Category: Jurassic World

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!


Live Action Jurassic World Spin-Off Series Are a Very Real Possibility

Posted on by Chris Pugh

In the age of expanding fictional universes across all mediums, the Jurassic World franchise feels underdeveloped. Its lack of comics, books, video-games, and other forms of expanded media leave a appetite for much more, and perhaps even a frustration within much of its core fans. Ok – yes – that complaint does sound funny after Battle at Big Rock made its debut weeks ago, which perhaps is a sign of positive changes to come, but as it stands there is decisive a drought of content.

Given the lack of stories and content (outside of toys) sustaining the films between their 3-year gaps, many assume the thought of spin-off films, or even live action TV seems unrealistic. However, it turns out Colin Trevorrow has a different outlook:

At Collider’s screening of Jurassic World, where Laura Dern surprised the crowd and announced the Jurassic Park trio was returning for Jurassic World 3 in leading roles, a question and answer session was held with Colin Trevorrow. Colin is a writer on all 3 Jurassic World films, plus director of Jurassic World and JW3; Colin also oversees the franchise as a whole in this new evolutionary era. In the above clip, he’s asked about the possibility of Jurassic World spin-off’s not featuring Claire Dearing and Owen Grady, and/or a live-action series, anthology or otherwise.

Colin went on to talk about the various things Jurassic is currently doing, like Camp Cretaceous, an animated series from DreamWorks coming to Netflix next year, before directly stating “If the audience demands [other live action stories], we will provide.”

It’s long been clear that the Jurassic franchise wouldn’t simply go extinct with Jurassic World 3, which is expected to wrap up the Jurassic World trilogy, and greater saga threads started in Jurassic Park. However, it’s never been clear if more films were on the menu – nor if live-action content outside of films were a possibility. Now, it seems that it’s not only possible, it’s very plausible to expect more news on it in the future. This could be a great opportunity to tell different stories within this ever-growing Jurassic world, from different character perspectives, or different time periods entirely.

Further, it provides other artists in the industry a chance to contribute to Jurassic – opening the door for perhaps smaller-scale stories akin to Jurassic Park (which feels dialed back comparatively), fully embracing its Crichton techno-thriller roots. Fans have long asked for Jurassic projects to take inspiration from Alex Garlands work on Ex Machina, John Krasinski’s work on A Quiet Place, and Lisa Joy’s work on HBO’s Westworld. The possibilities are truly endless, as is the pool of talent to help bring the dinosaurs to life.

Personally, I’ve always wanted to see more from Jurassic World as an open park, and I think an anthology series documenting the day in the life of various employees over its 10 years of operation would be the perfect way to explore it. While guests may have avoided major incident prior to the Indominus Rex, it’s likely the staff have long been chasing dinosaurs, and been chased in return — offering fun adventures and thrills to explore, all while fleshing out the inevitable captivating scientific breakthroughs, and shady happenings behind closed doors.

Whatever the future holds, one thing is for certain: it’s a good time to be a Jurassic fan.

Do you think a live action Jurassic TV series may be on the horizon, and if so, what would you like to see? Sound off in the comments below, and let us know!


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

Posted on by Corey Anderson

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: The Empire Film Podcast

Huge Assortment of Mattel’s 2020 Jurassic World Primal Attack Toys Revealed!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

Last we promised more toy news is coming – we didn’t forget about that promise, only Battle at Big Rock threw our plans into the wind. Now that things have slowed down, we and Collect Jurassic didn’t want to keep the fans waiting any longer. Forget SDCC or New York Toy Fair reveals – we were able to get a HUGE assortment of images of Mattel’s upcoming ‘Primal Attack’ toy line, in which some are expected to ship as soon as November of this year!

Check out the images and reveals below!

Control N Conquer Carnotaurus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Control and Conquer Carnotaurus! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement and attack activation with this larger-size dinosaur action figure! Get total control of your Carnotaurus by tilting the tail up to make its head move; tail activation also makes the waist move and makes the figure twist sideways. Lift the tail up and the Carnotaurus ROARS—watch out! You can also control the roar with the button on the back of the tail. It’s awesome animated total control with roaring sound effects that kids will love!

Suspected MSRP of $29.99

Massive Biters Tarbosaurus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Total Control™ Assortment! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement and attack activation! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure

Pre-order now – $19.99

Massive Biters Sarcosuchus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Massive Biters Sarcosuchus! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement and attack activation! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure. Collect them all!

Pre-order now – $19.99

Sound Strike Cryolophosaurus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Sound Strike™ Assortment! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement, attack activation and sound! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Any of the movements activate realistic sounds for the total control dinosaur battle experience! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure.

Pre0rder now Cryolophosaurus $14.99

Sound Strike Edmontosaurus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Sound Strike™ Assortment! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement, attack activation and sound! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Any of the movements activate realistic sounds for the total control dinosaur battle experience! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure.

Pre-order now – $14.99

Sound Strike Triceratops

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Sound Strike™ Assortment! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement, attack activation and sound! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Any of the movements activate realistic sounds for the total control dinosaur battle experience! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure.

Pre-order now – $14.99

Sound Strike Pteranodon

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the Sound Strike™ Assortment! Kids can control the carnage like never before with realistic movement, attack activation and sound! Get total control of your dinosaur action figure and battle it out by moving the tail on the dinosaur action figure to make it move side to side for a strike or move the tail from side to side to get an awesome CHOMP! Any of the movements activate realistic sounds for the total control dinosaur battle experience! Activations vary per dinosaur action figure.

Pre-order now – $14.99

Savage Strike Postosuchus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the ultimate in dinosaur rivalry and battle action! These smaller-size dinosaur action figures capture the ultimate movie action with their Savage Strike attack moves iconic to their respective species. Play out movie action scenes with Savage Strike attack moves like biting, head ramming, wing flapping and more. Just press a designated area on the dinosaur action figure to make it move (each dinosaur activation varies). Figures also include articulated arms and legs, realistic sculpting and authentic decoration. Get ready to battle it out—Savage Strike style—with these fierce action figures! Each sold separately, subject to availability.

Pre-order now – $9.99

Savage Strike Sauropelta

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the ultimate in dinosaur rivalry and battle action! These smaller-size dinosaur action figures capture the ultimate movie action with their Savage Strike attack moves iconic to their respective species. Play out movie action scenes with Savage Strike attack moves like biting, head ramming, wing flapping and more. Just press a designated area on the dinosaur action figure to make it move (each dinosaur activation varies). Figures also include articulated arms and legs, realistic sculpting and authentic decoration. Get ready to battle it out—Savage Strike style—with these fierce action figures! Each sold separately, subject to availability.

Pre-order now – $9.99

Savage Strike Velociraptor

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the ultimate in dinosaur rivalry and battle action! These smaller-size dinosaur action figures capture the ultimate movie action with their Savage Strike attack moves iconic to their respective species. Play out movie action scenes with Savage Strike attack moves like biting, head ramming, wing flapping and more. Just press a designated area on the dinosaur action figure to make it move (each dinosaur activation varies). Figures also include articulated arms and legs, realistic sculpting and authentic decoration. Get ready to battle it out—Savage Strike style—with these fierce action figures! Each sold separately, subject to availability.

Velociraptor – $9.99

Savage Strike Pachycephlosaurus

Be a part of the Jurassic World adventure with the ultimate in dinosaur rivalry and battle action! These smaller-size dinosaur action figures capture the ultimate movie action with their Savage Strike attack moves iconic to their respective species. Play out movie action scenes with Savage Strike attack moves like biting, head ramming, wing flapping and more. Just press a designated area on the dinosaur action figure to make it move (each dinosaur activation varies). Figures also include articulated arms and legs, realistic sculpting and authentic decoration. Get ready to battle it out—Savage Strike style—with these fierce action figures! Each sold separately, subject to availability.

Pre-order now – $9.99

Primal Attack ‘Attack Pack’ Assortment

These are small basic dinosaurs that run at a MSRP of $7.99. In the assortment image we see a green Dracorex repaint, red Rhamphorhynchus, red Minmi, plus repacks of the Herrerasaurus and Protoceratops (perhaps subject to change). Most excitingly we have two brand new species who’s names we’re unsure of, though we have guesses. There’s the blue Iguanadon-like dinosaur we believe to do Callovosaurus, and the slender brown dinosaur we think may be Ornitholestes.

Primal Attack ‘Battle Damage’ Assortment

Similar to the Savage Strike assortment, these are smaller but more deluxe dinosaurs that are exclusive to Walmart in the United States. As the name suggests and you no doubt know, they feature slide away dino-damage play features. In the assortment we see a yellow Triceratops repaint, grey Velociraptor repaint, and Stygimoloch re-release. The stand out is brand new green carnivorous dinosaur who’s species I’m uncertain on.

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Following those more involved core lineup reveals, we also have a few looks from the other parts of the Mattel Jurassic World toy line, including mini’s, role play, and more!

Mini Blind Bag Dinos

Basic Budget 6 inch Assortment

Basic Budget 12 inch Assortment

Basic masks

Snap Squad Assortment

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Phew – that’s a lot of toys! That wraps up our reveals for the upcoming Mattel Jurassic World toys for now, though we do expect more information, pictures, and even species to hit in the future as we get closer to release. We’re unsure on the ID of some of the toys, but it’s even possible some of these new dinosaur designs are straight from the upcoming Dreamworks series Camp Cretaceous, which Mattel confirmed will be part of the line up.

Let us know which of these toys are your favorite in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for the latest news!


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

Posted on by Corey Anderson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Collider


Jurassic World Short Film ‘Battle at Big Rock’ Debuting this Sunday on FX!

Posted on by Chris Pugh

It’s finally official. Jurassic World Battle at Big Rock, the mysterious project with toys on shelves since May of this year, has been announced — and it’s releasing in 5 days!

Director Colin Trevorrow took to Twitter moments ago to reveal its poster, cast, debut date and more:

The short takes place one year after the events of the last film in Big Rock National Park, where dinosaurs are now living in our world. The story follows a family of four whose encounter with these wild animals becomes a terrifying fight for survival. No word on the debut time, but we know it debuts on FX, which will begin airing Jurassic World around 7:20pm EST – so watch that time slot.

Big Rock will debut online immediately after airing on TV.

The cast of Battle at Big Rock

‘Big Rock’ was written by Emily Carmichael and directed by Colin Trevorrow, with Larry Fong as the cinematographer. The short follows an all new cast consisting of André Holland (Moonlight), Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome), Melody Hurd (Fatherhood) and Pierson Salvador. Music is by Jurassic newcomer Amie Doherty.

Stay tuned for more Big Rock coverage in the coming days – and as always, sound off in the comments below and let us know what you’re most excited to see in the new Jurassic spin-off!


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)

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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!


‘Battle at Big Rock’ Nasutoceratops Added to Jurassic World Evolution!

Posted on by Jurassic Outpost

Jurassic World Evolution has received free update 1.9 today, which enacts various bug fixes and adds an exciting new dinosaur to the game: the Battle at Big Rock Nasutoceratops! Evolution provides the best look yet at the brand new Ceratopsians design, which is the perfect mix of rugged and majestic.

Check out the trailer below!

This can be added to the long list of Battle at Big Rock tie-ins which have been released without the short film being acknowledged. This list includes a retracted update to Jurassic World Alive, Mattel toys being released in May of this year, and Takara Tomy toys being released recently. It’c clear Big Rock is meant to be a big deal with all the tie-ins, however the silence about the project itself remains deafening.

While the trailer doesn’t mention the short film, upon installing the update and booting up the game you’re met with this message (courtesy of Twitter user Ikkviper):

Does this mean Battle at Big Rock will be announced and released soon? We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but are not holding our breath. Something is going on behind the scenes, and while we hope it’s good news, Jurassic has long been plagued by mysterious cancellations that have us all a little wary.

As of this time, the redesigned Allosaurus from Big Rock (which had an animatronic made by Legacy Effects for the short) has not been added to the game. It’s unclear if Frontier plans to add it to the game, or keep their older Allosaurus design, which was also different from Fallen Kingdom.

Are you a fan of the Nasutoceratops design, and do you think Big Rock will be released soon? Sound off in the comments below and let us know your thoughts!