Category: Jurassic Park 3

4-Part Interview With Storyboard Artist David Lowery Unveils New Art & Details From The Making Of The ‘Jurassic’ Films!

Posted on by Derrick Davis

Join me on a lengthy and engaging discussion with David Lowery! He was the storyboard artist on the entire ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy and the first ‘Jurassic World’ film. His talents were also part of the productions for ‘Honey, I Shrunk The Kids’, ‘Rango’, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, ‘The Mandalorian’, and many others. Included in the interview are a myriad of David’s storyboards, with some that have never been seen before!

Click Image To Watch The Full Interview Playlist!

There are four parts to the interview, with each one focusing on a different film. The first part delves into how it all began with ‘Jurassic Park’! David explains how he got involved with the film, what it was like to shape classic sequences with Steven Spielberg, why certain scenes were cut, and a lot more! Newly-revealed storyboards show Robert Muldoon attempting to tranquilize the Tyrannosaurus Rex after it has escaped from its paddock; a scene inspired by the novel that was never filmed! There is also a drawing featured that was made by Spielberg himself!

In Part Two, David recounts his memories from working on ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’. Before the film even began, he first helped Spielberg create a new studio: DreamWorks! From there, his role expanded in the first ‘Jurassic’ sequel, working even closer with Spielberg and storyboarding many sequences, including: the thrilling Stegosaurus meeting, the terrifying trailer attack by the Tyrannosaurs, and the divisive San Diego chase (a bigger climax that was created due to pressure from the success of ‘Independence Day’ the year prior)! For the first time, we also get a look at the full storyboards for the Rex raid on the hunter camp and the raptor attack in the long grass! He also details how the film’s paleontologist advisor, Jack Horner, helped shape the look of a shot involving footprints that was left largely unfilmed!

The third part of the interview touches on ‘Jurassic Park 3’, and what it was like shifting to a different director: Joe Johnston. David remembers what it was like being at the extraordinary indoor jungle sets! He also details the challenges he and the production faced to please eager audiences with the anticipated film. The story went through many changes, with several never-before-seen storyboard sequences featuring a group of kids as they are faced with Isla Sorna’s fierce inhabitants! We also discuss the interesting change of the film’s lead dinosaur from Baryonyx to Spinosaurus; something that was evident in an early logo!

In the final part of the interview, we discuss the early storyboards David did for ‘Jurassic Park 4’, which would eventually become ‘Jurassic World’. Many of the sequences he storyboarded either didn’t make it into the film or were tweaked in various ways after he had left the project. He explains what the original opening of the film was before Colin Trevorrow came on board to direct, and it definitely sounded… interesting! Despite leaving the film during its production hiatus to work for Jon Favreau on Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’ remake (leading David to eventually storyboard for the highly-praised ‘Star Wars’ Disney+ show, ‘The Mandalorian’), he was thrilled with how the film, and largely the series as whole, turned out. At the end of the interview, we are treated with a video “animatic” of David Lowery’s “Opening Montage” storyboards from the film, fan-made by Bernard A. Kyer (beginning with footage from the fantastic computer game ‘Jurassic Explorer‘)! It shows a vastly expanded version of what the opening to ‘Jurassic World’ could have been!

I’d like to thank David Lowery for taking the time to reminisce about his experiences working on the ‘Jurassic’ films, and the many fantastic storyboards he created that are truly a work of art!

I hope you enjoy this multi-part interview! After watching it, what were some of your favorite stories David told? Which storyboard sequences captured your imagination the most! Share your thoughts in the comments below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

Insight Editions “Jurassic Park Visual History” Book Is Released, But Is It “Ultimate”?

Posted on by Derrick Davis

For years, fans of ‘Jurassic Park’ have wanted an art book of the franchise’s original three films. While we have had wonderful “making of” books for both ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ since the films were released, there was only so many of the thousands of production artwork that could have been displayed. ‘Jurassic Park 3’ never even got any form of a “behind the scenes” book at all.

Insight Editions has a new book that claims to change all of that, with “Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History“. They describe it as:

The most comprehensive book about the Jurassic Park trilogy to date, Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History begins with an in-depth account of the making of Spielberg’s original film, including rare and never-before-seen imagery and exclusive interviews with key creatives. Readers will then unearth the full history of the trilogy, from The Lost World: Jurassic Park to Jurassic Park III, through unprecedented access to the creative process behind the films. Fans will also find a fascinating look at the wider world of the saga, including video games, toys, comics, and more, exploring the lasting legacy of the movies and their influence on pop culture.

But after all this time, is this new book truly the “ultimate visual history”? Unfortunately, it’s not; but it is a good attempt with some beautiful new images and information thanks to the “key creatives” from the film’s production.

WHAT’S GOOD?

VISUAL STYLE

The book is visually pleasing, featuring Jurassic-inspired borders around the pages, filling them up with as much colorful artwork and photographs as they can. The text is neatly placed within it all, and nothing ever feels too crammed or out of place.

EXCLUSIVE INTROS/OUTROS FROM THE ORIGINAL TRIO

Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum each get their very own pages in the book to speak about the franchise from their own words. This is a nice personal touch to the book that fans will love. For example, Laura Dern recounts:

My favorite memory is going to the Amblin offices to watch Jurassic Park for the first time. We were in this small screening room, and it was just me, Steven, Jeff, and Sam. Steven’s assistant very kindly brought us popcorn, the lights went down, and we watched our movie. It’s a beautiful thing to see a movie with your filmmaker. […] You really feel the beauty of the collaboration, and there is nothing like it. And, in that moment, we realized Steven had made a world none of us had ever seen before—not even in our wildest dreams. The four of us were screaming and crying. It’s one of the great memories of my life, and to be able to share in the magic he created was really incredible.

NEW IMAGES

As hoped for, there are some never-before-seen illustrations, and some that are seen in better quality than in the past. Across the board, ‘Jurassic Park”s Art Director John Bell fills this book with amazing artwork for all 3 films (most were recently seen in advance on his website). One of the new illustrations is of Dennis Nedry in his Jeep, driving during the storm toward the East Dock, thwarted by crashed machinery that blocks his path.

Storyboard Artist David Lowery also provides several new storyboards from all 3 films, including little Benjamin’s point of view in his San Diego house when the T-Rex arrives (complete with an E.T. toy reference that didn’t make it into the film, but later would in ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’).

NEW INFORMATION

While many stories do get recounted to drive a narrative for the book, there are plenty of bits of new information thanks to new interviews.

For ‘Jurassic Park’, several details are revealed: Spielberg’s infatuation with dinosaurs as a kid thanks to museum exhibits, lowering the budget was the reason the baby Triceratops scene was ultimately cut, John Williams expresses his delight writing the music for the Raptors, and even Spielberg’s take on there suddenly being a drop in the T-rex paddock: “There’s a T. rex [there]! [The audience isn’t] gonna notice anything else but that!“. There is also mention of how Ian Malcolm was almost cut from the film, more than once, until Jeff Goldblum auditioned for the role:

Reading lines from the novel, Goldblum, known for playing a brilliant yet troubled scientist in The Fly (1986), immediately captured Malcolm’s essence. “I watched the tape with Steven and we just went, ‘Yes!’” says Hirshenson. Jim Carrey, a few years away from his breakthrough role in 1994’s The Mask, also tried out for the part and made a strong impression. But Hirshenson instinctively knew Goldblum was perfect for Malcolm: “He just has a persona and speech pattern like nobody else . . . such a wonderful oddball!” Goldblum’s take on Malcolm was so compelling that it convinced Spielberg to keep the character. Recalls Koepp: “Steven said, ‘I know why you want to cut him. But Jeff Goldblum came in and was just reading from the book, and he was so good.’” With the actor’s distinct vocal patterns in mind, the character finally clicked for Koepp, and he wrote Malcolm back into the script: “Once I started picturing Jeff, it was easy. He’s such a distinctive actor. He was perfect for the part.”

For ‘The Lost World’, Spielberg reveals how he originally was going to do a third film where dinosaurs got off the island until he realized he likely wouldn’t do another one, which was a big reason why the climax of ‘The Lost World’ changed to San Diego’s T-Rex rampage. There is also a brief mention of why Kelly became Malcolm’s daughter instead of a student, like she was in the novel: to mirror the protection of the T-Rex’s offspring with that of Malcolm’s. But perhaps the most interesting new detail is that screenwriter David Koepp directed some second unit footage for the film, which shaped how one sequence played out due to a circumstance:

After Spielberg and the main crew returned to LA, David Koepp stayed in Kaua‘i to direct the second unit, principally shooting an early sequence where a chartered boat ferries Malcolm, Van Owen, and Carr to the island. “It was supposed to be a sequence of them landing the boat,” says Koepp. “People and equipment pour off the boat, and they have this conversation on the beach.” But on the day of the shoot, the tide changed and the boat they were filming on got stuck on a sandbar. Panicked, Koepp called Spielberg. “I remember Steven was on a plane, and I was talking to him, saying, ‘We’re stuck on a sandbar. I can’t do the landing.’ And he said, ‘Oh . . . what are you gonna do?’” On the spot, Koepp reshaped the scene so that the captain of the ship refuses to go further upriver, spooked by stories of fishermen disappearing near the island: “I kind of rewrote it on the boat as we were all sitting there.”

‘JURASSIC PARK 3′

As mentioned, ‘Jurassic Park 3’ never had a behind-the-scenes book before; so that automatically gives this book a major bonus point. While some stories and quotes are lifted directly from other sources over the years (more on that later), to finally have a compilation of the film’s history is praise alone. Unlike the old DVD bonus features, the book takes a more honest look at the film’s troubled history involving its script. In fact, David Lowery recounts how there was even a contest involved with coming up with the film’s opening sequence:

“They had a contest: Who could come up with the best opening? We all pitched some version. Nobody won the contest, which was kind of a bummer.”

The compilation of information is joined by a myriad of artwork, both new and old, which is all incredible to see finally cobbled together.

FOCUS ON SCRIPTS

While touched upon in the prior books made for ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Lost World’, this time there is a greater focus on the scriptwriting process of the film. David Koepp usually chimes in with commentary on his drafts, making the process that much more interesting to delve into. Several different drafts, in different stages, get summarized in this book for all three films, although there is one omission that is a bit puzzling (more on that later, as well).

THE INSERTS

One of the biggest standouts for the book are its various inserts, which is a staple of Insight Editions books. There are some replica prop designs throughout that are fun (but with some issues, that you will see below), beautiful character design illustrations for ‘The Lost World’, various selections of never-before-seen storyboards, a blueprint, and a lot more.

WHAT’S NOT SO GOOD?

THE INSERTS

The inserts are often held with an adhesive that will unfortunately leave a permanent stain on some items, whether they are removed or not.

INACCURACIES

Unfortunately, this book has inaccuracies. Some leeway must be given with the nearly 3 decades since the original film came out, for example, but there are some errors that easily would have been spotted by a fan if seen in advance. For example, it is mentioned that “Hasbro brought its relationship with Jurassic Park to an end in 2005“, which is not accurate at all. ‘Jurassic Park’ toys from the company continued in 2006, 2009, and 2013. Let alone 2015, when it took on the toys for ‘Jurassic World’ (though to be fair, one could say that is no longer ‘Jurassic Park’). Another flub is that the Stegosaurus animatronic in ‘The Lost World’ is completely out of the film when it can be seen, for multiple shots, in a cage during Sarah and Nick’s sneaking into the Hunter Camp. While it is easy for a writer unfamiliar to the franchise to make these kinds of mistakes, even with research, perhaps it should have been looked at further by people who could have averted this kind of misinformation.

OMISSIONS

While editing a book always involves “cutting the fat” out of its diet, I feel like some things should have been adapted that weren’t. For example, the biggest portion of new artwork comes mostly from John Bell and David Lowery: something NO ONE is complaining about seeing! But a countless number of artists worked on all three films, and it would have been nice to see more variety from some of the lesser-presented talent. There are also some surprising artwork omissions compared to the original books, such as no art at all for the omitted river sequence of ‘Jurassic Park’. Having key sequences like that from the film’s history not even present this time, when it was before, takes the word “ultimate” out of the equation. So don’t you dare throw away your old copies of the “Making Of” books!

This may feel personal, but I am also surprised that the widely documented (and even performed) script arranged by Rick Carter, ‘Jurassic Park”s Production Designer, which featured many storyboards as seen here, was not even brought up. While it may have been obscure or not even referenced in their files, it would have easily shown up online at the time the book was being worked on. Which brings us to…

YOU HAVE THE INTERNET… USE IT

While there is definitely new information in this book, due to whatever access they did have with people and places, it still doesn’t feel like they took full advantage of all opportunities at their disposal. Fan sites that have been around for years could have been courted with the wealth of additional materials they have procured if it wasn’t immediately available to them (many with images in high definition). It has also been known that special collections house materials from the films that could have been accessed for this book. An internet search would have likely picked up on these details easily.

Jurassic Outpost is quoted in this book numerous times for our Shelly Johnson interview, for example. It is clear they were aware of at least some parts of our site… yet we were never contacted. Had we been, and if they had seen our additional articles and interviews, they could have been greatly assisted. While we appreciate being referenced in the book, we were not fully utilized… and to their disadvantage.

THE COVER

The cover features a beautiful illustration by David J. Negrón that was made for the film during pre-production, featuring Grant and the kids being chased by the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s a striking image, and easy to see why it was used for the cover. Unfortunately, there is something very WRONG with it. The faces and even the bodies of the three humans have been photoshopped to resemble their film counterparts.

The REAL illustration features how the characters were conceived based on scripts at the time, and gave Grant the likeness of Harrison Ford due to a request that Spielberg made… which is even mentioned in this book:

Spielberg had considered [Harrison] Ford, his Indiana Jones, for the role of Grant. “I had a concept painting made featuring Grant with Timmy and Lex running toward camera, the T. rex in hot pursuit,” he says. Mulling over the possibility of casting his longtime leading man, he asked the artist to paint in Ford’s face and sent it to the actor with a copy of the script. “I know he read the script and he saw the picture,” recalls Spielberg. “And he just said . . . at this point in his life and career, this wasn’t his cup of tea.”

Now, from a marketing perspective it makes sense to perhaps touch up the image to make the characters resemble as they do in the film to better sell their product. However, the big problem here is that the same illustration is featured later in the book… in the same photoshopped form. Worst of all, it credits David J. Negrón only, and has no mention of the alterations or who did them. While it is POSSIBLE David had been contacted to do it himself, this seems rather unlikely. What we have here then is a case of art being misrepresented, and it’s a big issue. It’s like painting a smile on the Mona Lisa.

Also, why not just use another image for the cover that didn’t require any photoshop at all?

IT’S JUST NOT “ULTIMATE”

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to call this book “The Ultimate Visual History” when it isn’t. Is it a beautiful book, loaded with wonderful imagery and with plenty of details and goodies? Yes, it certainly is. Will many fans love it? Definitely. But the criticisms must be pointed out, because if they are not, these kinds of things will just keep happening. Inaccuracies can become facts, omissions can become lost to time, and not taking advantage of materials easily at your disposal is a detriment to the fans for a product like this. This book is good, but it isn’t great; which is truly unfortunate. It comes with a mild recommendation, if you can afford it at its current price point.

If anyone involved with this book sees this article, please don’t take it personally. We are passionate fans who are just passionate about these kinds of products. The Insight Editions Back To The Future book had a revised version; perhaps the same can be done for ‘Jurassic Park’? I hope it happens so these issues can be resolved, at least to some degree.

While we did NOT quite endorse this book, what do you think? If you agree, comment below. If not, don’t bother. Only joking!

Stern Pinball Releases New Pinball Machine Dedicated To The Original Jurassic Park Trilogy

Posted on by Derrick Davis

Now available from Stern Pinball is a brand-new “thunderball” of a pinball machine celebrating the original Jurassic Park trilogy! Featuring hand-drawn artwork on the playfield and Stern’s powerful SPIKE™ high-definition LCD display graphics and animations, this electrical and mechanical marvel can now find its way into your home!

From the press release:

“Jurassic Park Pin immerses players in a pinball journey 65 million years in the making. Based on the blockbuster film Jurassic Park from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, the Jurassic Park Pin experience will transport players to Isla Nublar, an amusement park where escaped dinosaurs are running amok! With the volcano on the island erupting and threatening to destroy everything in its path, it is the player’s mission to rescue park staff, evacuate and recapture dinosaurs, and escape before it’s too late! Players will experience heart-pounding excitement right from the start in this action-packed pinball adventure filled with suspense, twists, and turns around every flip.

Jurassic Park Pin brings to life the most fearsome predator ever to walk the earth with an interactive, custom sculpted T. rex. Players will battle against the Spinosaurus by bashing a captive ball and corral Raptors in their enclosed pen with precision shooting. Fast flowing metal ramps, lightning quick spinners, and kinetically satisfying physical drop targets will provide players with an adrenalized game experience packed with unmatched action and fun. The all-LED playfield lighting provides dazzling light shows in sync with the iconic Jurassic Park theme music to create an immersive pinball experience.”

 

As seen in the photos, this machine is chock-full of stylized art depicting dinosaurs and other details from the original trilogy. Classic Jurassic Park gates, night vision goggles, Pteranodons, the “When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth” banner, and even Nedry’s computer featuring his stress toy! Curiously it depicts the Nublar volcano, which is something not introduced until Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. However, Nublar was always depicted as volcanic dating back to the novels and early screenplays, so its inclusion isn’t distracting. While some fans may not like the idea of pairing the Rex and the Spinosaurus on a product that clearly emphasizes Nublar (depicted literally on the machine art), this is meant to be a fun combination of everything that made the original Jurassic Park trilogy great in a vibrant and fun way.

This pinball machine can be yours today for $4,599 USD. While that sounds like a lot, Christmas is around the corner, and I am sure if you ask your parents or loved ones very, very nicely…

For more information and to purchase, visit Stern Pinball today!

Will you be getting this impressive new pinball machine? Or will you wait for “coupon day”? Let us know in the comments below!

Isla Sorna’s Jurassic Park 3 Male Velociraptor Brought to Life in New ‘Beyond The Gates’ Episode 6!

Posted on by Jack

Last month, our collectors focused web-series Beyond The Gates debuted four exclusive Amber Collection figures from Mattel – two highly anticipated human figures joined the collection, Dr. Ellie Sattler and the legendary John Parker Hammond, along with the Jurassic Park Velociraptor, and two Jurassic World Dimorphodons!

This month we are excited to debut more figures to Mattel’s Amber Collection. First up, joining his sweetheart, Dr. Alan Grant! And secondly, in what just might be a nod to Jurassic Park 3’s dream sequence – it’s Isla Sorna’s Male Velociraptor!

In this exciting episode, we hear from the masterminds at Mattel who designed this toy – Nikolai Dryuchin and Beyond The Gates royalty Rafael Bencosme!

The two designers talk us through the process of designing and building both of these Amber Collection figures and we’re shown design sheets, references images, and given a real behind the scenes look at these all-new toys!

Everyone’s favorite movie in the franchise is Jurassic Park 3, and now you can finally add the Male Velociraptor to your collection! The Amber Collection continues to add fan-favorite humans and dinosaurs to the collection, and now the original trio – who will be making their return on screen in Jurassic World: Dominion – are in the collection in full!

Will you be picking up the Velociraptor and Dr. Alan Grant? You can head to Target.com now to pre-order these two items!

We hope you enjoy this episode! We’ve had a great run of new Amber Collection figures, but next month’s Beyond The Gates is not one to miss, featuring a large Legacy Collection item…

Jurassic Park’s Art Director John Bell Posts Unseen Art From The Original Films & Jurassic World!

Posted on by Derrick Davis

Jurassic Park had an army of artists that helped shape the visual look of the film. Pre-production began in the summer of 1990, a full three years before its 1993 release date. During that time, the scripts changed pens between different writers, but the art department kept churning out images that didn’t necessarily match anything from them. Ideas were freely explored using Michael Crichton’s novel as the main source, while the artists injected their own personalities.

Leading the art department was Jurassic Park‘s Art Director John Bell, who we interviewed back in 2015. He also worked on the sequels: The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park 3, and Jurassic World. Despite his involvement in the franchise beginning almost 30 years ago, there are still many pieces of artwork he created that have yet to see the light of day. There was so much that his team created that it would likely fill an entire library!

That is why we are elated with the new posts John made on his website of previously unseen art from Jurassic Park!

Below are a small sample of what you will see:

His site also features some new amazing artwork from The Lost World: Jurassic Park! The amount of detail and ideas he had for the film’s various vehicles is astounding; including a “life pod” used as protection against big predators such as Tyrannosaurs Rex!

John has also shown, for the first time, artwork he created for Jurassic Park 3! This is especially fascinating to see since Jurassic Park 3 never had a “Making Of” book like the first two films did; leaving insights on its filmmaking process only on DVD/BLU-RAY bonus features, magazine articles, and other websites from those involved. His new page features impressive unused vehicle designs and early versions of the incubators!

And finally, we have additional artwork John created for Jurassic World, or as it was simply known to him at the time as Jurassic Park 4. We now have an incredible look at some of his more futuristic designs meshed with his older ideas for Jurassic Park in a way that would have been incredible to have seen on film!

It’s amazing that after all this time we are still getting never-before-seen material from the older films of this franchise! No matter how any of the films turned out, it goes to show just how much time and effort went into the creation of them. And who knows, maybe more will be seen someday?

In a darkened room, in an empty building with a dirty floor, it waits…

Be sure to visit John Bell’s site for additional art and browse his very own shop where you can buy some of his original work!

Introducing ‘Jurassic World Beyond the Gates’ – Live Now on Target.com!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Something is coming, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you! Jack De La Mare and I have been hard at work on an exciting partnership with Jurassic World and Target to bring you Beyond the Gates – a new collectors focused web-series where we will be revealing all new Jurassic products, while digging into the DNA that brought the items to life. 

Not too long ago Universal began discussions about this unique collaboration, and we hit the ground running to help design a show format that we hope excites you as much as it does us, from the fans for the fans. Our friends at Universal, Mattel, and Target shared our excitement and helped support us every step along the way as we began to play in this expansive Jurassic toybox, creating this little show. 

We were given the keys, and a chance to not only to take the Jeep and drive – but to custom design it from the ground up. We worked with a handful of talented artists – including  Lukas Vagt, Matt Henderson and Caleb Burnett – to support hatching the series, and evolve Beyond The Gates from concept to reality. This collaborative process has been a dream, and every party involved has been crucial in bringing this vision to life. 

Today (February 17th) the first episode of Beyond the Gates made its debut exclusively on Target.com, with subsequent episodes to follow the third week of every month. Every episode feature your first look at all-new, upcoming Jurassic World reveals – and upon their reveal, they will become available for pre-order directly at Target.com. 

Universal and ourselves not only want to use Beyond the Gates to share exclusive official content, but also to better inform the fans and collectors what is coming, when it will be available, while giving them a reliable way to secure those items for their collection before those opportunities go extinct. On top of that, we wanted to use this opportunity to let you hear directly from the masterminds who helped design the toys while taking a look at the development and evolution of the items via concept art,  prototypes, and more! 

The first episode of Beyond the Gates is here, and features a look at two long anticipated Amber Collection dinosaurs from the original Jurassic  Park trilogy, accompanied by the expertise of Mattel’s own Chandra Hicks.

Watch now at Target.com!

If you’ve seen episode 1, and are looking for our ‘After Show‘ — stay tuned! We’ve hit the ground running on this project, and that one is coming in hot. As for what to expect, we’ll take a longer look at the Amber Collection reveals, hear more from Mattel’s Chandra Hicks, while showing off more concept art and early looks at the development of these toys!

We wanted to thank Universal Pictures for being so accommodating and entrusting us to help create this fan-focused show. We have so much more to come, and can’t wait  to show you more of what waits BEYOND THE GATES.

Thank God For Site B: Everything You Need To Know About Isla Sorna

Posted on by Tom Jurassic

If a recent set photo from Jurassic World Dominion is anything to go by, then it looks like InGen’s Site B will be returning in some form in the upcoming entry in the Jurassic saga. In this article we wanted to revisit the second island known to be home to the dinosaurs of this franchise, exploring what we know about this island and, crucially, how that may factor into the upcoming sequel.

Site B, also known as Isla Sorna, appears in both The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, and is presented as a part of Las Cinco Muertes – an Archipelago which is 200 miles southwest of Costa Rica. This island is presented as the factory floor for InGen’s dinosaur cloning operations – featuring embryonic labs, an aviary, and an in-island waterway which provided InGen’s workers with access to paddocks and facilities all across the island’s topography. If we think of Isla Nublar as the public-facing side of the theme park, then Isla Sorna is the mechanical side which keeps things running – producing new dinosaurs whilst also providing a space where Scientists can do their work.

In the film canon, we get to see several parts of the island and its facilities. In The Lost World, we see large-scale game trails for Herbivores, alongside a worker’s village – providing space for InGen personnel to live and work on the island. This contrasts Isla Nublar, which was very much guest-centric, and shows how more personnel were likely to be positioned on this island at any time. We also get a glimpse at the large-scale InGen facilities which were present on the island in this film – including a building which is not too dis-similar from Jurassic Park’s visitor center, suggesting that there may have still been some facility for visitors on this island. I could picture Isla Sorna functioning very similar to the Hammond Creation Lab in Jurassic World – providing investors and would-be sponsors with a place to see the company’s work in action.

In JPIII, we get to see more of the island – including large-scale fences, more InGen facilities, and also the embryonic building which forms the core of the InGen laboratories on the island. This building has hints at other things including caging and storage, providing insight into how these dinosaurs may have been created during the years preluding the 1993 incident. JPIII also provides a look at the Aviary – and gives us an interesting look at how Phase II attractions for Jurassic Park may have first been developed at Site B – allowing scientists to perfect their attractions ahead of their introduction to the public. The presence of the Aviary also introduces us to Sorna’s waterways, which were used by InGen to transport dinosaurs and other supplies across the island and between the different facilities which were operating across its large expanse.

Since we last visited Site B in 2001’s JPIII, we haven’t seen much more of the island – apart from receiving hints at how it has functioned in some of Jurassic World’s extended material, such as the Masrani Global and Dinosaur Protection Group marketing. This has helped to pad-out how the island also functioned as a hatching ground for the Masrani Global attraction, but we are yet to see more of this beyond the vague hints at the island having since fallen back into a state of disrepair – devoid of any dinosaurs.

Make sure to check out our video below, which goes in-depth into the Island, and everything we know about it to date! Also check out Jurassic Vault – where some of the images in this article came from!

What this all means for Jurassic World Dominion is still very much up in the air currently, but I think it is safe to say that we are all excited to see how the island will factor into the upcoming sequel.

Join the discussion below and let us know your hopes for Isla Sorna, and if you think it will see some sort of resolution in Jurassic World: Dominion!

New Interview With ‘Jurassic Park’ Sound Designer Gary Rydstrom, and ‘Jurassic Park 3’ Cinematographer Shelly Johnson

Posted on by Jack

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to interview cinematographer Shelly Johnson, who brought Isla Sorna to life in 2001’s Jurassic Park 3. The two hour interview explores Shelly’s work on the third movie along with diving into concepts and ideas that never made it to screen – along with some Jurassic Park 4 concepts too!

A new interview with Shelly which further expands upon our discussion has now released over at Soundstage Access. Check it out below:

The interview dives deeper into Jurassic Park 3’s recycling of old sets from The Lost World and what it was like taking over the Universal backlot shooting throughout the fall of 2000.

Brando at Soundstage Access also interviewed Gary Rydstrom who was the sound designer for Jurassic Park and who has signed on as the sound designer for the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion.

In the interview Gary discusses his creative process designing the dino-sounds for the first Jurassic Park.

Thanks to Brando for sharing these with us, what a great couple of interviews! The interviews are both available on iTunes along with Spotify, so be sure to check out the Shelly interview and Gary interview there. Let us know what you think in the comments down below!

Jurassic becomes first major live-action film franchise to average $1 billion per film

Posted on by Josh Evans

Star Wars, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter and Fast and Furious are all major live-action Hollywood franchises that not only entertain and shape generations of moviegoers, but also dominate at the global box office. But despite all those franchises’ success, there is only one live-action film franchise (with 2+ films) that averages $1 billion worldwide per film and it might shock the average person of which franchise that is: Jurassic Park.

That is right, the Jurassic Park franchise, which currently stands at 5 films (with the 6th film, Jurassic World: Dominion currently in production for a June 11, 2021 release), is the only live-action movie franchise to reach this amazing feat. With the Covid-19 re-release of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom this Summer in multiple countries and some theatrical showings of Jurassic World, the franchise global total has finally crossed the $5 billion mark ($5,069,589,335 to be exact as of this writing).

One might argue that the re-release of those films to push it over the top is unfair, but most major film franchise’s see re-releases from time to time, including other big ones like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So how does this all break down for the Jurassic films compared to the others? Well lets start with Jurassic Park.

Before 2015, the Jurassic franchise consisted of only three films, Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Jurassic Park III (2001). The worldwide grosses of those three films are $1,033,756,460, $618,638,999 and $368,780,809 which totals $2.02 billion, or about $673.7 million per film. So how did the franchise go from averaging $673.7 million to $1 billion? In 2015 the release of the fourth film in the series, Jurassic World demolished box office records at the time on the way to a massive global haul of $1,670,400,637. Three years later the fifth film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, while not as massive as it’s predecessor, was still one of the biggest film’s of all-time with $1,378,012,430. Add those all up and you have a franchise that makes it to the $1 billion per film average.

So if you are still surprised or asking “Well what about Star Wars or Marvel, they have to be at or close to an average of $1 billion also”. Those are indeed massive franchises with at least one film in each that has made over $2 billion individually, but overall still behind Jurassic in terms of averages. Star Wars has 11 theatrical films that average $937.4 million per film and if you include 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the 12th film, the average drops to $859.8 million. The Marvel Cinematic Universe currently has 23 films that average $982 million. Some other major franchises that are near the top of the list include the Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts films ($923.8 million average), Pirates of the Caribbean ($904.9 million), The Hunger Games ($742.0 million) and (Fast and Furious ($654.9 million).

But there has to be a catch right, is Jurassic REALLY the highest grossing franchise in Hollywood on average? Yes, and well, also no. It is the highest grossing live-action film series per film, but it is not the highest grossing film series per film overall. There is one other franchise that can claim that title: Disney’s animated Frozen films. Currently sitting at two films, the series is averaging a very impressive $1.37 billion per film.

While Jurassic might be the only current $1 billion per film live-action franchise it will be interesting to see if a series like Star Wars or Marvel can ever reach those heights too since they are not that far off. It will also be something to watch if Jurassic can maintain that level with the series adding Jurassic World: Dominion next Summer. If Dominion can earn at least $1 billion itself it will obviously stay in the exclusive $1 billion per film club. Based on past results, the movie going audiences love for new films in the series it is a no-brainer that the new film would reach those heights. However, the wrench in the whole thing is the current world climate with the Covid-19 pandemic and the complete uncertainty of the film landscape going forward. Will the virus be gone, or at least contained enough that normalcy resumes? Will theaters be open at 100% capacity? Will some theaters even fail to re-open after their financial losses, especially in a very big box office market in China? There are a lot of rough waters that a blockbuster like Dominion will have to navigate.

The other thing Jurassic has proven and earned is the right to exist as a franchise. Not everyone loves all the films, and people will always question certain choices by the filmmakers and not everyone will always agree with with the direction the movies take. Like any other film series though, some absolutely love every aspect of it, and there are people that hate everything too. You can’t please everyone and every series will have its positives and negatives. But you can’t deny that there is a global thirst and want for these films. It is a franchise that if a new film is released, people will flock to see it. You might see people on social media or even national movie critics ask things like “Why are they making another?”, “Jurassic is not a franchise”, “It is time to let the series die”, “No one asked for another Jurassic movie”, yet what they fail to realize is that how well these films do, people do want more films and they don’t want the series to end. If you don’t want to watch another Jurassic film, then don’t, no one is forcing you to, but it is still going to have a major turnout, excitement and box office haul.

So what do you think of the Jurassic franchise being the only live-action film franchise to average $1 billion per film globally? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Lost World of ‘Jurassic Park: England’

Posted on by Spencer Bollettieri

It was a digital landscape that sometimes we think time wishes it could forget. Before Facebook or Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr, even before Myspace. It was an age when the internet wasn’t quite in its infancy, but more of an awkward transitional phase, as everyday it seemed new sites, forums and chat rooms came and went.

Today the graveyards of Archive.org are littered with the remnants of this now bygone era and provide a fascinating insight into the Jurassic Park fandom. Full of forgotten fanfics, early rumors of a “Jurassic Park 4” and maybe if you’re lucky some old screencaps and fan art, there is one page in particular that stands out. A place many once heard of and few probably remember, it was only recently that it was rediscovered.

Almost lost forever and forgotten by most, Jurassic Park: England (or “JP:UK” as it was also known) was a website chronicling a labor of love undertaken by British fan Andy Simpson and his quest to create a patch of prehistoric paradise in his own garden. Seemingly inspired by “Jurassic Park: The Ride” and then then recent Jurassic Park III, you can guarantee no expense was spared.

With some reports estimating that Andy spent about £4,000, the attraction included a 20ft. river safari through primeval overgrowth, smoky banks and of course a 15ft. recreation of the infamous “King Kong gates” that loomed over guests in the movie. All of this ending in a home theater where guests could join its creator in a private screening of his favorite films.  “I’ve seen Jurassic Park over 300 times!” Simpson told reporters back in 2001. “I watched the films over and over ’cause each time I’d notice new things to re-create.” he also commented.

 

The attraction itself was by no means easy to build. According to Andy, besides the two years and countless hours needed to construct the massive attraction, it was also required to meet certain standards from the local council in order to entertain guests. Luckily for him however, “Jurassic Park: England” came just short of the required dimensions for some serious urban planning. As, if that wasn’t enough to consider, Simpson had to reach out to Steven Speilberg and Universal themselves for their blessing to use the Jurassic Park name and iconography. With little in his favor and probably as much chance as the cast of Jurassic Park had escaping the jaws of a hungry t-rex, Universal and Speilberg’s company actually reached out to the teenage fan, providing him with everything he needed to properly represent what they created.

Unlike the fictional park, which was only previewed to six selected guests, “Jurassic Park: England” opened to 40 and was met with critical acclaim for such a humble attraction. People gasped with delight as they were towed through the torch lit river and amazed as they came face to face with simulated dangers waiting along the banks. Simpson went on to be featured in countless news outlets including radio, tv, magazines and newspapers. In addition his site showcasing the ride briefly went viral with thanks from an avid community of fans.

 

What happened to “JP:UK?” Well truth be told, nobody really knows.  In a time before social media as we know it today, it was easy for it all to fall into obscurity. The last time anyone heard from Simpson was in 2008 when he last updated his webpage. Perhaps somewhere in a British suburb, in an overgrown garden adorned with plastic skulls are the ancient ruins of this once proud attraction. A real lost world, waiting to be rediscovered, to be explored and maybe even entertain guests once again.

It’s hard to think that anything this huge could be forgotten, but if it’s one thing dinosaurs like the ones in Jurassic Park have to teach us, it’s this: Even the biggest things can be lost to time and reclaimed by the Earth. That’s why it’s important that we make our mark and tell the world who we are. The dreamers, the innovators, the people who do the impossible, keep pushing forward, shine bright and leave your legacy.

This article was written with love and with cooperation from “Big Razzie” and “Jurassic Outpost”.