The day has finally arrived, and a new era is born: The title of the next Jurassic film has been officially announced as Jurassic World: Rebirth! A new official logo was also released along with two new images and more information about the story and cast. Read on for more:
The film will be set five years following the events of “Jurassic World Dominion,” when “the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs,” according to the official synopsis.
Jurassic World: Rebirth will be the fourth Jurassic World film and the seventh Jurassic Park film. Its first logo reveal features a somewhat metallic aquamarine and gold Jurassic World logo with the subtitle Rebirth. A sunrise shines through to illuminate it, echoing the sunset at the end of Jurassic World: Dominion.
Two new images from the film (above) were released alongside a new synopsis and character details (below). The images are gorgeous and, I must say, very Jurassic. They showcase our first look at Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey in a jungle or what appears to be long grass, as well as our first look at Mahershala Ali in the darkness holding a flare, looking up and screaming at… something big. Behind him is a post with a sign affixed to it that says “Await rescue craft here.” Could this be on a dock or near something marine? A version of the InGen logo can also be seen on the sign. Are we on Isla Sorna or one of the five deaths? Or somewhere new?
A new era is born.
Next summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.
Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, breakthrough talent Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Maheshala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an intrepid team racing to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air.
Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs.
When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.
Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team leader; Emmy nominee and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.
The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David lacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).
Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of this summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer.
The new synopsis and character details present some intriguing possibilities for the world and future of Jurassic. Five years after Dominion, what is going on in the world and with the dinosaurs? What locations will this story be taking us to, and what will the “sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades” be? Check out our latest video in which we broke all of this down in detail:
Are you excited for Jurassic World: Rebirth? What do you think of the logo, images, and new plot details? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost!
It’s a long road we have to drive on before we reach the release day of ‘Jurassic World 4.’ While filming has begun, there are mostly just rumors floating around. Anyone else a little tired of those? Perhaps during this time we should check out other dinosaur-related content. Well, I’ve got a new novel for you that may pique your interest: ‘Mara Brown: White Death!’
Synopsis:Just off of the Florida’s Atlantic coast lies Egret Island; the one place on earth where humans and dinosaurs live side-by-side. However, when something not entirely human nor dinosaur begins stalking the island by night, Mara Brown is the only one able to stand up and fight back. Becoming the vigilante known as the White Death, Mara sets out to defend her home and determine the origins of these mysterious new predators.
It features original vibrant artwork that was wonderfully illustrated by Arturo Garcia!
Author Billy Reed is “[…] a lifelong fan of dinosaurs, video games, and movies. He has a passion for mental health awareness and believes that everyone should spend their time doing the things that make them feel happy and fulfilled. His literary works serve as a love letter to the media he grew up with such as the creature feature movies and the action-heavy cartoons of the 90s and 2000s.”
Billy spoke exclusively to Jurassic Outpost about his passionate inspiration and process for creating his novel:
[I was inspired by] my lifelong love of dinosaurs and paleo media in general. I really wanted to write a story with dinosaurs unlike anything that had been done before. In 2018 when ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ came out, I really started thinking of stories where people and dinosaurs coexist. I found that concept really fascinating. Like what if a Parasaurolophus was no different from a deer crossing the road. Over the next year, I kept coming up with new story elements for this setting. I started adding elements from other media I grew up with like a wise-cracking protagonist with an indomitable spirit, a shady mega corporation, and other ideas for unique monsters that the dinosaurs of this world could interact with.
My FIRST draft of the story was made in 2019 and never saw the light of day. It was drastically different from what the story eventually became. It was a lot more of a mystery type story than the sci-fi action story I would eventually make. Then in 2020 when the pandemic hit, I decided to revamp it and make it into a novel trilogy. This idea lasted until around mid-2022. At that point I wrote two novels that I put out on Amazon but was kind of burnt out on that setting. I also felt like I had improved a lot as a writer and had a lot of things about the story I wanted to change. The last thing I did for that continuity was a comic that was beautifully illustrated by Emily Stepp. You can find that one on my Instagram in its entirety.
In 2022 I decided I would entirely redo the story and make it just one book this time. This would be the definitive version of the story and I decided in advance I would give myself as much time to work on it as I needed. And after two consecutive years of work, we have the novel you can find on Amazon today!
The publishing process [wasn’t] too hard since I opted for Amazon’s self-publishing. It’s a free to use service that Amazon offers which is very user friendly and easy to figure out. I genuinely love that they provide anyone with a platform to get their stories out there.
‘Mara Brown: White Death’ is now available in paperback and eBook/Kindle formats through Amazon! It sounds like a fun and intriguing story in a dinosaur world that many fans of the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise can feel right at home in, especially during this time before ‘Jurassic World 4’ arrives.
Do you plan to check out ‘Mara Brown: White Death?’ Are there other dinosaur-related novels you are reading in anticipation of more official ‘Jurassic Park’ content? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest.
You may remember back in 2017 we shared a chapter from a new novel by Jurassic fan Ethan Pettus. The novel is an exhilarating and terrifying adventure that’s truly worthy of your time.
The series has grown since then and now has a number of books along with a comic adaptation. Not only that, a movie adaptation is now in development and set to begin filming soon in the Gold Coast of Australia.
Today, Deadline revealed the cast list which includes Jeremy Piven in a leading role. See below:
Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Old School), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer), SAG Award Nominee Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Glorious) and Nick Wechsler (The Boys, Revenge) are set to headline Primitive War, Luke Sparke’s sci-fi horror adaptation of Ethan Pettus’ sci-fi military book series.
The film also includes actors Anthony Ingruber (Age of Adaline, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Aaron Glenane (Interceptor, Danger Close), Carlos Sanson Jr (Bump, Legacies), Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2), Adolphus Waylee (Nautilus), Richard Brancatisano (The Messenger, After Verdict), Marcus Johnson (Talk to Me, Bring Him to Me) and Jake Ryan (Savage, Underbelly).
Primitive War follows an elite recon unit known as the Vulture Squad. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War they are sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. They soon discover they are not alone. Dinosaurs have been let loose in the jungles.
Sparke (Occupation Rainfall, Bring Him To Me) will direct from his own script. He will produce under his Sparke Films banner, alongside producers Carmel Imrie, Carly Sparke, executive producers Geoff Imrie, and co-producer Alex Becconsall. Wade Muller (Occupation Rainfall) will serve as director of photography. Primitive War blends action with survival-horror and war themes, as Sparke promises “This ain’t no walk in the park”.
“I was captivated by the imagery surrounding Ethan’s book and the story it told. I’ve worked hard on capturing that essence but also the grittiness, horror aspects and military edge. My vision is to feel like the characters have walked out of the film Platoon and into the jaws of the greatest predators the planet has ever known,” said Sparke during pre-production. Pettus enthused: “I’m thrilled to see Luke’s interpretation of my work. I know his team is giving this project everything they’ve got.”
Principal photography is slated to begin soon on the Gold Coast of Australia, employing over 200 local crew members.
The director of the movie adaptation Luke Sparke has previously worked with Sam Neill on his movie Bring Him To Me, has explored creature-horrors with Devil Beneath, and has tackled ‘war’ in Occupation: Rainfall. Hopefully he can deliver on the same level of horror that’s depicted in the novel.
Have you read Primitive War, or have you seen any of Luke Sparke’s movies? You can check out the original novel by heading to this link and be sure to check out the series website for more of the expanding world of The Primitive War.
Last year, ‘Jurassic Park’ fans were gifted with the “Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History” book from Insight Editions. While it may not have entirely lived up to what die-hard fans were hoping for, it was overall a great summation of the behind-the-scenes stories for the original ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy. The entire book was also illustrated with loads of pre-production artwork & rare photographs from all three films, making it a beautiful (but deadly?) addition to any fan’s collection. They also produced a very cool cookbook & children’s book that are also worth checking out.
Celebrate one of the most thrilling franchises of all time with this in-depth look at the making of the Jurassic World trilogy. Following the release of director Colin Trevorrow’s smash hit Jurassic World in 2015, the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar once again dominate the public imagination. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History is the definitive account of the franchise – and a companion book to Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History (released in 2021) – delivering a comprehensive look at the making of the first hit film as well as its thrilling sequels Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Through rare and never-before-seen imagery and exclusive interviews with key creatives, the deluxe volume explores the entire creative process, from the films’ stunning dinosaur designs to the epic location shoots and the creation of the films’ incredible visual effects.
The book also includes sections on the DreamWorks Animation animated series ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’, various games, toys, theme park attractions, and even the short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’. This is the first time any of the ‘Jurassic World’ films have received a behind-the-scenes book, which already makes it vital for this reason alone. But is it truly a “definitive account of the franchise” for this trilogy of films, or is it met with some the same (perhaps nitpicky) issues found in the previous book? Let’s have a look!
WHAT’S GOOD?
VISUAL & WRITING STYLE
Just like in the previous ‘Jurassic Park’ version, this book is visually pleasing. It’s filled with as much colorful artwork and photographs as possible. The text is neatly placed within it all, and nothing ever feels too crammed or out of place. The previous book had more going on with the borders around each page, whereas this ‘Jurassic World’ version has a more barren approach. It simply features gray tabs on the sides with gray/amber-tinged headlines for each new section. This simpler approach feels appropriate with the sleeker look of the films themselves, particularly the first ‘Jurassic World’ and its park’s design.
The writing itself is clear and precise, which is vital in stitching together different information from different sources. James Mottram, who also penned the previous book, weaves the information into a distinct fabric to tell its story.
EXCLUSIVE INTROS/OUTROS
This book includes a foreword by Bryce Dallas Howard (“Claire Dearing” in the trilogy), introduction by Colin Trevorrow (director of ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, writer of the trilogy), preface by J.A. Bayona (director of ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’), & an afterword by Frank Marshall (producer of the trilogy). Mysteriously absent from this list is Chris Pratt, but I suppose he is too busy voicing Mario these days. These exclusive passages are great bookends for the entire presentation, with each person adding their own personal tribute. They even reveal fun information, like J.A. Bayona as he details Michael Giacchino‘s fantastic music score for ‘Fallen Kingdom’:
One of my most cherished memories from making Fallen Kingdom was working with composer Michael Giacchino. We spent hours talking about film music and listening to soundtracks. There was one specific piece of music we paid attention to: Bernard Herrmann’s work for Mysterious Island (Cy Endfield, 1962). Our common goal while venturing into the musical tapestry of our movie was expressing our love for this kind of film. When I listen to Michael’s music for Fallen Kingdom, I sense our mutual desire to travel back in time and bring back the same unparalleled fascination and heartwarming happiness that those movies gave us.
FANTASTIC COLLECTION OF IMAGES
While many of the book’s images have been revealed online over the years by various concept artists who worked on the films, it is still great to have them all cobbled together in one book as the trilogy’s history is told. Even better, there are some art and photographs that have never been seen before! Here is just a tease of what to expect!
NEW & OBSCURE INFORMATION
Making a book like this requires many sources for quotes, stories, and other information. Website articles, television interviews, Blu-Ray bonus features; everything was sifted through to collect the data. While some, maybe even a lot, of the details could be considered “old news” to people deeply invested in this trilogy’s history, it is all well-arranged while even including new details sprinkled throughout. [NOTE: I will be honest and admit I am not as familiar with the history of the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy as I am with the ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy, so forgive me if any of this is not truly “new”.]
For ‘Jurassic World’, some of these fun new details include Derek Connolly never having seen a ‘Jurassic Park’ movie before when he was tasked with co-writing the script with Colin Trevorrow; production designer Ed Verreaux had sent his art department team to the Universal Studios theme park in Hollywood to photograph everything (including signage) to see what they wanted their fictional park to resemble; and concept artist David Lowery came up with an unused idea for a “Pteranodon Terrace” where guests traveled in glass gondolas hanging from a huge cable that stretched across a vast expanse of jungle (and included “food Frisbees” that would be shot out of the gondolas and snapped up midair by the flying reptiles.). However, one of the most exciting new details for me was a little more about the script written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver right before Trevorrow & Connolly were brought in to pen their draft.
Spielberg also wanted to revisit the idea of a hero character capable of training and commanding dinosaurs. These ideas manifested in the character Vance who, in the Jaffa/Silver draft’s opening scene, is seen jumping out of a helicopter with a pack of trained raptors and landing in a compound belonging to a Colombian drug dealer. Although [John] Sayles used the bipedal Deinonychus in his draft, Spielberg felt that the physically similar Velociraptors, first seen in Jurassic Park, would be a better fit for the role. The story also focused on a Chinese paleontologist who visits the now-open Jurassic Park with her sons. The scientist has a secret agenda, believing that the park’s owners have stolen DNA from bones she unearthed of a previously undiscovered dinosaur—the Malusaurus. The corporate side of the park is run by Whitney, a female manager who views the dinosaurs as commodities and nothing more. Inevitably, the Malusaurus created using the stolen DNA escapes from its enclosure, and Vance must use his raptors to hunt it down.
‘Fallen Kingdom’ includes interesting tidbits, such as Benjamin Lockwood originally having very little connection to John Hammond and the past of ‘Jurassic Park’; in its original draft they went from Isla Nublar to England where a small village gets destroyed by dinosaurs (until Steven Spielberg told them there was no credible way to make that journey happen); and the film’s fantastic opening sequence was originally just over a single page in the script, with Bayona fleshing it out further with an extended climax on the helicopter ladder while also adding Jurassic staples (like the pouring rain and the yellow raincoat worn by the tech that resembles Nedry’s apparel from Jurassic Park). The film’s title itself (along with the next film’s) proves to also have its own unique history:
“I wanted to call [the first film] Jurassic World. And the second one was Jurassic Earth, and then the third Jurassic Kingdom. The studio was like, ‘You can’t keep changing the title of the movie. You already did it once.’” Taking Universal’s feedback into consideration, Trevorrow decided to combine the overall franchise name with a subtitle, taking the word kingdom from his proposed third film and adding it to fallen, suggesting the decline of the dinosaurs’ domain.
Even the small section on the short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’ gets a nice detail on its inspiration: a YouTube video titled “Battle at Kruger“, in which tourists witness a water buffalo being attacked by lions and an alligator.
The section on ‘Dominion’ reveals that a scene featuring Daniella Pineda (Zia Rodriguez) had to be recast with another actor, Varada Sethu, when COVID restrictions kept her from being able to leave another production she was on; production designer Kevin Jenkins ensured that the equipment seen in BioSyn’s abandoned amber mines displayed 1990s-style Biosyn logos, a detail reminiscent of the old rivalry between the company and InGen (although I suppose footage containing it must have been cut, because I can’t seem to spot it in either version of the film); and animatronic creature effects artist John Nolan took inspiration from Frontier Developments’ 2018 video game ‘Jurassic World: Evolution’to get a better sense of the Dilophosaurus’s locomotion for the film. In fact, Nolan’s team had created a device that would allow the animatronic version of the dinosaur to travel on a dolly track with eleven puppeteers following behind it using levers, rods, and cable controls to create the dinosaur’s walk. However, Trevorrow was not happy with the result. But perhaps one of the biggest pieces of interesting information involved our favorite clone girl, Maisie.
When it came to casting the role of Maisie’s mother, Charlotte Lockwood, Trevorrow considered using digital tools to graft Isabella Sermon’s face onto a body double and age her features appropriately. However, during a casting section for the body doubles, he made a remarkable find. “I had been given a set of faces whose bone structure was similar enough to Isabella Sermon’s,” says Trevorrow. Among those faces was Irish-born Elva Trill. As Trill began reciting lines with the director, he quickly came to realize that she would be perfect as Charlotte and abandoned the digital augmentation idea. “I’ve never seen an actor come in and just grab a role by being so good,” says Trevorrow.
The section near the end of the book that details ‘Camp Cretaceous’ scored some of its own interesting details, such as the showrunner’s original plan to feature Owen Grady and Claire Dearing; there was an early version of the story where Ben doesn’t survive past Season 1; and most interestingly how the originally intended final shot of the film trilogy was instead used as the final shot for this series:
Camp Cretaceous also brought Trevorrow full circle, back to his early meetings with Steven Spielberg when he pitched the arc of the Jurassic World franchise, which would ultimately lead to dinosaurs entering our everyday lives. Specifically, the image of a child looking out his window on a suburban street and seeing a traffic jam caused by a Brachiosaurus at an intersection. “We actually ended up making that the very last shot of the entire [Camp Cretaceous] series,” says Trevorrow. “After nine years, that idea found its way back into the story.”
THE INSERTS
As usual with Insight Edition’s Visual History books, there are numerous “inserts” on certain pages that feature unique items. While some are still applied with an adhesive per the previous book, many of the inserts this time are more technically “part of the book” and not meant to be removed entirely. Some are just meant to be unfolded beyond the confines of the book’s dimensions, while a few are even in the form of actual booklets to flip through. The only real negative is that it is focused more on the first film than the rest. Here is a complete list of what you will find:
From ‘Jurassic World’: Poster art advertises Jurassic World’s Gyrosphere ride; Storyboards by David Lowery from an early iteration of Jurassic World’s evolving storyline; A map of Isla Nublar showing the island’s topography and the location of Jurassic World; Dr. Wu’s Jurassic World security pass; Concept art by Glen McIntosh for Jurassic World’s petting zoo; The sketches that Steven Spielberg drew for Colin Trevorrow to illustrate his feedback on the Indominus rex breakout sequence; A tourist map of Jurassic World highlights the theme park’s attractions; & Storyboards by Glen McIntosh for the scene in which the raptors pursue a pig in the Raptor Research Arena.
From ‘Fallen Kingdom’: Raptor movement study by Glen McIntosh; A sticker sheet featuring production design art created for the Dinosaur Protection Group; & Production design art for the jacket of Dr. Ian Malcolm’s book, God Creates Dinosaurs (not actual size).
From ‘Battle At Big Rock’: Concept Art Booklet.
From ‘Dominion’: Storyboards by Glen McIntosh for Jurassic World Dominion’s prologue scene & Malta Concept Art Booklet.
From ‘Camp Cretaceous’: Concept Art Booklet.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?
A fan wouldn’t be a fan without needing to nitpick, right? (Don’t answer that.) Despite being mostly pleased with this book, there are still a few areas that could have been improved upon (perhaps in a revised edition, which Insight Editions have done before).
WHAT ABOUT ‘JURASSIC PARK 4’?
The opening of the book does briefly go into ‘Jurassic Park 4’ (the obvious working title before it eventually was named ‘Jurassic World’), mostly delving into some details on the John Sayles script and then eventually a little more about Jaffa/Silver’s script before Trevorrow/Connolly did their own version. But what about the rest? There were numerous versions of the film, by other writers, that were tackled in the 14 years between ‘Jurassic Park 3’ and ‘Jurassic World’. Given that it was such a long range of time where the studio kept throwing ideas around to try to make things happen, most of it shrouded in secrecy, this had been one of my most anticipated sections. Instead, it was only a few pages, and generalized.
Also, while they mention the dinosaur/human hybrids, it’s a shame that none of the wild concept art (that has been online for many years) was included at all. Perhaps they couldn’t get the rights to feature them?
Speaking of art from this period: where was John Bell‘s art? Last year’s book featured loads of art by Bell for the original trilogy, plus a tease of two pieces of artwork he did for ‘Jurassic Park 4’. And yet, this book didn’t feature any of it. This is another case where the art has been online for years, on Bell’s very own site. And there is some fantastic stuff, including his concepts for gyrospheres and even a version of the park’s map that perhaps coincided with the Jaffa/Silver script. This book even mentions Bell in the “special thanks” section, making the exclusions even more mystifying.
OTHER OMISSIONS
Look, I get it: this book can’t be 1,000 pages long like all of us die-hard fans would like it to be. Putting the complex histories of three massive films into one book is a huge undertaking (just like it was in the previous book). Still, there were some things I wish had been mentioned or visually included in this book. Because when and where else would it be, apart from random online articles & videos that eventually get buried with the rest? Perhaps that’s why some of these details were possibly missed to begin with?
Seamus Blackley, the creator of the XBOX and the ‘Lost World’-related game ‘Trespasser‘, had pitched a video game that he titled ‘Jurassic World’ (before anyone else); which would later inspire several ideas for the new film trilogy. None of this important revelation is mentioned at all (although to be fair it wasn’t publicly known until very recently). Also for ‘Jurassic World’, there is no mention of the “Stegoceratops“: a second hybrid dinosaur that was originally planned to be in the film, and even had a toy made for it!
The previous book had spent a lot more time detailing most of the different scripts for the films. This book does this at times but to a lesser degree. While it was nice to learn a little more about the Jaffa/Silver script for example, it still just grazed the surface. And since this script can’t be found anywhere online currently, a more detailed summary would have been amazing. For example, was the concept art that was shown in one of the Blu-Ray bonus features (and not in this book) of the Indominus attacking a robotic T-Rex coming out of a waterfall (ala ‘Jurassic Park: The Ride’) something from this script?
MORE LOVE FOR THE SEQUELS
This is another reoccurring issue, but it just feels like more focus is given to the first film of the trilogy (despite me just complaining I wanted more from it!) with less invested in the sequels; ‘Fallen Kingdom’ and ‘Dominion’. More details about their different scripts, more inserts related to them (A pull-out Hammond painting from ‘Fallen Kingdom’ would have been awesome!), or even the mention of certain deleted scenes we know were filmed thanks to still images (that aren’t in this book): such as Iris’s death from the Indoraptor & a dead/decayed Stegosaur that Owen and his team come across as they search for Blue on Nublar.
According to more “hush-hush” behind-the-scenes stories, we also know that ‘Fallen Kingdom’ was going to originally involve Isla Sorna, a ‘Gene Ship’ for Wu’s experiments, and more of Ian Malcolm. He was going to try and sabotage the rescue mission on the Arcadia! ‘Dominion’ was originally going to be two films that would have been filmed at the same time. But again, none of these details are brought up.
In an ideal world, each film in the series would have gotten its own book. This would have allowed much more breathing room to fully explore all these things, and more. Perhaps that is just not economically feasible anymore, even for a big franchise? Especially when, let’s be honest, the sequels in each trilogy are not as popular or well-regarded as their first entries. While a slew of die-hard fans would have clamored for a ‘Fallen Kingdom’ making-of book, for example, is it really something that would sell well? Especially now? Sometimes these sorts of “package deals” are the only way to at least get what we are able to.
SO, SHOULD I GET IT?
I think‘Jurassic World’ fans shouldabsolutely get this book. My complaints, as you’ve read, only really dwell with what isn’t in it. While the omissions are disappointing, it isn’t so egregious that it takes away from what is included. There’s a wealth of information, concept art, photographs, and nice inserts (the “concept art booklets” being my favorite) that are all woven together wonderfully. In most ways it improves upon their ‘Jurassic Park’ book, and in retrospect I may have originally been a little too critical on it. But if being a little harsh helped make this book better, well, that’s why I still felt the need to point some things out this time, too.
What I didn’t expect to feel while reading and looking through this book was how much nostalgia it gave me. The first film in this trilogy is nearly a decade old, and it’s crazy how time flies. Books like Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History help preserve these films beyond the screen, along with all our memories that come with them.
The feelings we had in anticipation for these films, the news as details were revealed, the organized screenings every time they came out, and the events we attended where other people obsessed with this series finally felt like they belonged. Friendships made, perhaps even hearts broken, or miraculously the bond of marriage formed. We all have our stories. And when you go through these pages, I can almost guarantee that at least one image, maybe something obscure not literally in the film that you would never expect to elicit an emotion, reminds you of a time that once was. And you remember your place in that time, and perhaps realize just how different you are now; or the same.
This trilogy, and our time in it, is over. But like everything in nature, it will evolve. And so will you.
What are some of your favorite memories related to the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy? Did you go to a fun event, see any of the films with someone you loved, or make new friends because of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and may the joy you have for these films never go away!
ADDENDUM: In celebration of the release of “Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History”, Insight Editions presents author James Mottram in conversation with Jurassic World Animation Director/Paleoartist Glen McIntosh. Discussion moderated by Derrick Davis, Writer at Jurassic Outpost & Creator of Jurassic Time! Intro/Outro by Insight Edition’s Marketing & Publicity Strategist Amanda Hariri. Live Book Release Event via Crowdcast (10/25/22).
Insight Editions has two new Jurassic World-related books on the horizon that fans of the franchise will certainly be hungry for!
The first book will salivate anyone who likes to cook up new dinosaurs— I mean food— in their labs! ‘Jurassic World: The Official Cookbook‘ (available on April 19th) has every recipe you need to avert disaster in the kitchen and the park!
“Designed to look like an in-world souvenir sold at the park, this colorful cookbook features approachable at-home recipes for treats and dishes that celebrate the different regions of the iconic park and the miraculous dinosaurs that live there. Cook up some Fossilized Flora Pastry Puffs from the Triceratops territory or enjoy a Raptor’s Claw Scone from the Junior Paleontologist’s Menu. Nosh on some Shrimp à La Isla Nublar, inspired by the Mosasaurus Feeding Show in the Jurassic World Lagoon. And for those whose appetites run to the truly gargantuan, try the King of Steaks, a massive grilled sensation worthy of T. rex herself – be sure to bring your whole appetite for this one!”
I should stress that there are also drinks in this book… alcoholic ones! Hey, scientists need a break too, okay? Especially if you got a date later in the evening. Don’t forget your boardshorts!
The book’s souvenir-like design makes for such a cool item to have on display even when you aren’t cooking up anything more than an Indominus! Apart from the recipes, the book features numerous dinosaur facts, data about the park, and plenty of dinosaurs and other imagery from Jurassic World.
Each of the recipes feature easy-to-follow instructions, gorgeous photo representations, and—you know what? Let’s make some grub right now! What could go wrong?
Let’s start with the main course: “The Ultimate Carnivore Burger”!
“Jurassic World is home to some of the most magnificent carnivores on Earth . . . and one of the most magnificent burgers. Named for our majestic meat eaters, our Mediterranean-inspired Ultimate Carnivore’s Burger, served daily throughout T. Rex Kingdom, features not one meat, but three, so guests can enjoy the maximum carnivore experience.”
Every main course needs a sidekick! For that, we have the “Root Vegetable Chips”!
“The baked chips served at Jurassic World are created from root vegetables such as carrots, yams, beets, and turnips. They offer a healthier and more flavorful alternative to fried potato chips and are a popular, energizing snack or side for many park visitors.”
With all this food, we’re going to need a watering hole to quench our thirst. Wait, I did mention alcoholic beverages earlier! No need to push aside a Pachycephalosaurus for the last of the water, now! (They’d headbutt right back, anyway!) There are a number of drinks to choose from in the book, and while this particular recipe is an asset in containment, I made myself a “Jurassic Sunset”!
Overall, it was a delightful dinner worthy of a night at Nublar!
Now, let’s see what’s next! The second new book from Insight Editions (available on May 3rd) is a little one for the little ones called ‘Jurassic World: The Very Hungry Dinosaur’!
“Follow the adventures of Jurassic World’s dinos as they eat their way across the island. The story begins with a very hungry herbivore gleefully chomping on foliage. Soon, the other dinos escape containment and playfully rampage through the park eating all manner of strange things.”
This adorable board book (featuring a bite out of its top right corner by one of the prehistoric miscreants) is a cute way to get the younger set into your favorite franchise without scaring the living daylights out of them (yet). We’ve got to prepare them early! Each page has bright and colorful illustrations depicting Baby Blue-levels of wide-eyed adorableness! The text is also written in a clever way to teach its young audience numbers. They will have to learn them to eventually ask Dr. Wu about “Version 4.4″…
Whether you’re cooking up a feast for a pack of Raptors or trying to entertain your little Compies, Insight Editions has the books for you in this ever-evolving Jurassic World of ours!
Will you be checking out either of these new books? Share your thoughts below and remember to return to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!
Following last week’s expansive Mattel and LEGO reveals for Jurassic World Dominion, book publisher Penguin Random House has officially announced many of their Jurassic World Dominion titles. These publications range from activity books, to junior novelizations, and to something even more exciting: spin-off books.
Check out the titles below (which are available to pre-order on Amazon), and be sure to appreciate the covers: Some give us our best look at the new dinosaurs like Velociraptor Beta, Therizinosaurus, and Pyroraptor yet!
Jurassic World Dominion: The Junior Novelization
The paperback complete retelling of Jurassic World Dominion, which roars into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, and Dr. Ellie Sattler as well as the dinosaurs, and prehistoric creatures everyone loves, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! Jurassic World Dominion: The Junior Novelization retells whole the exciting adventure and features an eight pages full-color insert!
Jurassic World Dominion: The Deluxe Junior Novelization
The hardcover complete retelling of Jurassic World Dominion, which roars into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Alan Grant, and Dr. Ian Malcolm as well as the dinosaurs, and prehistoric creatures everyone loves, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! Jurassic World Dominion: The Deluxe Junior Novelization retells whole the exciting adventure and features an eight-pages full-color insert plus a pull-out poster!
Jurassic World Dominion Dinosaurs in the Wild! (Step Into Reading)
An action-packed Step into Reading leveled reader featuring everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from Jurassic World Dominion – roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm as well as the dinosaurs, and prehistoric creatures everyone loves, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! This deluxe leveled reader is packed with classic as well as all-new Jurassic World dinosaurs and features a full-color removable poster!
Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics for children who are ready to read on their own.
An awesome activity book packed with mazes, codes, stickers, and more based on Jurassic World Dominion—roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters, dinosaurs, and prehistoric creatures including Blue, Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! Young dinosaur fans will love the mazes, word searches, puzzles, posters, stickers, and more in this full-color activity book!
Jurassic World Dominion – Caution: Dinosaurs and You!
A fun-filled Pictureback® storybook featuring everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from Jurassic World Dominion—roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, and Dr. Alan Grant as well as the dinosaurs, and prehistoric creatures everyone loves, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! This deluxe full-color storybook features a dinosaur card puzzle game which adds to the fun and adventure!
Jurassic World Maisie Lockwood Adventures #1: Off the Grid
This action-packed Middle Grade Novel features Maisie Lockwood on all-new adventures along with everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from Jurassic World Dominion – roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Maisie Lockwood, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm as well as all the dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures that fans love, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and the Mosasaurus! This original hardcover novel tells the all-new adventures of Maisie Lockwood as she navigates a world filled with dinosaurs both ferocious and friendly.
By Tess Sharpe Illustrated by Chloe Dominique 208 pages
This second action-packed Middle Grade Novel features Maisie Lockwood on all-new adventures along with everyone’s favorite dinosaurs from Jurassic World Dominion—roaring into theaters June 10, 2022!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion releases in theaters on June 10, 2022, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters such as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Maisie Lockwood, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm as well as all the dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures that fans love, including Blue; Tyrannosaurus rex; and Mosasaurus! This second book in the series tells the all-new adventures of Maisie Lockwood as she navigates a world filled with dinosaurs both ferocious and friendly.
By Tess Sharpe Illustrated by Chloe Dominique 208 pages
The park is open! Celebrate one of the most thrilling movie sagas of all time with this in-depth look at the making of the Jurassic World trilogy.
Following the release of director Colin Trevorrow’s smash hit Jurassic World in 2015, the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar once again dominate the public imagination.
Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History delivers a comprehensive look at the making of the first hit film, as well as its thrilling sequels Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World: Dominion. Through rare and never-before-seen imagery and exclusive interviews with key creatives, this deluxe volume explores the entire creative process, from the films’ stunning dinosaur designs to the epic location shoots and the creation of the films’ incredible visual effects. Fans will also discover a fascinating look at the wider world of the saga, including the Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,video games, toys, theme park attractions, and more.
Unearth the story behind the making of the Jurassic World trilogy with this definitive collector’s book, a must-have for fans of the action-packed saga.
These are just some of the new Jurassic World books coming out, starting this April – we expect even more exciting announcements as we get closer to the film’s release this June. We’re excited to see what else may be coming from spin-off titles. While the Maisie Lockwood Adventures may be targeting younger readers (much like the JP3 tie-ins ‘Jurassic Park Adventures‘) we’re hopeful more core aimed publications are planned as well.
Be sure to stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost – more coming soon.
This has been an exciting week to be a Jurassic Park fan, with news roaring online in abundance, Camp Cretaceous (an upcoming Jurassic World animated series) as the star attraction. While the week is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean the fun is quite over – at least not for fans of the Mattel toy line!
Straight from the official Mattel website, we have our first real look at the Legacy Collection Brachiosaurus!
Measuring upwards of 36 inches tall, and roughly 28 – 42+ inches long, this toy is a behemoth! With articulation on each leg, tail, and neck, it has a wide range of motion allowing for lots of fun play opportunities. In the US it is releasing under the Jurassic World Legacy Collection label later this Fall for $49.99, exclusively at Target. International market availability will vary, but mainline releases in some markets will exist to help get this item to as many fans as possible!
At this time, its exact release date is unknown, as is its release pattern. With any luck, it will not follow the lead of Targets bizarre strategy for the Legacy Collection Spinosaurus (releasing the bulk at around 3am EST without warning, and selling out by morning). While the Spinosaurus was an online exclusive in the US, we’re hoping the Legacy Collection Brachiosaurus will be carried in stores for better availability options.
For those who want all the information possible, the Mattel item number for the Brachiosaurus is GFH12.
Will you be picking up the Legacy Collection Brachiosaurus, and do you think Target will do a better job with distribution this time around? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost!
Releasing in stores and online today, the Jurassic World Universe officially expands with ‘The Evolution of Claire’ – a prequel novel following Claire Dearing during her first months on Isla Nublar.
The Evolution of Claire is a Young Adult novel set within the Jurassic universe by author Tess Sharpe (Barbed Wire Heart, Far From You), and is her first foray into licensed fiction. The story is a personal journey for Claire, written in the first person perspective, overflowing with adventure, spunk, and mystery – the content is wholly Jurassic, while the tone and style embraces its young adult audience.
The story opens with Claire Dearing in 2004 at age 19 returning back home after her first year at college. We’re rapidly introduced to a very different Claire from the films, though she is equally motivated with a clear sense of confidence and decisiveness. She’s not eager to spend much time at home, and is driven to strike out her own life, however she is clearly close with her parents, her sister Karen, and nephew Zach.
Her personal motivations contrast to that of her business focused mind in World: her interests are political, with the goal of championing animal rights. She’s not just interested in their rights from afar, but is an animal lover with a pet lizard and dog, and has a history of becoming involved with the welfare of animals around her. She’s an optimist, believing there is always a morally better option, and it should be the one taken.
It’s soon revealed Claire’s animal interests go deeper than just typical extant animals, and she like many others is deeply enamored by dinosaurs. This is only furthered by the infamous San Diego incident, which revealed to her and the world that the prehistoric creatures existed once again. So when she’s offered an internship by the renowned Masrani Global corporation to spend her summer working at the not yet open Jurassic World – a place shrouded in so much mystery furthered by Simon Masrani’s eccentric marketing that Willy Wonka would be jealous – she of course jumps at the chance.
Claire is galvanized. An internship with one of the most influential individuals and corporations in the world is perhaps the window of opportunity to fortify a position of power in a cutthroat world. She knows how important money is in politics, and is eager to make her dreams a reality for the betterment of animals.
As Claire journeys to Isla Nublar alongside numerous interns of similar ages, she is thrust into a personal journey of growth, camaraderie, and independence. Her challenges involve impressing her hosts at the park, making new friends with her peers, dealing with romantic inclinations, and dealing with the occasional condescending bigot who tries to devalue her and her female peers simply due to their sex. Not to mentions dealing with dinosaurs – from distressed young Triceratops, overly playful Brachiosaurs, and of course, it wouldn’t be Jurassic Park without a Velociraptor.
Tess Sharpe introduces Claire and readers to the nuanced inner workings of Jurassic World, made more complex by the fact the park remains under construction. Claire’s intern duties range from shoveling dino-dung, enthusiastically going hands on with the wild dinos, to working in the Hammond Creation Lab itself alongside the one and only Dr. Henry Wu. Dr. Wu is one of the highlights of the novel, a supporting character who is as intriguing as he can be stern. Dr. Wu is not a villain by a long-shot, but rather a complex and intelligent character who helps shape and inspire Claire during her stay on the island. This surprisingly fleshed out development of Wu makes his seemingly one dimensional villain like portrayal in the World films all the more curious – could his motivations in the films be less sinister than we’re led to believe? This book fully cements that there is more to his story, as while his large hubris remains in tact, he also seems to have a strong moral compass.
Further, Simon Masrani himself features in the novel, and takes a personal interest in Claire’s education and career path. While he is his entirely eccentric and optimistic self, we’re also given a closer look at his capitalistic side, and are given glimpses into how far he is willing to go to bring his dinosaur park and John Hammond’s dream to life. With Claire’s noble steerings, she internally finds herself at odds with many of the choices the park management makes on a day to day basis – the very types of choices we see her making in the 2015 film.
Her internship at Jurassic World goes beyond its intended strains, as she becomes fully engrossed in a rumor of conspiracy and cover up which unravels around her the further she digs. In true Jurassic fashion, hardship is bred from greed, moral boundaries are crossed for a multitude of reasons, eventually leading to the inevitable end: chaos.
As the novel often says: Jurassic World is a place of contradictions, and it is perhaps that very concept which makes the more endearing Dr. Wu, colder Simon Masrani, and adventurous Claire Dearing all the more fascinating. These characters are as complex and unpredictable as the quickly evolving world around them. Control vs chaos, nature vs technology, human idealism vs realism all play out in a sandbox of science and occasional teen drama.
While the young adult leanings of the novel may be more prevalent than some older fans would like, the book naturally finds its place in the Jurassic world. Claire is a strong female character and role model for fans of all ages, and this novel is a much needed reminder: dinosaurs aren’t just for boys. It’s rare to find a large licensed property such as Jurassic so ready and willing to embrace a prevalent female perspective, and Tess Sharpe fully utilize this opportunity to create something unique, relevant, and needed.
The book is engrossing, valid and believable – my largest (small) critique being the interns were allowed to video call their families unmonitored – considering no real footage had leaked from the park, and secrecy was an important and required ingredient prior to the parks opening, this stood out to me. Coupled with the fact that the interns were so young, it’s amazing that no footage hit the world during the events of the novel.
The story itself is a complete arc, neatly revolving around a mystery that furthers Claire’s growth. By the end of the novel, which takes place over a few short months, Claire is changed – however she is not yet the Claire from Jurassic World. There are 10 years of stories and growth that lead her there, and this novel fully leaves room for future installments – and leaves some threads open, pointing to another book on the horizon.
For the canon connoisseurs, this novel is an absolute delight. (Mild spoilers ahead:) It digs into the science of Jurassic World, explaining its enhanced flora growth, prehistoric plants, and dinosaurs nutritional science. We learn that much of the technology of the park is proprietary and groundbreaking, and Masrani Global is working closely without outside sources to enable their use in medical and military applications (such as the Gyrospheres unique and nearly indestructible composition, or organically synthesized fusion bandages).
Though Claire never ventures to Site B, Isla Sorna is alive and kicking in the novel, as dinosaurs are occasionally transported from the island to the park on Isla Nublar. During the events of this novel, all dinosaurs in the park are survivors from Hammond’s time, born or created on Nublar or Sorna during the Jurassic Park era. The entirety of Sorna’s fate is left open, and Claire even comments that Masrani Global is more secretive about that island than Nublar (perhaps a hint there is more to Sorna’s story even now). While the lab is hard at work to create new animals, it seems they’re taking their time, in no hurry to introduce animals unfit for the soon to open resort.
This is perhaps influenced by a medical mystery that has begun to effect some of the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, forcing the lab to take precautions to prevent the mystery ailment from spreading. This approach involves injecting medication directly into developing eggs, including strong doses of steroids, and I can’t help but muse if that’s why Jurassic World’s dinosaurs seem stumpier and angrier than their Park and real world counterparts.
There is one inconsistency with the lore: all the dinosaurs in the book are referred to as female, however as we know, life found a way. The Park era dinosaurs were both sexes despite the attempted population control, and were breeding on both islands. Perhaps the female terminology was a liberty taken by World staff, referring to them all as female, or an misnomer cultivated by a simple misunderstanding by the some employees that they were in fact female, despite being both sexes. Colin Trevorrow recently took to Twitter recently to further clarify that the dinosaurs of Jurassic World are both male and female, and other forms of population control were enforced.
Considering the novel never unequivocally states all the dinosaurs are female with evidence, this contradiction can be easily explained away in a multitude of ways, and it never undermines the story at play. The only real hiccup that is objectively wrong is the Velociraptor on the cover, a red eyed male of the second subspecies found on Sorna. The novel definitively states the raptor is a female, and has yellow eyes: this would be the female subspecies introduced in Jurassic Park 3, as the classic female variant has green eyes, its male counterpart yellow. This is not a fault of the novel, but rather a small canonical stumble on the part of the otherwise phenomenal jacket art adorning the book.
At nearly 1500 words I’ve barely scratched the surface of what ‘The Evolution of Claire’ has to offer in its 32 chapters spread over 390 pages. Tess Sharpe has smartly crafted an adventure within the Jurassic universe, brought a new life to Claire Dearing, and reawakened the possibilities held within a page, something we haven’t had since Michael Crichton wrote the original novels from which the first two Park films were created. Stories told in novel form is ingrained into the DNA of Jurassic, and this new chapter brings the story to life in excellent form.
No matter your age or interest, I can happily recommend the book, which is a fun and unique romp within a whole new Jurassic World. I hope to read more from Tess in the future, and fully believe this proves the potential for other stories within the growing expanded universe.
The Evolution of Claire is available in stores now at retailers such as Amazon and Target – be sure to pick up your copy today, and sound off in the comments below with your thoughts! As always, stay tuned for everything Jurassic – including our upcoming deep dive interview with the author herself!
Jurassic Park fans are in for a huge treat this year, with the release of the wide range of toys, LEGO, comics, books, and of course, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Perhaps one of the most exciting and unique outings is the upcoming young adult novel by Tess Sharpe, titled ‘The Evolution of Claire‘, which focuses on the character played by Bryce Dallas Howard in her early years at Jurassic World. At 400 pages, this marks the first true canonical expansion to the Jurassic expanded universe, and is sure to excite fans of all ages.
Check out the cover and read the synopsis below!
Don’t miss this pulse-pounding prequel to the Jurassic World movies that reveals the never-before-seen backstory of beloved film character Claire Dearing.
Freshman year in college is full of obstacles–there are messy roommates, cranky professors, and disgusting dining halls. But for Claire Dearing, add “How to properly avoid being eaten by a dinosaur” to that list.
The year is 2004, and Claire has been given the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to intern at the Jurassic World theme park less than a year before it opens to the public. She is laser-focused, with her sights set on bettering the lives of all animals worldwide. But life at the park isn’t all test-driving gyrospheres and falling head over heels for a fellow student named Justin . . . though she does that too. Rumors and suspicions flood the island, and Claire is determined to unravel the truth.
As Claire searches for answers, she and Justin find themselves thrust into a sinister plot that will leave Claire forever changed, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew and bringing her one step closer to the Claire viewers met in Jurassic World and who they’ll return to in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
It sounds like even before the Indominus Rex, InGen was up to some nefarious schemes under the charismatic yet aloof leadership of Simon Masrani. Whatever story elements this book introduces is sure to spawn some intriguing discussion and debate on how it ties into the events of Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, and future films.
Perhaps most intriguingly is the inclusion of the male subspecies of Velociraptor only seen on Isla Sorna – as the Dinosaur Protection Group website says the dinosaurs were taken from there to Nublar, it seems safe to bet both islands will make an appearance in this book!
‘The Evolution of Claire’ releases Junes 26th, 2018 and is available for pre-order on Amazon now!
Are you excited for the books release, and what do you hope the story focuses on? Sound off in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned for everything Jurassic!
It’s finally happening. The Jurassic Park universe is canonically expanding beyond the films. One of the most requested things from fans has continuously been an expansion of the fiction, whether it be via an animated series, comics, novels, or more. It now seems Universal has listened, and the first expansion will be coming May 2018 in the form of a Young Adult novel by Random House Books.
The novel, seemingly awaiting a more formal title, is currently titled ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Hardcover Young Adult Novel’. While the title isn’t much to go off of, Random House has also provided an exciting synopsis on what readers can expect:
Discover the beginnings of one of Jurassic World‘s most beloved characters–Claire Dearing–in this original action-packed young adult novel.
During the events of Jurassic World, Claire Dearing faced the savage fury of dinosaurs unleashed . . . but it wasn’t the first time. In this entirely new coming-of-age story, Claire lands an elite internship working for Simon Masrani and soon discovers his plans to build an all-new theme park–Jurassic World! Along the way, Claire establishes valuable relationships with both her peers and the prehistoric creatures she studies, but when the situation turns dangerous, she begins to see the dinosaurs in a different light. Fans of Jurassic World will delight in filling in the gaps of Claire’s past, all while gaining insights into the experiences that transformed her into the strong woman we know today.
May 08, 2018 | 304 Pages | Young Adult
The Young Adult fiction genre is typically considered to be written for ages 12-20’s, though the exact age range isn’t particularly defined, nor does it dictate who can enjoy the writings. This isn’t the first time the franchise had side stories via books, as the Jurassic Park Adventures series based on Eric Kirby’s adventures existed, but those targeted younger ages and were widely considered non-canon by fans.
The timeframe for this prequel novel is interesting, as it seems to begin before Jurassic World was event built, and will likely dive deep into the backstory of how Masrani Global handled InGen assets, and became the corporation we saw in the 2015 film. While it follows Claire’s perspective, the novel will quite possibly cross paths with individuals like Dr. Henry Wu, Vic Hoskisn, and other players, like the already confirmed Simon Masrani.
Will we see the cleanup of Nublar, the construction of Jurassic World, and inception of of ideas like the Indominus Rex in this novel? Time will tell – and hopefully it may even clarify longstanding question like the fate of Isla Nublar, why Hammond endorsed Jurassic World after his character motivation shift in The Lost World, and perhaps dig deep into pieces of the fiction the films have never touched upon.
But most off all, the novel will take us through the character evolution, motivation, and growth of Claire Dearing (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in the films), who Colin Trevorrow has previously stated is main character of the Jurassic World trilogy. It’s especially great to see a leading women take the spotlight and kick off the official Jurassic expanded universe, where as the easy and expected route would be putting someone like Owen Grady in the spotlight.
We’re excited, and hope this is only the first book of an exciting Jurassic World EU – the opportunities are endless, and we can’t wait to read the novel! If this is only the tip of the spear, perhaps in time a Dr. Henry Wu book series will come as well, detailing the timeline between Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, explaining how and why he comes off so cold in World, and dive deep into science of InGen not seen since Michael Crichton created the franchise.
Finally, dinosaur enthusiasts also have a publication to look forward to, which also seems to dive into the expanded fiction of Jurassic World – the ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Dinosaur Survival Guide’:
Relive the excitement of the blockbuster film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom–which opens to US audiences on June 22, 2018–with this must-have survival guide!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom releases in theaters on June 22, 2018, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs, including Blue, the Velociraptor; Tyrannosaurus rex; and Mosasaurus–along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before!
This indispensable full-color survival guide features all the facts about the Jurassic World dinosaurs that you need to know to survive on the island–as well as the top-secret history of how it all began.
May 08, 2018 | 80 Pages | 6-9 years
Top secret history of how it all began? Say no more. Perhaps this visual guide will finally give a defined canonical explanation of the dinosaur variations seen throughout the franchise!
Let us know if you will be picking up the Claire prequel novel, and what stories you hope the expanded universe digs into! And as always, stay tuned for the latest news.
