but then Steven comes in and says ‘no, we’re going to hangout here, let it pass over us’. We ended up having the entire crew in the ballroom together like it was camp, and the craft services and caterers had a bunch of food for us, they brought in all the lawn chairs from the pool and we all just hung out as this hurricane was coming in. And Steven, because he was so passionate about what he does, and he’s such a perfectionist and has a love for film, his emotion behind this was “I’ve got to go out there and film this thing as it’s approaching, and maybe use it for the movie”. I guess having that kind of personality at the helm, it made me love acting and potentially directing which I ended up doing, only grew. It was something I found so inspiring. It was such a wild and crazy time thinking about how my mom and brother and sister were at home – there were no cell phones and all the phone lines were down so they didn’t know what happened to us. Such a wild time in our lives.

Onset though, a story I tell a bunch that I’m sure you guys know, but on my birthday, we were doing the kitchen scene and I’m supposed to be running to the freezer. I’ve got my limp going and I’m running to the freezer, and the Raptor is supposed to take a right and I’m supposed to take a left. Well the raptor was on wheels and being pushed since it was such a fast shot. The guys lost control of it and it ended up going left with me, and I turned around and its claw hit me in the head. I got knocked down on the floor! Steven came running over to see if I was okay. I was a little bit dizzy but I was alright. And Steven said “well this is as good a time as any, ready everybody?” and he starts singing happy birthday! I had Happy birthday sung to me by the entire crew of Jurassic Park, which was such a wild thing. And after that Steven actually asked me if we could film a little bit more, but at that point I was a little bit out of it. So he said “okay I think we got it, we got it”.

That’s a testament to working with practical animatronic dinosaurs I suppose – they really do make it real, on and off screen.

JM: Absolutely. It was funny too because it sort of played out the way it does in the movie where you’re waiting to see the dinosaurs and don’t really see them. Because first we started shooting in Hawaii, the first things we did mostly were CGI stuff. So it was like the Gallimimus around us that were not there. Then the T. rex coming out and eating one of them, that was just someone holding a big piece of wood that was like two stories high with a Tyrannosaur head made of cardboard on top of it, and guys moving it up and down. And then when we ultimately got to LA and started shooting in the studios we started working with dinosaurs every single day, and at last the Trex. It became so unbelievable how massive these machines were, and Steven would sometimes call me out of school on set, and show me them because he knew I was so interested and he’s got that childhood imagination and still has it. So he always wanted to show me these incredible dinosaurs they were building. Every day on set was wonderful. They were the best days possible, and even the worst day was still better than bad days I had on any other set.

It seems like for everyone involved in the movie, the production was something special and the movie itself with the visual effects, with what Stan Winston Studios did with the animatronics, what ILM did with the CG animals, what really is revolutionary on so many fronts, I think on top of the wonderful story, the great directing, the great acting, its one of the many reason it has held up and is so near and dear to so many people’s hearts.

JM: I agree. Like I said, after Jurassic Park because the CGI was so brilliant, movies started leaning on CGI too much and that continues to this day where a lot of films look like cartoons. As good as CGI often is, you still know when you can actually reach out and touch something. There’s something to be said, even the puppeteering back in the day, even if they looked a little wonky, you still know it was there. I think that’s also what helps make the originals so iconic. And the other thing is, it’s really a small story if you think about it. Like what is the movie Jurassic Park really about? Yes it’s about dinosaurs, it’s about monsters, it’s about the chase, it’s about all of that. But it’s really about very few people stuck in a small place, and this guy who doesn’t want to have children who is forced to take care of two of them in a dire situation, and learns to love them. That at its core is so Spielberg. It’s a story about a father, a family, a member that pushes against it but ultimately finding that redemption, and finding that love. I just think that when a story can play out on the small personal level, and play out on a grand scale, when those things come together you can tell it’s a classic and that’s what Jurassic Park is.

We talk about it a lot, the sense of intimacy across the board in the original Jurassic Park is what makes it so relatable on a character level, makes the story so engaging, which ultimately makes the action so believable. There’s a certain tactile sense to it that makes the story really resonate, and the things that play out visually really anchor to reality. Like you said with CG, one of the things about shooting practical is that practical has limitations and imperfections like the real world has limitations and imperfections.

JM: Right!

And sometimes I see CG, beautiful and incredible work, but it almost starts to break the sense of believability when everything is so beautiful, so incredible. The sunsets are so perfect, the mountain range so ideally placed that, while it looks photoreal but you as an audience member know its not real, and the illusion breaks. It’s interesting how Jurassic Park, being out there on location as much, embracing these ‘limitations’ made it feel all the more genuine.

JM: Right and thats not to say that brilliant, brilliant films haven’t been made using CGI almost completely but I think that there’s still that feeling you want to have something tangible there to hold onto as the audience. Something that you know is there, something that is real that you get invested in. Because when the more you can make people feel actual danger, the more invested you’re going to get, the more you are going to feel the plight of those characters.

Absolutely. You talked about the Raptor in the kitchen and how it hit you but what do you think has happened to that Raptor that got locked in the freezer. Where do you think that Raptor is today?

JM: Well it probably ate a lot of frozen meatballs. So it did okay, for a little while anyway. But who knows, maybe one day there will be a sequel in the works about the frozen raptor.

The frozen raptor being thawed out. On its revenge spree.

JM: Exactly. I think it’s perfect. Who knows what sub-zero temperatures do to dinosaurs. We’re about to find out!

Exactly, but we’ll probably have to wait for Jurassic Park 27 on the moon. Jurassic Moon.

Ok, so I imagine you’ve been asked this before, but when you’re in the Ford Explorer tour vehicle in Jurassic Park, the T. rex pushes its head down through the viewing dome — I guess when the window is on top of you and Arrianna Richards, a part of the window had broken off? Which was not supposed to happen.

JM: That’s correct.

Was that a scarier moment when that happened?

JM: You know, in real life, these are really heavy machines that are being handled by people in a remote way. And so there was inherent danger just even if they were big blocks, the fact that they were being controlled and brought towards you. And it was supposed to hit the plexiglass, it was supposed to come down. But it was not supposed to come down with that kind of force that it would actually come down that far, and actually break the plexiglass in half. Actually, you can see it in the movie that there’s a quick shot of the Trex with a missing tooth in that moment because the tooth fell out when it hit the glass, and they tried for like half an hour to get it back in and it wasn’t sticking, so we just said screw it we’ll just do it without it. So that’s a good little thing to watch out for, not an Easter egg. But it’s something funny to watch out for if you can pause it.

Another question a lot of people had, are there any notable deleted scenes that your character was involved in?

JM: Oh boy, I don’t think that’s a question I’ve ever been asked. I don’t think there was anything that I was in, a scene, that was cut. I’m sure in the original script there were things that were cut or moved around. There were certain shots I remember that were cut out. There was one in particular where when the self driving vehicles were on the track, we were supposed to go over this land bridge – a real land bridge in Hawaii – that had no guards on either side of it, they were supposed to have us go over it but we were like “no way”. So they have some doubles in the car of us, and have it go over the bridge for us. But that was something that was cut, I’m not sure why. They were little shots like that, but I can’t think of any scene in particular.

I believe one of the scenes people were questioning was I think in the children’s novelization, it talks about a scene where Grant starts talking about the Tyrannosaurus after the attack, while Lex and Tim are in the storm drain, but he realizes they are too traumatized to continue the conversation. So a lot of people wondered if that was filmed, or was that just part of the novelization from the script.

JM: That was not something that I remember filming. I can say with 99.9% certainty that we did not film it.

Okay! Another question we got was what was the hair and makeup process for making your electrocuted look.

JM: Ha! I can’t totally remember but it was my hair. Boy I wish I could remember. Monty Hall, I think he did the make up. But I can’t totally remember but it didn’t take any longer than usual. Pretty much a lot of hairspray to make it stand up. Actually Spielberg always had an issue with me coming to the set, my hair was always too neat in his opinion. And so whenever I would come on set, and no matter what, he would come over to me and rub his fingers through my hair, and just jostle it around a little just to make sure it was always messy. But I can’t quite remember the process but if I could I would do it again. For the IGN Watch From Home.

Are there any small details that Jurassic “superfans” would appreciate or know or what to know from your experiences?

JM: I think the answer to that question has to be join us tonight, because when I watch the movie is when all these things really come rushing back to me. I’m gonna try my best to really try and dig into the depths of my brain to remember every little moment.

Do you keep up with the Jurassic Park community to a degree just to see what people are talking about or are interested in over the years?

JM: I will say they definitely keep up with me. I get great messages all the time from Jurassic Park fans, and I’ve had a lot of great conversations around the world with people who love the film so it keeps me up to date just having people who enjoy these films so much. It makes me feel a part of the family which is a wonderful thing because it’s such a wonderful franchise to be part of, they’re making great movies and my hope is we keep seeing Jurassic Park a long way into the future.

Absolutely.

We wanted to end this with a huge thank you to Joe for taking the time to do this interview with us, and chat all things Jurassic. You can follow him on his Twitter here, and Instagram here. We hope to see you tonight during the Watch from Home stream!


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

‘Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park’ Launch Trailer | Out Now!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Welcome back to Jurassic Park! The brand new classic Jurassic DLC based upon the first three films is now available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC — check out the launch trailer below, and read on for more details!

Join Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Ian Malcolm on Isla Nublar, in an all new storyline where you’ll rebuild and open the greatest attraction on earth, Jurassic Park. Use your skill as an expert park manager to overcome intriguing new challenges, and show the world you’ve got what it takes to handle the heat when life finds a way!

For anyone who may have missed our previous announcement, this fantastic new expansion pack contains a whole host a brand new story missions, classic buildings inspired by film, dinosaur skins you’ll most definitely recognize and much more! Don’t forget, Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park comes alongside free update 1.12, with features that have been highly requested from the community like new Ranger team functions and a restroom requirement for guests.

Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park launches today on Steam, Playstation 4 and Xbox One for £15.99 ($19.99, €19.99).

Perhaps the most exciting bit of news is that Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum have returned to voice the roles of Dr’s Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm respectively. They’re intregal to this altnernate cannon story where after the fateful events of the first film, they return to the islands and help Hammond rebuild. This time it will be flawless.

Stay tuned, as our review will be coming as soon as we’ve spent enough time with the game and completed its story!

Will you be picking up the ‘Return to Jurassic Park’ DLC, and what do you hope it adds to Jurassic World Evolution? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!


Everything You Need to Know About Jurassic World Evolution’s ‘Return to Jurassic Park’ DLC!

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

Return to Jurassic Park - Jurassic Park Raptor Paddock Image

It is safe to say that for years, fans of the original Jurassic Park have yearned to dive back in and explore the original 1993 park which we saw on Isla Nublar. Last year’s entry into the long-running film series, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, provided a tantalising taste of the original park as we discovered a large-scale model in Benjamin Lockwood’s Manor. Now, however, Frontier Developments have gone one step further, providing fans with an opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the sights and scenes of a 1993 Jurassic Park in the form of their new DLC, Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park, which will release this December.

Return to Jurassic Park - Brachiosaurus and JP Jeep

This DLC is set to embrace the roots of the franchise itself – with new buildings and attractions which feel inspired by the classic source material, and other great entries into the franchise like Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis. The new DLC will add an assortment of fantastic new features – including new buildings like the classic Visitor Centre from the original film, alongside an Aviary which draws heavy inspiration from the design we see occupying Isla Sorna within the second and third Jurassic Park films. Both these buildings promise to breathe some heavy nostalgia into the parks which we will be able to create as part of this DLC – but they also tease something even better which is coming in this DLC.

Return to Jurassic Park - Interior of Aviary

Yes, that’s right – Pteranodons are finally joining the Jurassic World: Evolution line-up as the first aerial reptiles to become a part of our parks. Aerial animals are a feature which have been requested since the game’s debut, so it is incredibly exciting for fans to finally see them being introduced in the form of a Pteranodon. Whilst we are unsure as to how exactly these animals will function, it is safe to say that these creatures will be positioned inside the Aviary itself unlike other dinosaurs within the game – so it will be interesting to see if other Aerial Reptiles are added in the future!

Green Buck T-Rex Skin with New Model

Another exciting addition is the Compsognathus – a BRAND NEW dinosaur which will be one of the smallest animals to join the in-game roster. This game has been highly requested – especially after its return in Fallen Kingdom. Information suggests that this animal have free-roaming behaviours different to other dinosaurs, so it is exciting to see how this dinosaur will stand out from the crowd. The DLC will also introduce several other new elements – including a seven-mission story mode which will bring Dr Alan Grant, Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr Ian Malcolm back to both Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna after the events of the 1993 film. Yes, the Jurassic Park trio will be voiced by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum respectively.

It has also been confirmed that a brand-new 1993 overlay will be introduced – adding new dinosaur models, textures for buildings and other details which will augment your JWE experience. This overlay will be available in all sandboxes, although it sounds as though Jurassic Park and Jurassic World objects and styles will not be able to be mixed together at this stage. That said, the DLC will still provide a brand-new avenue for play.

There is a lot to take in from the little information and pictures released. The iconic Ford Explorers appear in a picture, the Triceratops has a new skin and model that is JP accurate, the Stegosaurus has a brand new model and skin to match its Lost World appearance, and the Jurassic Park 3 Brachiosaurs also appear! With any luck, the DLC will also include the Velociraptor variants from both Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 – plus we’re crossing our fingers for Pternodons from Lost World and Jurassic World to flesh out the aviary!

This comes alongside a brand-new FREE update for JWE players, which will introduce a couple of fan-requested features alongside some bug fixes and other elements. These include the ability to place down toilets for your park visitors, and the ability for Ranger Team vehicles to be damaged by dinosaurs. Both new features, alongside others which we are no-doubt yet to uncover, promise to inject even more new energy and life into this game as it continues to grow and evolve.

Check out the full trailer for the upcoming DLC below.

There is also a new Species Profile now live for the DLC, which you can find here:

We’re very excited to get our hands on this new DLC! How do you feel about returning to Jurassic Park? Are you excited to revisit a 1993 Isla Nublar? Let us know if you’ll be playing Return to Jurassic Park on the 10th of December!

Source: Frontier Developments

Celebrate ‘Jurassic Day’ with up to 50% off Jurassic Park Merchandise on Fanattik

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

Jurassic Day - Header Graphic featuring Keyring, Raptor Claw, Pin and Playing Cards.

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s safe to say that we are all looking for the perfect Jurassic Park gifts which we can get our claws on during this festive season! We’ve already shared some fantastic items in recent weeks – including Jurassic World Stills, Brand-New Mattel Toys and plenty of other fantastic products! Today, however, we are excited to dive back into the world of a 1993 Isla Nublar as we explore some of the great offers which are friends at Fanattik are having on their Jurassic Products for today’s ‘Jurassic Day’ – a part of their larger Black Friday sales.

Let’s take a look at some of the great offers which Fanattik have on products this week!

Jurassic Day - Image of different Jurassic Park lithographs.

For a vast assortment of Fanattik’s products, there will be a fantastic 30% off today – allowing you to grab everything from lithographs to pins, to keyrings and even limited-edition collectable coins. Fanattik pride themselves on creating items which pay homage towards the original films, and their assortment offers a vast variety of different options – meaning there is something for everyone! We have some personal favourites in the line ourselves. The ‘Find Nedry’ coin is particularly beautiful, as we love the beautiful render of the Dilophosaurus on it – a dinosaur which we really hope returns for Jurassic World 3. We also love the Jurassic Park Pin which Fanattik have created, as it conveys some of the incredibly dynamic sequences seen within the Tyrannosaurus Rex breakout scene from the first film in a fun and quirky manner which is sure to stand out in any collection.

Jurassic Day - Image of Jurassic Park themed jewellery items.

The great assortment available today even includes items like Jewellery – allowing you to add a little bit of Jurassic flare to your daily look! We could see some of these accessories pairing nicely with the beautiful collection of Jurassic Park merchandise from Drop Dead (you can view our coverage of that line here).

It is worth noting, as well, that one special item from Fanattik’s collection will be available at 50% off for one day only too!

Jurassic Day - Image of Jurassic Park Raptor Claw

That item is the beautiful Jurassic Park Raptor Claw Bottle Opener – a beautiful, curved rendition of the Jurassic Park Raptor’s sickle claw – complete with magnets on the back of the claw. This bottle opener is perfect for any big Jurassic Park fan – capturing perfectly one of the most iconic items to appear within the original film. This is perfect for Alan Grant cosplays – all for telling little know-it-alls what a Velociraptor would do to them if they got in it’s way!

Shop the complete Fanattik collection, which is on sale for TODAY ONLY, by clicking on the image below.

50% off full range image

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!


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!

Behind the Scenes Look at Designing Jurassic World Dinosaur Toys with Mattel’s Kristen Sanzari

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Since their release in 2018 alongside Fallen Kingdom, Mattel’s Jurassic World line have taken over the toy aisle, and captured the attention of fans and collectors alike. Recently, we spoke to Kristen Sanzari – one of the designers on the Jurassic World toy line – about her work, and how she came to design dinosaurs for this continuously evolving range of action figures.

Kristen provided numerous design sheet images, that document part of the process that designing these toys undergo. In the images you can see reference photos, design change notes, and how things like action features are created.

Read on to learn about Kristen’s work directly from her, and of course, check out the images!

“I have been designing Jurassic World toys at Mattel for almost 3 years now, and people often ask how I got into toy design. So, I will give you a little background. I grew up with a love of drawing animals and my favorite animation characters. I loved my toys and loved animation. When it came time to go to college, I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where I studied graphic design and ran on the track team. I loved graphic design but knew I still wanted to study animation, so after graduating from Cal Poly, I moved to San Francisco, where I attended the Academy of Art University to get my master’s in visual development for animation.

After graduating, I got a job as a graphic designer/illustrator at a toy and publishing company called Artistic Studios (now Bendon Publishing). I worked on licensed craft sets and toys and loved it, but I was still mostly doing graphic design and package design, with only a little bit of illustration here and there. Wanting to do more concept art, I began applying to jobs at animation studios and toy companies in LA. I interviewed with Mattel for the Jurassic World product design position with a portfolio full of concept art for animation. Although similar in a lot of ways, I had no toy designs to show. So, after the interview I drew up some toy concepts focused on Jurassic, and luckily my now boss had faith I could design toys and I got the job.

Was I a dinosaur expert or a Jurassic park fanatic prior to getting the job? No, but I liked dinosaurs, I had seen some of the movies, and most of all I loved drawing and learning about animals. So, I made it my mission to learn as much as I could about dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise when I began working on the brand. I watched all the movies a bunch of times, took several paleontology courses online, listened to the Jurassic Outpost Podcast, bought and read multiple dinosaur books and made it a point to learn about and know every dinosaur we designed.

When designing our toys, we begin by brainstorming about what we want that toy to do. Is it a T. Rex that roars and has a massive chomp? Or is it a Pachycephalosaurus that rams its head? There are usually so many great and crazy ideas that come up in brainstorms, but we always do our best to make sure the function of our toys are realistic, on brand, and accentuate what the dinosaur would have done in real life. Something we also focus on is our scale, we do our best to make all our dinosaurs in scale to a 3¾” human action figure, which really allows you to imagine how massive some of these dinosaurs were in real life.

As you can see from many of these design sheets, we start off with an initial drawing of the dinosaur concept and what the feature will be. Sometimes these are based on assets from Universal, for dinosaurs from the films, and sometimes we are able to create the dinosaur designs ourselves. We spend a lot of time creating the patterns and textures, picking the colors of the dinos, and making sure they fit into the look and feel of the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. In the Carnotaurus example you can see that the drawing and the original sculpt are different from the final sculpt and product. This is because we often know what dinosaurs are going to be in the film before knowing exactly what the dinosaurs are going to look like in the film. The toy production timeline is longer than the time it takes to make a film and so often we need to begin our design process before we have all the information. We frequently have to figure out the feature of the toy prior to knowing exactly what the dinosaur will look like, and we just have to be nimble and adjust our designs to fit the look of the movie as soon as we do get the actual assets. Our partners at Universal always do their best to get us the assets and information we need as soon as they can.

Once we have a sculpt we are happy with, and the mechanism is figured out, we can make our first model. The first model is never perfect, but we use it to see if we need to change anything about the sculpt and details, the mechanism function, the articulation, and the color choices. We then take notes on any revisions and make adjustments to improve this model. After all the changes have been accounted for we make a new and improved model. During the entire process there are multiple check points with Universal to make sure they approve the look and function of the dinosaurs.

When the final model is approved we move on to make a “first shot,” which is the first run of the product in plastic. First shots are made in the factories with any leftover or extra plastic they have, so they usually are really crazy colors. For example, we could get a raptor first shot with a pink body, black left leg, blue right leg, green head, and neon yellow arms. We make comments on the first shot and make sure the toy can stand and that the detents and articulations function properly. Next we get our first painted plastic toy sample. At this point the toy is almost complete, but we make sure the plastic and paint colors match, we make sure the mechanism and any electronic features are functioning the way they should, and make sure all the packaging information is aligned with the product. After all these comments are captured we pass them along to make sure our final product is the best it can be. Then, finally we receive the final product!

As a whole the toy design process takes an entire team and I have to say that team Jurassic is made up of some of the most passionate and hard-working people I know. Our design team couldn’t make the toys we do without the enormous help of our awesome marketing team, packaging team, and engineering team. It is truly a team effort and an awesome brand to be a part of.”

Thanks so much to Kristen for taking the time out to speak with us, and to share many of these images! For more from Kristen, you can check out her website here and her Instagram here. With the 2020 Primal Attack line coming soon (which the Sarcosuchus belongs to) , there will surely be more toys to learn about in the future!

What toy do you like the most from Mattel’s line, and what would you like to see more of? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost!


First Look at Mattel’s Jurassic World Amber Collection Packaging and Velociraptor Charlie Figure!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

This week will be an exciting one for fans of Mattel’s Jurassic World toy line – we and our friends at Collect Jurassic have a whole suite of reveals planned that revolve around the upcoming range. Today’s focus is on the Jurassic World Amber Collection, the upcoming 6 inch scale collectibles line that will be debuting exclusively at Gamestop. While San Diego Comic Con saw the toys official revealed and placed on pre-order on their site, the packaging design was withheld – today that changes!

Take a look at the new reveals below!

Jurassic Park Velociraptor (Female)

Relive the exciting big-screen action with the Jurassic World Amber Collection! This collection spans the film franchise and features highly collectible and extremely posable action figures with authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The Velociraptor dinosaur action figure is inspired by the original Jurassic Park film and captures not only her aggression but her intelligence traits as well. Action figure is approximately 6.5-inches and includes a stand for display. Take home the excitement of Jurassic Park with this exciting Velociraptor dinosaur action figure! Collect other action figures in the Amber Collection! Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary. For ages 4 and up.

Pre-order now!

Jurassic World Owen Grady

Relive the exciting big-screen action with the Jurassic World Amber Collection! This collection spans the film franchise and features highly collectible and extremely posable action figures with authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The Owen Grady action figure is inspired by the first Jurassic World film. The action figure is approximately 6.5-inches and includes a stand for display, an extra pair of hands for enhanced play-action plus knife accessorie. Take home the excitement of Jurassic World with this exciting Owen Grady action figure! Collect other action figures in the Amber Collection! Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary. For ages 4 and up.

(Expected to release early 2020)

Jurassic World Velociraptor Charlie

Relive the exciting big-screen action with the Jurassic World Amber Collection! This collection spans the film franchise and features highly collectible and extremely posable action figures with authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The Velociraptor Charlie dinosaur action figure is inspired by the first Jurassic World and captures not only her aggression but her intelligence traits as well. Action figure is approximately 6.5-inches and includes a stand for display plus tactical head gear for expanded play. Take home the excitement of Jurassic World with this exciting Velociraptor Charlie dinosaur action figure! Collect other action figures in the Amber Collection! Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary. For ages 4 and up.

(Expected to release early 2020)

Jurassic Park Ian Malcolm

Relive the exciting big-screen action with the Jurassic World Amber Collection! This collection spans the film franchise and features highly collectible and extremely posable action figures with authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The Dr. Ian Malcolm action figure is inspired by the original Jurassic Park film and captures not only his wit and sarcasm but his deep respect for the power of nature. The action figure is approximately 6.5-inches and includes a stand for display, an extra pair of hands for enhanced play-action plus flare and water cup accessories. Take home the excitement of Jurassic Park with this exciting Dr. Ian Malcolm action figure! Collect other action figures in the Amber Collection! Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary. For ages 4 and up.

Pre-order now!

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom Velociraptor Blue

Relive the exciting big-screen action with the Jurassic World Amber Collection! This collection spans the film franchise and features highly collectible and extremely posable action figures with authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The Velociraptor Blue dinosaur action figure is inspired by Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom and captures not only her intelligence but her aggressive traits as well. Action figure is approximately 6.5-inches and includes a stand for display. Take home the excitement of Jurassic World with this exciting Velociraptor Blue dinosaur action figure! Collect other action figures in the Amber Collection! Each figure sold separately, subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary. For ages 4 and up.

(Expected to release early 2020)

—–

Perhaps the most exciting parts of the reveals above is the look at the Amber Collection box art, which takes a more minimalistic and streamlined approach to packaging design, though is more complex in texture detail when compared to the Star Wars Black Series from Hasbro. One of the choices I like the most is rather than using the complex full film logo, it’s simply the round Rex logo with amber inspired styling, giving the overall presentation a much more refined look.

Velociraptor Charlie is the other big reveal, as she was not announced by Mattel at SDCC, and seems to be planned for release alongside Owen and Blue. While the core 3 3/4″ line didn’t handle the Raptor Squad very well, messing up both Delta’s and Charlie’s colors, the Amber Collection has absolutely nailed it. Her color scheme is complex, accurate, and striking looking.

It’s clear the Amber Collection is shaping up to be a collectors series worthy of Jurassic Park, and we cannot wait to go hands on when the first toys release later this year!

What are your thoughts on the new reveals, and what characters do you hope make it to the Amber Collection in the future? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned – we have many more Mattel reveals, including a look at new Primal Attack toys coming later this week!


Didn’t Make It to SDCC? You Can Now Buy Mattel’s ‘Jurassic World Legacy Collection’ John Hammond Toy Online for a Limited Time!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Last week, Mattel released their Jurassic World Legacy Collection SDCC exclusive John Hammond toy to convention goers, and every copy they had at the show sold out! While many thought the chance to get Hammond was then extinct, it turns out there is some good news: Mattel produced more than they could take to the show, and have partnered with Entertainment Earth to sell them!

Supplies are extremely limited, and once he’s sold out your chance is gone – so order now!

Relive nostalgic, iconic film moments from Jurassic Park with the Jurassic World Legacy Collection John Hammond action figure! This exclusive character captures the spirit of the franchise legacy with movie-authentic decoration and deluxe detail. The John Hammond action figure is inspired by the original Jurassic Park film and captures his innovative will, his caring role as a grandfather and his high expectations for his theme park on Isla Nublar. The figure is approximately 3 3/4- inches tall and includes a cane and a stand with dinosaur eggs. Take home the excitement of Jurassic Park with this exciting John Hammond action figure!

On the fence? Don’t be – check out our review of the toy now (spoiler: we love it)!

We’re hopeful Entertainment Earth can partner with Mattel to bring other Jurassic Park characters to the toy shelves that may otherwise be unproduced. From Jurassic Park workers, Ray Arnold, Tim and Lex, Nedry, or even ACU troopers from Jurassic World – the potential is nearly unlimited!

Did you pick up a Hammond from SDCC or Entertainment Earth, and what future exclusives would you like to see? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for all the latest news!