Hold on to your butts – we have an asset out of containment! Courtesy of our friends at Entertainment Earth, we have the brand new 2019 Mattel Dino Rivals Destroy N Devour Indominus Rex in hand for an unboxing and review! This all new action figure lives up to its name, and is one of the coolest dinosaur toys out there.
Check out the video below:
Relive the terror! Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the ultimate in dinosaur battle action! An abomination hybrid of the Velociraptor,Giganotosaurus, Rugops, Majungasaurus, and Carnotaurus, the Indominus Rex is one of the most terrifying and deadliest dinosaur ever masterminded. Inspired by the film, this larger-sized dinosaur wreaks havoc and fear everywhere! Ominous features include realistic scales, longer arms with dagger-like claws, and push button activation. To activate, move the back button to operate the mouth and activate sound effects;also use the button to make Indominus bend down, pick up and swallow human figures. The mouth opens wide to swallow 3-inch figures in its throat. An LED light in the throat lights up to show the human figure! WOW! Now get the slashing action going by pushing the front button for arm strikes and slashing sound effects. Act out ferocious battle scenes with Indominus and relive all the exciting adventure and terror of the movie! Requires batteries: 3x “AG13” (included).
Mattel has truly knocked it out of the park with the Destroy N Devour Indomoninus Rex, far surpassing the 2015 release by Hasbro, and it stands tall with the Jurassic Park Kenner classics. Every scale, quill, and tooth is beautifully sculpted, making this one of the most detailed dinosaur toys out there. Whether it’s kids for playing, or collectors for displaying, everyone will be thrilled by this terrifyingly fun and large toy.
Huge thanks to Entertainment Earth for sending this toy along so quickly so we could feature a review! The Mattel Indominus Rex is expected to ship this month from Entertainment Earth, which means they will be one of the first places you can pick up the toy – before brick and mortar stores carry it. If you’re new to Entertainment Earth, they have a mint condition guarantee, a low price guarantee, and hassle free 90-day returns. You can still Pre-order the Destroy N Devour Indominus Rex here!
Even more new toys from Mattel will be shipping soon, including toys such as the Mega Dual Attack Quetzalcoatlus and Amargasaurus – so stay tuned! This line of toys continues to evolve and explore more exotic species and play patterns, truly living up to the Jurassic name. Toys find a way.
Sound off in the comments below, and let us know if you will be picking up the Destroy N Devour Indominus Rex, and tell us what toys you would like to see from Mattel in the future! Also, be sure to like the video, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more content!
Freshly hatched out of the labs of Chronicle Collectibles is a all new statue of an all time favorite Jurassic Park dinosaur: the Dilophosaurus! This dinosaur has not been seen outside of the original Jurassic film (with two Easter Egg cameos in the Jurassic World films), but is as popular today as it was in 1993. This new 1/4th scale statue is the closest you can come to officially owning the iconic carnivorous creature – check it out below!
The Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park is a four-feet-tall product of creative license that has the
honor of being one of the few dinosaurs in the franchise to be rendered entirely with practical effects.
The renowned wizards at Stan Winston Studios embraced the task presented to them, and
delivered to the screen a creature capable of going from oddly cute to flat-out horrifying in an
instant. Even before its neck expanded and that toxic venom flew through the air, audiences
knew that Nedry’s day was done.
The artisans at Chronicle Collectibles pay homage to the work of those effects masters with
their Jurassic Park 1/4-scale Dilophosaurus Statue. The creature’s curious expression is fully
realized in one of the two heads included with the piece, which can be readily switched to the
other to capture that signature look with the extended frills and screaming mouth. The
Dilophosaurus Statue is limited to 300 pieces, with the first 100 sold including a Chronicle
Collectibles exclusive — a Barbasol cryo-can in 1/4 scale.
• The Dilophosaurus Statue is crafted in hand painted poly-resin.
• 14″ tall x 21″ long x 12″ deep.
• Switch out head for extended frill, open mouth display option. An additional small base
styled like the paddock markers serves as a stand for either head when not displayed
with the statue.
• Limited edition of 300 pcs
• Chronicle Collectibles Exclusive: 1/4 scale Barbasol cryo can- limited to the first 100
orders.
• Estimated to ship Q2 2020
• Priced at $899 (and eligible for no-interest payment plans)
Available for pre-order now! If you’re a collector of high end statues, this one is not to be missed – the inclusion of two different heads really hammers home the versatility of this dinosaurs design variations, and is great for multiple display opportunities.
Will you be picking up this statue? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!
You may think you know what the ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’ is, but you don’t (I know I didn’t). We went behind the scenes yesterday, survived dinosaur encounters, and are thrilled to share the tale.
Stepping in to a soundstage from the busy streets of a city, the sounds of the excited chatter of a crowd greet our team, interlaced with occasional dinosaur roars. Our journey for a sneak peak at the latest Jurassic World adventure has taken us not to Isla Nublar, but rather Root Studios in New York City. Feld Entertainment and everyone involved with the ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’ excitedly greeted us, eager to lift the veil off this exciting new story within the expanded Jurassic universe.
First thing first. Let’s address the elephant – or rather, the dinosaur – in the room. The Tyrannosaurus Rex used in the shows promo imagery, which fans immediately pointed out was inaccurate, was placeholder. The iconic star of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World is currently being worked on by numerous talented artists, and she will be accurate to the design we know and love from the films. As the animatronic is currently under construction, another large Tyrannosaur (originally crafted for Walking with Dinosaurs) was swapped in. Stay tuned for the true reveal of 43 foot full animatronic, which will surely steal the show both awing and terrifying audiences.
The Story
So, what is the show? The ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’ is a touring arena spectacular of epic proportions making its world premiere this Fall – but that much you probably know. What you perhaps don’t know are the burning questions, such as what is the story, and is it canon? I entered the event believing I understood what this show was, and was ultimately surprised in the best possible ways by how little I knew. The story spans a block of time, opening just before the downfall of Jurassic World, and we soon witness the rampage of the escaped Indominus Rex from all new perspectives – and that’s only the beginning.
Our main character is Kate Walker (played by Madison Embrey), a Jurassic World scientist who is working to better understand the emotions and feelings of dinosaurs. To do this, she is working with a Troodon – the smartest Jurassic species yet – named Jeanie and a-all-new piece of proprietary tech called the “Dino-Decoder”. The “Dino-Decoder’s” goal is to better understand and predict the emotions of dinosaurs, much like Owen Grady’s goal was to understand and predict their behavior. However, her research comes to a terrifying halt as the Indominus Rex escapes its paddock and the park is thrust into chaos. The audience follows this pandemonium from Kate’s perspective, showing the events on parts of the island we never saw being terrorized by the hazardous hybrid.
You know what happens. The park falls, is evacuated, and abandoned. Flash forward.
A few months after the fall of Jurassic World, our heroes find themselves in New York City dealing with a surprise: Jeanie is still alive. This thrusts them on a quest – perhaps to finish their research, or simply relocate the animal – and uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. InGen hasn’t given up on weaponizing dinosaurs, and they are very interested in Kate’s “Dino-Decoder” and of course, the Troodon. Here comes the curveball which excites me the most – the adventure then moves to a desert in Chile, featuring a secretive and remote InGen facility (some may even call it a ‘Jurassic Outpost’).
This facility has a grim purpose – it houses dinosaurs off of the security of Isla Nublar, and is dedicated to continuing Vic Hoskins IBRIS program for weaponizing Velociraptors. Our heroes confront these mercenaries who have a pack of raptors of their own, which leads to chaos of hero vs villain, dinosaur vs dinosaur, and dinosaur vs human conflict.
The story continues to evolve as the conflict escalates, and eventually the setting circles back to Isla Nublar promising more thrills and adventure synonymous with Jurassic Park.
There Will be Blood
This new Jurassic World story will be a true Jurassic experience, will “not be watered down” and offers the same thrills, freights, and wild dinosaur action you know from the films. While the show is ultimately geared for families of all ages, it was important to all the creators involved that it retained its bite and not shy away from the moments of suspense it’s loved for.
Some of the scenes hinted at included the Indominus Rex on her rampage, Velociraptors hunting Triceratops and leaving battle wounds in real time, and of course, dinosaurs hunting human characters. While the show will make sure it remains appropriate for its younger crowds who will surely flock in faster than a herd of Gallimimus, it will also find creative ways to bring these moments of carnage to life.
It’s Canon
Feld Entertainment worked very closely with Universal Pictures, and the franchise heads like Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow, and Frank Marshall to ensure an authentic Jurassic Park experience, and canon story. They poured over every detail of the story to make sure it did not conflict with past, current, and even future outings and will work as a brand new installment in the Jurassic saga. Things like InGen’s facility location off the island were closely considered, optioning a few different locales, before eventually settling on Chile.
Likewise, they worked closely with Universal Pictures to ensure the all new dinosaur – the Troodon – was granted a canon Jurassic design, with numerous artists working to bring her to life. Further, costumes like the ACU outfits were granted film archival reference for absolute accuracy. Of course, the vehicles were given the same love, bringing the Gyrosphere to life directly off of the props and digital files, while the all new Jeep vehicle was carefully designed.
The filmmakers also worked closely to ensure the tone of show remains true to Jurassic World, from the thrills, awe, and wonder all playing within a fun adventure. Some of the earliest feedback was from Steven Spielberg, suggesting the show should boost its comedic elements, amping up the humor when appropriate alongside the dino-thrills.
The Dinosaurs
The ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’ will feature 7 different species of ‘dinos’: Troodon, Velociraptor, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Indominus Rex, and Pteranodon. Some species have different variants, such as Velociraptor Blue alongside a new suite of Raptors being used by InGen, or the adult Stegosaurus and her baby. Overall the show features well over 20 different dinosaurs, promising a plethora of prehistoric perturbation.
Each dinosaur has been painstakingly brought to life by the artists at Feld Entertainment, and their partner studios, built from the film accurate Industrial Light and Magic files. The accuracy is important to bring these iconic animals to life in the most realistic way possible, seamlessly bringing the dinosaurs from the screen to the stage.
However, this process is not without its unique challenges.
One of the most important things for the ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’ is making sure that no matter where an audience member is seated, they can fully enjoy the show. To fully realize this, this also means making adjustments to the color contrast, scale size and depth, and other tweaks to the design so the detail you’ve come to expect from the movies is visible in action. These challenges are also met with the technological constraints: will the dinosaur be a full animatronic, or a dinoteer puppet suit?
Dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex will be a colossal 43ft long full motion animatronic behemoth driven by puppeteers at a control station. However, species like the Troodon will be 100+ lb suit worn by a performer, putting enormous athletic strain on the person bringing that animal to life. I had a chance to wear a 60 lb weight vest yesterday, which is half the weight of Blue, and could only imagine what it would be like inside the narrow constraints of the suit while running around for extended periods and puppeting the dinosaur at the same time.
The show promises the most authentic live action dinosaurs ever created, with unparalleled speed, animation, and authenticity.
The dinosaur who will perhaps even be considered the star of the show by fans is Jeannie the Troodon. Troodon is a species all new to the Jurassic franchise (outside of making an appearance in Telltales 2011 ‘Jurassic Park: the Game’, pictured above). While she is a carnivorous animal, they wanted her to be less intimidating than the Velociraptors, giving her a more inquisitive and almost playful appearance to reflect her intelligence. As she was designed from the ground up with the show in mind, without any prior film designs, they took in the consideration of the constraints of a dinoteer suit while crafting her look.
One of the challenges reportedly was her sickle claws, a trait Troodon is most known for, and how they effected the performers mobility. While Blue herself retained her sickle claws, at this stage in development Jeannies have been removed – however, I am unsure if her design is final, or if it may yet evolve. This tweak has been met with mixed feedback, as the anatomical change would reclassify the species as an entirely different evolutionary branch of animal, and has been mistaken as a overlarge Compsognathus by fans due to their near identical appearance.
Compsognathus confusion aside, Jeannie the Troodon animates fantastically, giving her very bird-like inquisitive and snappy motions one would expect from the species. We also saw Blue in motion, who was incredibly lifelike with her movements, eyes darting from person to person as she snaps at them, and snarled intimidatingly. Further, her skin looked incredibly detailed and real, moving convincingly giving the appearance of organic muscles moving within a living and breathing animal.
As we touched on before, bringing the dinosaurs to life authentic to their film appearance is incredibly important for the show, and the Tyrannosaurus you know and love will be featured. However, as we see her after Jurassic World and before Fallen Kingdom, months of painstaking work went into defining elements like just how well her wounds from the Indominus Rex battle would have healed, and how much scarring should appear. This level of attention has been applied across the board, promising an exciting journey into Jurassic World for all fans.
It should be noted, that while the behind the scenes reel featured ‘Desert Velociraptors’, presumably InGens dinos at their Chile basecamp, we’ve been told the design has been changed. We’re unsure what color the raptors will be, but from our understanding they will be based upon film appearances.
The Show
You know the premise of the story, and the species of dinosaurs, but that’s only scratching the surface of what the show entails. One of the elements Feld Entertainment wanted to fully leverage was organic interactivity – when you visit a theme park with animatronic dinosaurs, they do the same thing every time you ride the ride. However, this show has live puppeted dinosaurs – so they opted to embrace that opportunity, and have the dinosaurs occasionally react to the audience. If a child laughs or screams, a Velociraptor may come over to investigate the noise – or perhaps a Tyrannosaurus Rex may loom over the crowd, and sniff an audience member, sizing them up as a snack.
Characters in the show will enter from all sides, walking out to the stage from wherever the audience may be seated, truly integrating the crowd into the experience and offering a fully 360 degree focus.
The stage will be themed to the setting of the story in real time, with detailed locations, buildings, and other interactive props. Dinosaur cages adorned with InGen insignia are sure to capture your attention, just as park location signs will attract your curiosity. The island will be alive, with greenery, fog, and even a real watering hole where animals will occasionally drink from. Just as the characters are, the stage will truly be alive as it continues to evolve as time progresses.
While dinosaurs may be the star attractions, the full array of characters will perform exhilarating stunts as they survive the shows numerous set pieces of adventure, villainy, and fun. Expect combat, explosions, stunning effects, and vehicular action including motorcycle stunts among rampaging dinosaurs. When the dinosaurs are hungry, they will eat, and that means our heroes and villains are sure to be given a run for their money as the story unfolds.
Characters will go through numerous wardrobe changes as time progresses, not only dressing differently per environment, but eventually showing the wear and tear of the adventure as it unfolds. The has made sure every element you expect from a film of Jurassic’s caliber will come to life, with no pauses between scene changes, mimicking the flow of the films.
It of course wouldn’t be a Jurassic story without new and unique vehicles. On top of the aforementioned motorcycle scenes, a new Jurassic World Jeep vehicle makes an appearance, paying homage to the 1993 classic, alongside a curious dino-capture buggy, and of course, a real-working Gyropshere. This mix of new and familiar vehicles will surely inspire new custom vehicles from fans at home, like the Jurassic Park Motorpool.
But Wait, There’s More
This report is only scratching the surface of what’s to come with the ‘Jurassic World: Live Tour’! Be sure to stay tuned, as we have more content from our visit including video interviews with Chris Nobels (Associate Producer), Dan Shipton and Ross Nicholson (Directors), and of course, Juliette Feld. We will also upload a photo gallery from our experience soon, so you can pour over every detail we had access to, and share in our fun-filled behind the scenes look.
For more from our personal experience, be sure to follow the visiting team on Twitter: Myself, Jennifer, and Josh.
Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to grab the seats you want before they’re gone! I walked into the event yesterday uncertain about what the show was, and if would be anything more than a cute experience for families – after spending time to learn more about the show, and speak candidly with the creators and talent, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come! A huge thank you to Feld Entertainment and Mullen Lowe for being accommodating, helpful, and most of all – passionate – while we visited the preview event.
As always, stay tuned for the latest news and sound off in the comments below!
Tickets are now on sale for Jurassic World Live Tour, an exhilarating and unpredictable live, family entertainment experience that will bring the wonder and thrills of Jurassic World to generations of fans in their hometown arenas. The highly anticipated show will host its world premiere this fall in Chicago and continue touring the country with more than 65 stops, including major markets such as New York City, Boston, Los Angeles and Dallas.
Update: The Tyrannosaurus Rex in this image was placeholder, and the Rex in the show will be film accurate!
With unrivaled arena production quality, Jurassic World comes to life against a backdrop of captivating scenery where dinosaurs from the iconic franchise, including fan-favorite Velociraptor Blue and a Tyrannosaurus rex more than 40 feet in length, take center stage. The production features more than 24 film-accurate, life-sized dinosaurs, each custom built with the latest technology, scientific precision and Hollywood studio quality. With scale, speed and ferocity, the animatronic and performer-operated dinosaurs deliver colossal, edge-of-your-seat, live entertainment unlike any other dinosaur experience.
Jurassic World’s unmistakable score adds to the larger-than-life, immersive journey that will captivate fans of all ages. Through a combination of projection and practical scenery, the arena will transform into the dense jungles of Isla Nublar, where real Gyrospheres roll through the valley and scientists work to unravel a corrupt plan and save an all-new dinosaur from a terrible fate. With pulse-pounding stunts and an original, authentic storyline, this show is guaranteed to make memories that will last another 65 million years.
“Working with a world-class production team and Universal filmmakers, we have extended the Jurassic World canon with a new story that can only be told through this live, arena spectacular as we bring full-scale dinosaurs to generations of fans around the globe,” said Juliette Feld Grossman, Chief Operating Officer of Feld Entertainment, the worldwide leader in live, touring family entertainment. “We have maximized the power of everything we do at Feld Entertainment, pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation to ensure audiences have an authentic, awe-inspiring experience. Fans will leave with a sense of wonder, as if they’ve boarded the boat to Isla Nublar and literally stepped into Jurassic World.”
While pre-sale tickets for the upcoming arena show, ‘Jurassic World Live Tour’ went on sale last week, officially ticket sales start today. You can now buy tickets at any of the announced locations without the pre-sale code, and venues will begin to more officially advertise the show, so be sure to grab good seats while you can!
The new species of dinosaur, presumed to be a giant Compsognathus by some fans, has been confirmed as a Troodon named Jeanie by the production. Jeanie is short for ‘Genius’, as she is apparently the smartest Jurassic dinosaur to date – even more so than Velociraptor Blue! Speaking of Velociraptors, Troodons are known for their distinctive sickle claws on their feet – something Jeanie is currently missing. It is unknown if this is an error (or a genetic anomaly the show will discuss) and will be fixed before release, but we’re hoping so, as it’s a flub we don’t typically associate with Jurassic Park.
We’ll be attending a press event in New York City tomorrow morning to get our first look at the new Jurassic World arena show in person – and we will be sure to ask about Jeanies claws, and bring you all the exciting new details and images live as we learn!
Tickets are now on sale for all 2019 and select 2020 U.S. engagements. Visit jurassicworldlivetour.com for tickets and a list of shows and dates near your hometown. Stay current on the latest developments through social media, including instructions on how to access presale codes for future Jurassic World Live Tour productions!
It’s March Madness, and that means bracket polls and online voting.
Inspired by the official Jurassic World ‘Jurassic Battles’, we decided to spice up the variety and make things more difficult (for starters, not pairing off the battles by those already in the films with winners).
Vote Now!
Choose your favorites, or who you think would win logically – there is no wrong way to votes! Our poll notably includes some ‘Jurassic Park’ favorites like Dilophosaurus and Spinosaurus, and is sure to challenge fans with their picks. So what are you waiting for? Round one ends on March 24th, and the finals conclude on the 31st!
Of course, we couldn’t feature every species – and while we love the Mosasaurus, including her just seemed unfair for the competition. Be sure to come back and vote for every round – and as always, stay tuned for everything Jurassic!
Could Netflix and Universal Pictures be partnering up to bring some original content to the home screen? That’s the question we’re asking after a mysterious new title temporarily appeared on Netflix. Spotted by Twitter users @nsjstuff and @derekzrncic, ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous‘ was listed on Netflix for a limited time.
While nothing is known about the title in question, it is corroborated by three trademarks Universal filed in December 2018.
‘Camp Cretaceous’ was tagged as a ‘show’ under the ‘Sci-fi & fantasy’ genre, and its related titles were Netflix originals – however, considering the unorthodox nature of this reveal, and uncertainty of what Camp Cretaceous is, those tags may not reflect accurate information. Considering titles like ‘LEGO Jurassic World: The Indominus Escape’ are on Netflix, and the LEGO ‘Legend of Isla Nublar’ mini-series coming later this year, it could be a similar title (however, it’s worth noting those particular projects don’t have corresponding trademarks, suggesting this may be something more.)
It’s also worth noting that if this project is something that is exclusive to Netflix, it wouldn’t be unheard of for Universal Pictures, who have a Fast and the Furious animated series from DreamWorks Animation hitting the platform later this year. In fact, while discussing the ‘Fast and the Furious’ animated show, Margie Cohn, the president of DreamWorks Animation Television had this to say:
“We are excited to extend and expand our successful relationship with Netflix by not only delivering more high-quality DreamWorks programming, but connecting fans of Universal films with fascinating new stories. Our new home at Universal marks an exciting new chapter for storytelling at our studio, and Fast & Furious is only the beginning.”
Ultimately, while ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’ is something that is coming considering the corresponding trademarks, its relation to the Netflix reveal should be taken with a grain of salt. The listing on the platform has already been removed, indicating that the information it suggested could very well have been placeholder, and not representative of a title releasing on Netflix. However, we’re certainly excited to learn more, and are crossing our fingers that the Jurassic Park franchise will continue to expand to exciting new territory.
What do you think ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’ is, and what type of new content would you like to see from the series as it continues to evolve? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!
It’s…it’s a dinosaur! Iron Studios has opened preorders on their newest item and it’s sure to be a quick hit. Take a look at the iconic scene below.
This diorama, which costs $999.99 USD, is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2019. However, you can already put a deposit down to reserve one for yourself.
The limited edition diorama is made in Polystone and hand painted. It is a 1/20 scale and features the towering Brachiosaurus, Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and John Hammond statues. Overall, it weighs over 25 pounds and stands just under three feet tall.
If you can get your hands on one, this would be a beautiful addition to any Jurassic Park collection!
Just three days ago we covered some of the updates coming to Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure, pertaining to a new roller coaster and Jurassic World re-theme – now even more concrete details have surfaced, revealing the (current) layout of the ride!
First reported by WFTV News, and then covered in greater detail by Alicia Stella at Orlando Park Stop, we have a great idea of what changes are coming to the Florida park. The layout was obtained by both parties by looking into permits filed for the demolition and construction activities planned for the park – take at look at the layout reconstructed by Orlando Park Stop in the image below!
Image courtesy of Orlando Park Stop
The ride, as proposed, is a high-thrills multi-launch roller coaster which begins its queue down in front of the Discovery Center by the waterfront. Not much is know about it, other than theming will be kept to a minimum (more Incredible Hulk, less Expedition Everest) and will be Velociraptor themed – reportedly letting riders “be a raptor” as they escape from their paddock. Velociraptor’s are known for their speed, and this ride will be no different as it’s rumored to be the fastest multi-launch roller coaster eclipsing 73 mph.
As shown in the track layout, there will be a small show scene at the opening of the ride, which reportedly features a Raptor paddock. While it’s unknown if it will be themed off of the iconic paddock from Jurassic Park, or the one from World, most signs point to the latter. In all likelihood, this scene and ride is based upon Jurassic World when the Velociraptors are released from their enclosure to hunt for the Indominus Rex (“Hunt for the Indominus Rex” would make a great ride name now that I think about it).
Construction is expected to take about 1 and 1/2 years, gearing for a mid 2020 or early 2021 opening at the latest.
The majority of the ride will takeover the abandoned Triceratops Encounter plot of land, but will effect numerous other smaller attractions in the area, leading to some relocation. In my last article I talked about why I’m not exactly thrilled about this coaster (which sounds like a lot of fun to be fair), as I’d rather have an authentic and well themed addition to Jurassic Park which really transports me to that prehistoric island. However, I remain hopeful that Universal Creative will keep innovating, and perhaps add more show scenes and theming to this ride before it’s locked in.
Jurassic is Universal’s biggest brand, and it’s overflowing with imagination including inspiring adventure, iconic movie scenes, beautiful locales, and incredible dinosaurs to bring to life – the area could easily rival the Wizarding World, Avatar Land, and Star Wars Land if they really allow it to grow and thrive.
As for the rumored Jurassic World re-theme, it’s almost assuredly coming, although this coaster may open prior. However, as reported by Midway Mayhem, the construction walls are sporting the colder and modern Jurassic World themed key art as opposed to the brighter more safari themed Park aesthetic.
New signs have arrived at IOA for the Jurassic project. Interesting color and logo choice! Blue walls…Blue raptor maybe? 😉 And a logo generic enough that you aren't sure if it could be for Jurassic World 😉 pic.twitter.com/WFt503Uz82
Whatever the future may hold, one thing is for certain: Jurassic Park at Orlando Florida is evolving, and something new will be hatching soon. Be sure to sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!
Jurassic Park is a staple of blockbuster filmmaking, awing and inspiring audiences of all ages across the world to this day – not to mention its huge impact in 1993, redefining what can be achieved with visual effects and paving the way for CG to become commonplace in today’s movies. Jurassic Park’s impact is long lasting, and wide reaching – but its name is soon to just be a distant memory, as Jurassic World roars in as the new permanent franchise moniker.
While it’s yet to be officially confirmed, the rumor mill has long pointed to Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure for an upcoming Jurassic World retheme. Reportedly, Universal Parks teetered back and forth on the idea, considering Jurassic World for their upcoming ‘fourth gate’ in Orlando and saving Jurassic Park at IOA. However, Universal has apparently opted NOT to include Jurassic in any capacity within the upcoming new park (barring major last minute changes) and will put their focus on Islands of Adventure for everyone’s dinosaur needs.
Objectively, a ‘Jurassic World’ rebrand isn’t a bad thing (although I find the more adventure infused safari resort look of Park to be more unique, compared to World which reflects Universal’s City Walk) – it makes sense, as it’s the name the current film saga and merchandising all share. While Jurassic Park certainly isn’t unfamiliar to younger fans, World is the more relevant brand identifier at this time. In fact, Universal Studios Beijing is doing some incredible things with the Jurassic World branding – building a replica of Main Street, the Innovation Center, Aviary, and heavily themed innovative roller coaster that will cut through Jurassic themed mountainsides – check out the artwork below!
However, the plans for Islands of Adventure are far more limited – primarily due to the Jurassic Park land being blocked in by the new Harry Potter and Kong sections, both of which took expansion plots originally planned for Jurassic. This limited space has created the inability to create all new Jurassic attractions at the scale of other headlining properties, like those seen within the Wizarding World rides. As such, the roller coaster coming to Islands of Adventure (which has yet to be officially announced) is reportedly not a heavily themed coaster, simply putting the focus on thrills over an authentic dinosaur filled movie based experience.
In fact, you can learn a lot more about the upcoming coaster from theme park enthusiast Alicia Stella within this video!
While that video is a few months old, the information is believed to be accurate – and now work within the park corroborates it, albeit circumstantially.
Construction walls are up around the Jurassic Park/Discovery Center waterfront. Guests can not access the area from any point. The Discovery Center is still open and can be entered thru the top level. pic.twitter.com/rdQULcZepQ
Essentially, we’re looking at a steel coaster with numerous tight twists and turns to make use of the smaller area it can expand across. Its starting location will see the coaster launching and intersecting itself numerous times before it shoots out in front of the Discover Center, over the lagoon and then eventually loops back again. While the track layout is far more complex, the rough surface area can be observed here:
As stated earlier, the upcoming coasters theming is rumored to be minimal to nonexistent – which is too bad, as it was originally concepted as a coaster that would traverse through mountainsides, with the insides themed to amber mines. That idea could easily be applied to Fallen Kingdom’s volcanic disaster theme, taking inspiration from Disney’s Expedition Everest ride, all while using the current track layout as we’ve roughed together in this mock-up down below:
While these new changes coming to Jurassic Park are exciting as the area itself is in desperate need of a modern makeover and new attractions, it’s hard not to be a little bit disappointed by what’s been reported. I can travel to any park and experience a great roller coaster – but the Universal Parks are the only place that can truly offer a chance to step inside the diverse an exciting Jurassic World, and bring dinosaur thrills to life within state of the art rides, making us believe those animals are alive once again – and ready to eat us if we’re not careful.
If there was room for further expansion, I’d more accepting of a thrill coaster with minimal theming coming to Jurassic – but fans of all ages who love the films, or simply want a authentic adventure alongside prehistoric flora and fauna are sure to be left wanting more if the plans carry forward as is. Fingers crossed this coaster surprises, and infuses itself the state of the art dark ride elements for the ultimate Jurassic experience.
Be sure to stay tuned for all the latest Jurassic news, and as always, sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think about the changes coming to Islands of Adventure!
Walmart released a commerical during the Golden Globes this past Sunday for their new grocery pickup service, which allows customers to order groceries online and have it delivered to their car. By the end of 2019, Walmart hopes to have 2,140 online grocery pickup sites. The promotional commercial released features iconic vehicles from TV shows and movies such as the Batmobile, the Ghostbusters ambulance, Knight Rider Firebird, Dumb & Dumber “Mutt Cutts” van, Scooby Doo Mystery Machine and most importantly, the Ford Explorer from Jurassic Park.
“We not only picked famous cars from iconic movies we knew would be instantly recognizable to our customers — and launched the campaign during one of the film industry’s most popular awards shows — but we also worked with a variety of different Hollywood studios to gain access to these vehicles,” Messing explained. “This helped ensure the famous cars looked just like what our customers knew from the films, while demonstrating the ease, speed and convenience of the service and that it’s for everyone, regardless of what car you drive.”
Below, please enjoy the 90 second commerical from Walmart featuring the Jurassic Park Ford Explorer and compys!
What do you think of Walmart using the classic Jurassic Park Ford Explorer in their advertisement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and on our forums.
