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!
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 forJurassic 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…
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.
At long last, a Jurassic World game that is not mobile-exclusive or a park builder has arrived! ‘Jurassic World: Aftermath’ is an immersive VR survival adventure game hitting platforms like the recently released Oculus Quest 2, featuring plenty of Dino-action, and compelling storytelling.
Check out the launch trailer below!
We’ve been playing this game the last couple of days, and will have plenty of exciting content hitting our YouTube channel soon – but until then, here are some of the basics you need to know:
‘Jurassic World: Aftermath’ is set 2 years after the events of Jurassic World, prior to events of Fallen Kingdom. You play as Sam, a voiceless protagonist serving as an avatar to the players, who was hired for an illegal asset retrieval mission on Isla Nublar. You were hired by Dr. Mia Everett, an ex Jurassic World geneticist who worked under Dr. Henry Wu. Everett accompanies you to the island and watches your every move via a body camera, all while speaking to and advising you as you explore (think Halo’s Cortana to Master Chief – only if the Chiefs main talent was hacking computers, and hiding in storage lockers).
Dr. Everett’s past with Dr. Wu comes into play throughout the story, as their time working at the park was mired with admiration, tension, and spite. Working on the Velociraptor genetics program together, they eventually butted heads and had a falling out – which could mean life or death on the island as Everett tries to salvage the mysterious operation, and figure out just who she can call for help.
This game is lore rich, with fantastic voice acting by Laura Bailey (Everett), BD Wong (Wu), and Jeff Goldblum (Malcolm). The story has everything to do with Velociraptors, and there is a lot to discover within – including some reveals that may have relevance in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion. There is a lot to unpack there, and we will have more in-depth coverage soon!
The gameplay is focused on navigating the facilities (including the canonically important, and expanded universe favorite Geothermal Power Plant), getting certain system back online to unlock doors, access computers, and try to survive – all while dodging three Velociraptors. If you’re wondering where these new raptors came from, why they look different, and why they behave differently, worry not – the game has compelling answers for all those questions within the story.
This game has zero combat elements: your tool is your wit, using computer systems to distract the raptors as you crawl through vents, take cover behind tables, or hide within lockers all while hacking into computer systems, or looking for items needed to progress. You also have a flashlight, which you can use to spook the occasional Dilophosaurus, which will try ambush you from ventilation openings. All of this leads to exciting ‘raptors in the kitchen’ like moments of cat and mouse tactics, much like Alien Isolation at a smaller scale and budget.
While this games budget is notably smaller, the voice acting is top tier, as is the music. The story is incredibly compelling – and certainly seems to be canon – but shorter, and clearly episodic, with an expansion coming in 2021. The cel shaded visuals looks crisp, though I really can’t help but wonder if a more realistic style would have been better positioned for the VR format. After-all, it’s all about breaking the confines of a screen and bringing that world to life for the player. Thankfully, the gameplay is well polished, and that’s what really matters.
If you have a VR capable device, or are planning to pick something like the Oculus Quest 2 already, this game is not to be missed for Jurassic story fans (Side bar: also pick up Vader Immortal and SuperHot — they really are must-haves for the VR platform. They made me a believer.). If you’re waiting for more information, fair play as well! Be sure to stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost, where we will have in-depth video coverage coming, including a Quest 2 unboxing, lore videos, and a formal review in the days to come!
“I don’t get it. It says InGen on the side of that ride vehicle!”
Universal Orlando Resort released a first look at what park guests will be riding in when the Jurassic World Velocicoaster becomes a reality next year:
The reveal video describes the vehicles as “designed for speed” and “engineered for the hunt”, seemingly comparing them to a predatory velociraptor pursuing its prey.
The ride vehicles are strikingly futuristic and feature sleek proportions, bright lights on the headrests and front areas, and a shiny canvas of that signature ‘Jurassic World’ blue. The iconic Jurassic T. rex skeleton logo and the InGen company logo adorn the side and rear sections of the vehicles.
Gregory Hall, who has been responsible for creative and art direction on the Velocicoaster, shared more official images of the ride vehicles on Twitter shortly after the announcement:
The ride vehicles certainly look to be equipped for top speeds that will excite theme park and Jurassic fans alike. While their design aligns with the bright, modern aesthetic of the Mercedes vehicles and other designs that we have seen in ‘Jurassic World’ and beyond, it is a bit distanced from the established rugged, jungle safari theme found in previous Jurassic rides and attractions.
What do you think of the Jurassic World Velocicoaster ride vehicles? How excited are you for the ride to open next summer? One thing is for sure: we can’t wait to experience the Velocicoaster when it opens to the public Summer 2021.
The people of Singapore will be getting a fun surprise this November as Universal brings a Jurassic World themed restaurant to ION Sky, a popular tourist destination in the capital city. Located 56 floors up in the ION Orchard shopping mall, the dino-centered pop-up will serve premium menu items amongst the backdrop of the Singapore city skyline.
The new diner will feature a variety of Jurassic themed menu offerings, including a Jurassic World Burger, Volcano Curry, and Nasi Lemak. Keep an eye out for some fancy dessert choices too, like Geologic Parfaits and Lava Cookies.
The restaurant also plans to offer more festive themed dishes as we approach the Christmas season. Limited edition merchandise will also be available for purchase, including LEGO sets, keychains, and Snap Squad figures.
The pop-up is a collaboration between Universal Brand Development, 1-Group, ION Orchard, and PARCO – a licensee of the Jurassic World Café. The café opens its doors on November 6, 2020 and will serve hungry customers until January 3, 2021.
It will be open daily from 11am to 10pm, and reservations are highly encouraged. Anybody feeling like taking a trip to Singapore? Gives us your best Jurassic themed food ideas in the comments below!
And while your mouth is watering at the photos above, be sure to also check out Jurassic Park: Chronicle, an Italian short film based on the Jurassic Park saga!
This short is a prequel to the first movie and “blends adventure with mystery, telling the story of Garrison Eriksen, a journalist who’s heard rumors about suspicious activities occurring on an island off the coast of Costa Rica. He arrives at Isla Nublar to investigate and soon regrets it.”
The animated short film is available to watch above, and you can find more information at the official website and on the team’s Facebook page! Let us know in the comments section down below what you think of Jurassic Park: Chronicle!
The long awaited animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous will finally be released tomorrow, September 18th, on Netflix. The new series from Universal Pictures, Amblin and DreamWorks Animation takes viewers to the other side of Isla Nublar during the events of the fourth film Jurassic World.
Join executive producers Colin Trevorrow and Scott Kreamer, consulting producer Zack Stentz, story editor Josie Campbell, and staff writers Sheela Shrivinas, Rick Williams and Bethany Johnson as they take you inside the writers’ room of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.
Make sure to check out our review of the series and hear all our opinions and thoughts. And listen in to our latest podcast where we break the show down episode by episode:
Also please let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Earlier this year we discovered that Universal Pictures had trademarked Jurassic World Aftermath. While we initially thought this could be a revival of the cancelled video game Jurassic World Survivor, today the announcement came for a new VR video game for Oculus Quest.
The game is set two years after the fall of Jurassic World and is set on Isla Nublar. See the description below:
Set two years after the fall of Jurassic World, the suspenseful Jurassic World Aftermath sends you back to Isla Nublar in search of confidential research materials lost in the evacuation. The problem? A crash landing has left you stranded in the rundown ruins of a now-abandoned research facility—and deadly Velociraptors stalk your every move. You’ll have to rely on your wits (and a bit of luck) to escape the island alive in this tense and thrilling adventure from Oculus, Universal Games and Digital Platforms, and Coatsink Games.
And check out the trailer:
While many were eagerly anticipating a triple-A game for major gaming consoles, unfortunately for now only users of the Oculus will be able to play this Jurassic adventure.
Either way, Jurassic World Aftermath looks like it could be a lot of fun, so let us know in the comments section down below if you have an Oculus Quest and if you’ll be playing the game.
With Camp Cretaceous opening in no less than four days time, we take you to the other side of the island and give you a taste of what’s to come on September 18th!
Check out our review of season one below, which contains minor spoilers. If you’re playing it safe, wait until you’ve seen the show in a few days time to watch and read the reviews!
In a recent interview, showrunner Scott Kreamer revealed Steven Spielberg’s thoughts on the show and what he had suggested to the production team.
“When Steven gave the okay for the project, when he gave the final sign-off, his marching orders were, ‘Don’t do the kiddy version. It needs to feel like it’s Jurassic Park. It needs to feel like it’s Jurassic World.’ And we went for it.”
Scott then continued to talk about the show and how they are handling the gritty and realistic aspect that comes with the films, and the reality of humans and dinosaurs being thrown into a situation together.
“In all the films, it’s the kids are the side characters who need to be rescued by Alan Grant, Owen Grady, or an adult. So the whole idea is: Let’s put kids in the center of the story. Let’s cut off adult help. Let’s make them have no one to count on but each other. And really, that’s just the entire impetus for this story, is let’s empower the kids and see what happens.”
The show’s target audience is children and young adults, but that doesn’t mean the show can’t appeal to the older audience too. The Jurassic franchise is long overdue an expanded universe television series or smaller movie – something to fill in the gaps – and Camp Cretaceous intends to appeal to the wider audience too.
“We definitely try to make this something that a parent could enjoy it, too. I think if you have a kid who’s watching this – especially watching it with their parents – it can also open up some really good discussions, I think, and really good communication between the two. And maybe raises issues or questions that wouldn’t normally be talked about.”
With only a few days left until the show begins streaming on Netflix, how excited are you to join these campers in Jurassic World? Let us know in the comments section down below!
LEGO and Red Games have launched new Jurassic World content in the LEGO Brawls mobile game, which is exclusive to the Apple Arcade platform.
This new integration allows players to battle and brawl with their favourite Jurassic World minifigures, which comes in the form of an Isla Nublar inspired level.
Both the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Indominus Rex are additions to the game, allowing players to use dino powerups to crush the competition, and unlock the new Brawls champion, Owen Grady.
There will be Jurassic World minifigs available to players each week, and the more you play the more trophies and new content you earn! Check out the trailer below:
You can access this new game at the Apple App Store. This new LEGO content is yet another Jurassic World LEGO tie-in, with a Nickelodeon Jurassic World mini series debuting September 14th. In case you missed it, check out the first episode which is available to watch now.
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.
