Category: Opinion Piece

Walking Away From ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’

Posted on by Derrick Davis

I love ‘Walking With Dinosaurs.’ No, not that movie from 2013; and spoilers, no, not the series from 2025. I’m talking about the original 6-part miniseries from 1999, developed by Tim Haines and his talented team. It was a revolutionary show on several levels. Apart from ‘Jurassic Park’ and its sequel ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (the only two ‘Jurassic’ films out at that time), dinosaurs had never looked so fully realized; especially for television. The show presented stories of different dinosaurs with incredible effects, majestic cinematography, real atmospheric locations, and an unbeatable music score that will haunt you long after it’s over. Some elements of the series were, of course, imagined. A few liberties were taken. But everything was based on real science at the time.

The series’ primary goal was simple: transport the viewer to the time of the dinosaurs. It did this by creating the illusion that a camera crew had gone back in time and captured footage of dinosaurs living their lives, like a true nature documentary. To complete the illusion, Kenneth Branagh narrated the series with an appropriate David Attenborough-like aplomb. If you were channel surfing at the time, and didn’t know any better, you would have thought you were watching any other nature documentary from the BBC. “Wait a minute, those are dinosaurs!”

One of the stand-out episodes of the original series was the heartbreaking tale of the Ornithocheirus. It begins on a somber note immediately: we see the giant pterosaur dead on a beach, making us already aware of where this episode is heading. Then it immediately backtracks to its journey across various landscapes toward its mating grounds. Along the way, we encounter other dinosaurs it comes across or flies over; but the entire episode is drenched in this somber tone, complete with chilling strings in its music score that feel like something out of ‘Schindler’s List.’ When we finally reach the mating grounds with the Ornithocheirus, it is overcrowded and hard to find anywhere to land to attract a mate. Despite his grandeur, he was too late. He is pushed to the side, unable to attract anyone. Then, we end where we started… him dead on the beach. The only silver lining is that he will “become food for the next generation,” as we see his eyeball eaten by one of its younger kind. It was dark, heartbreaking, art. And it felt real.

The original 1999 series was, of course, a huge hit. It spawned two sequel series (‘Walking With Prehistoric Beasts’ and ‘Before The Dinosaurs: Walking With Monsters’), special episodes, and several spinoffs featuring the loveable Nigel Marven going back to the time of the dinosaurs himself in ‘Chased By Dinosaurs’ and ‘Prehistoric Park.’ The latter also brought the dinosaurs to the present in a more educational and kid-friendly version of the ‘Jurassic Park’ concept but without anything (truly) going wrong. In a way, it was an early version of the first half of ‘Jurassic World.’

But then, 2013 happened. Coincidentally (or not), that was the same year ‘Jurassic Park’ celebrated its 20th anniversary by re-releasing the film in theaters in 3D. So, if it seems like releasing a movie called ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ to theaters the same year was a cash grab (of Universal’s cash grab), it most likely was. The movie was purely in name only, apart from featuring dinosaurs, and without its original creative team. It began with a human family doing what human families do, until we randomly go back in time to a dinosaur story without the humans… where the dinosaurs talk. However, their lips don’t move when they talk the way they do in Disney’s ‘Dinosaur;’ instead, it’s just voiceovers of overly-quirky performances by John Leguizamo and Justin Long. Now, I love both those actors in other productions, but they didn’t belong in this one. Gone was any of the seriousness or grandeur of the 1999 series’ stolen name.

For this film, we got admittedly great special effects mixed with a typical ‘Land Before Time’ story, bad humor, annoying voiceover performances, and not much else. Some may claim that the 3D Blu-Ray’s exclusive “Cretaceous Cut” bonus feature fixes most of the problems by removing the voices and the pointless human family elements, but instead you are left with a silent film that still includes goofy editing choices (such as a dinosaur falling in a river, then the film rewinds to “play that again” because falling is funny). It’s an improvement, but it still isn’t a great movie or anything like the original series.

Now, it’s 2025. The BBC decided to bring ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ back from extinction to coincidentally (hmmm…) release just a month before the latest ‘Jurassic World’ film. This time, it is back on television screens in the form of a 6-part miniseries again, with a focus on telling multiple dinosaur stories in their world. Sounds good, right? But not so fast… none of the original creators of the series returned for this one, again. And we were already wronged in 2013. Who’s to say we wouldn’t be wronged again? No one is safe.

Sadly, ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ 2025 may have some impressive dinosaur recreations & interesting science, but it totally misses the point of the original 1999 program. Again.

While this new series forgoes “talking dinosaurs” and returns to well-read narration by Bertie Carvel, that’s pretty much the last of the positives I have. The series makes a grave mistake that is noticed immediately: cutting to and from paleontologists every five minutes from the dinosaur stories. It becomes incredibly jarring, not only because it happens but in its frequency. We are never allowed to be part of the prehistoric past.

The original series never did this. It was purely a window into the world of the dinosaurs. That’s it. There was a special “Making Of” episode that also aired (and included on home media releases) that features paleontologists and the real inspirations for what was depicted. I feel like that’s what should have been included instead, or at the very least, something akin to what ‘Prehistoric Planet’ did and include a 5-minute segment at the end of each episode with a paleontologist focus. The shocking thing is: ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ 2025 still includes such a segment at the end! Not only do they keep interrupting the stories they are trying to tell with them, but then they include them again as a post-script? Why have both?!

Each episode of the new series is about an hour long, whereas the original show’s episodes were about 30 minutes each. Given that about half of the runtime in each episode is dinosaurs, and the other half is paleontologists: this feels like two different 30-minute shows put into a blender and released as a full hour. Why present it this way? It’s jarring in both ways you can try to appreciate it: seeing the dinosaurs in their world and trying to learn more of the real science behind them.

The way this show is presented is just so jarring and unfocused that I don’t see how it could please anyone. Fans of the original show will likely hate this combined format as much as I do, and newcomers will wonder what the fuss was all about. At best, it makes use of its special effects well (when they are there). At worst, it creates ADHD disorders in its presentation. Remember the original series’ episode with the Ornithocheirus that I mentioned? If they had taken an additional 30 minutes of paleontologist interviews and mixed it with its story, it would have totally ruined that episode. There would have been no way of feeling anything about what was going on, because it would have been interrupted as if by commercials; only more frequent. Any art that may have been there is undone by this format.

When I think of ‘Walking With Dinosaurs,’ I think of being transported to their world, led by a commanding and informative voice, reveling in the atmosphere around them, and forget for several hours that none of what I am seeing is real. We aren’t allowed that in this new 2025 series. We are forced to watch something that is, in the end, nothing more than yet another low-concept dinosaur documentary series due largely to its presentation. To call this ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ is entirely undeserved.

I may be overreacting. Maybe some don’t understand how magical it was to watch that original series, or its sequels and spinoffs. I didn’t think they were concepts created by Tim Haines that would be hard to replicate, but apparently that’s not the case since it’s been twice now that they failed to recapture anything close to what made it good. I will be honest: I only watched the first episode. I almost couldn’t even do that, but I thought it would only be fair to at least see it through. I can’t imagine the rest of the series changing its established format. There may be a good show somewhere in there, but it would take a complete re-edit and re-assignment to make that happen. It’s not worth even taking the time to wonder when they didn’t even take the time to understand the assignment.

We’ll always have the original ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ from 1999 (still available on DVD, Prime Video, & Fandango At Home), but it’s sad that we clearly can’t go back to the world it created. At least, not from the owners of its IP. It’s time to walk away from ‘Walking With Dinosaurs.’

Did you see any of the 2025 version of ‘Walking With Dinosaurs?’ Do you agree with my thoughts, or disagree? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

Composer Alexandre Desplat To Score Jurassic World Rebirth

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

After months of speculation and anxious anticipation, the question of who will score Jurassic World Rebirth has finally been answered: French composer Alexandre Desplat! A brand new composer is joining the Jurassic franchise, announced by Entertainment Weekly in an interview and the great behind-the-scenes recording session video below:

From Entertainment Weekly:

Jurassic World Rebirth director previews ‘goosebump-inducing’ homage to original score as series changes composers (exclusive)

EW exclusively speaks with Desplat as he takes over for “Jurassic World” composer Michael Giacchino, and tries to “inject some” of John Williams’ 1993 score “as a reminder.”

Like life itself, the creative minds behind Jurassic World Rebirth found a way to evolve as legendary composer Michael Giacchino exits his three-film streak with the franchise.

Ahead of the new film’s theatrical bow on July 2, Entertainment Weekly can exclusively reveal that two-time Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat is stepping in to compose the fourth Jurassic World movie’s score.

“Every score John Williams has written has become an iconic score, so it’s quite a daunting task,” Desplat tells EW of carrying the legacy he and Giacchino inherited from Williams, who composed the 1993 Jurassic Park film’s instantly recognizable theme.

“At first, you’re excited, then panic comes along because you realize that you’re taking over from a fabulous composer who invented so many great things that the whole planet knows. You try to find your way through that,” adds the musician, who previously composed the scores for The Shape of Water and the Harry Potter films.How ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ became ‘a brand-new chapter in this franchise’ (exclusive)The cast of ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’: Everything to know

Desplat explains that he wanted to incorporate “quotes of John’s music” to honor his contributions, while also forging a new path for his material within the context of director Gareth Edwards‘ story in Rebirth.

The film picks up after the events of 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, with operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) leading an extraction team (Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey) to a forbidden, dinosaur-inhabited island at the request of a pharmaceutical company. While there, they cross paths with the shipwrecked Delgado family, who survived an attack by ocean-dwelling dinos.

Desplat found himself balancing “how and where” he could “inject some of [Williams’] theme as a reminder” in the new story, using a “mainly orchestral” score with help from a 105-piece orchestra and a 60-piece choir. “You try to make it your own, and at the same time, pay homage to Williams’ music, and try to find your own way through that by inventing new themes and ideas, but staying in the same artistic zone as the scores of the franchise.”

Desplat also sees the film’s music as separated into specific sections. “It’s the emotional aspect, which is divided into two stories: this group of people looking for the dinosaurs, and another group of people, which is a family. There are two themes and melodies that belong to these two groups,” he explains. “The other aspect is all the action!”

In a statement to EW, Edwards praises Desplat’s approach.

“Like the epic dinosaurs in our film, Alexandre is the last of his kind, a rare species with the talent and knowledge to orchestrate his own classical scores,” he says. “If studios could clone him, they would. Until science finds a way, I’ll happily settle for those goosebump-inducing memories of hearing his music at Abbey Road as he conducted a one-hundred-piece orchestra for our ‘little’ Jurassic movie. Chills.”

While Desplat says he’s long been inspired by Williams, particularly by his Star Wars score, he didn’t consult the composer before joining the project.

“John Williams is a very iconic composer that you don’t call on the telephone every morning to ask his opinion about what the heck you’re doing. So, I would never have dared asking him anything,” Desplat says, laughing. “I have too much respect for him. I’m much too humbled to think he’d have an answer to me. I tried to be as good as I can be.”

He hopes his work will resonate with Steven Spielberg, who directed the ’93 original and executive produced Rebirth, written by returning screenwriter David Koepp.

“I hope that when he hears the score, he’ll be happy, and that I won’t be embarrassing the franchise with what I wrote,” Desplat says, joking that he, too, might one day become extinct when it comes to the Jurassic franchise. “John Williams’ wings are flying above us, so I do hope Spielberg enjoys the score. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll be fired! You never know.”

Watch Desplat conduct the Jurassic World Rebirth orchestra in EW’s exclusive preview video before the film releases July 2 in theaters.

Alexandre Desplat will compose the musical score for Jurassic World Rebirth! The composer, known for his collaborations with Wes Anderson, his work taking over for John Williams on the Harry Potter series, and his score for Rebirth director Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, is joining the Jurassic franchise.

So we finally have our answer as to who is composing the score for this movie. And not only that, we were treated to a great behind the scenes video – which is excellent marketing.

Are you familiar with Desplat’s work? He is a composer that we have predicted and discussed for quite some time, and a name that already seemed somewhat connected to the franchise, having scored Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla.

The silence until now, the lack of a composer, began to feel like either something had happened behind the scenes causing a shift in composers, or that they were saving a big announcement. And it seems they were definitely saving a big reveal. The spotlight on the music and composer for this movie is a great thing, and much appreciated. Many had assumed and speculated that John Williams might return. Alas, it was not true, and it makes sense. Alexander Desplat is a two-time Best Score Academy Award winner, he clearly has a solid relationship with Gareth Edwards, and his score for Godzilla was well received.

Desplat is an engaging and entrancing composer known for his memorable themes and big, sweeping orchestral style. He can fit well into the Jurassic musical world by channeling John Williams’ best choices, but also brings something new to the franchise with his willingness to delve into the dark, mysterious, and sometimes weird – demonstrated in his work on Harry Potter, The Shape of Water, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Godzilla, and many others.

The mysterious-sounding chord progression with the flutes in the video is present in John Williams’ The Lost World: Jurassic Park score multiple times, including when the groups are running through the jungle after the T. rexes attack the camp, and right after David Koepp gets eaten and people are running in San Diego. While totally coincidental, it is a thrilling sound from the orchestra and a very Jurassic one at that. Honestly, that applies to all of the music we hear in the announcement video. It’s also exciting to hear about Desplat creating themes for the “two groups”: Zora Bennett’s team and the Delgado family as well. We can’t wait for his take on a Jurassic film score!

Also in the announcement video, we see the shot below of an instrument part for the score recording, likely a flute or other woodwind part based on the instructions in the lower part of the shot. The cover of this part has “SAGA” top left, the working title for Jurassic World Rebirth, our composer’s name (Alexandre Desplat) above the cue and version number, and then we can see the cue is titled “Opening-Lab.” This tells us that the opening scene of Rebirth is indeed a lab sequence. Many have assumed that the shots of the Mutant in the red tank seen in the trailer are part of an opening scene. Maybe they are correct in that the opening inciting incident is going to setup that particular creature, but maybe not. The opening might be something we’ve currently seen nothing from… Jurassic and “labs” certainly go hand in hand!

What do you think of this announcement, and are you excited about Alexandre Desplat as the composer for Jurassic World Rebirth? Let us know in the comments, and watch our full breakdown of the composer news below!

Review – Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Season 3

Posted on by Jurassic Outpost

Season 3 of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory is coming to Netflix April 3rd! The new season continues the animated Jurassic World adventure as the group faces off against even more threats and meets some familiar faces along the way.

We were fortunate to be able to watch this all-new season ahead of release – read on for our review of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Season 3!

Fans of Jurassic World Dominion are really gonna love this one. The Chaos Theory story has taken us on an adventure with the survivors of Camp Cretaceous caught up in a whole new conspiracy surrounding dinosaurs – the series’ timeline aligned itself with the theatrical moves of Fallen Kingdom and Dominion and now we are fully catching up to that Dominion timeline.

We pick up exactly where we left off in Senegal at the end of the last season. The group finds themselves aboard a cargo plane with a Kentrosaurus, and the pilot turns out to be a familiar face: Barry Sembène from Jurassic World. He is working with French Intelligence to monitor illegal dinosaur trafficking. A series of events on board the plane cause it to crash near the Italian border, which leads the Nublar five to a village where we meet Ben’s girlfriend.

The strong characters and their ever-evolving relationships continue to be the heart of this show. We’ve seen real growth with all of these characters but this season highlights Ben’s continued development – and his relationship with Gia is nothing short of romantic. They are very in sync, and as showrunner Scott Kreamer told us in our interview, it’s great to see Ben from the perspective of someone new who didn’t meet the original Ben on Nublar in Camp Cretaceous. Ben’s girlfriend GIA proves a worthy new addition to the cast, as does her grandmother, who both provide some comic relief along with introducing new dynamics and perspectives for the Nublar Five. 

Brooklynn’s actions cause a rift among the group, and the conflict between them is measurable this season. The writers don’t want to just give us happy campers, instead, the reality of this world and this conspiracy takes a real toll on these characters. That conflict drives a lot of their actions this season and causes the group to split into two factions, giving us new dynamics on screen, notably that of Sammy and Kenji working closely together.

This is a great testament to the writers of the show – while the group’s conflicts drive the story, the dinosaurs and action are still very present as well. This season feels rather more in-line with the first than the second. The pacing keeps the story going but we also have time to breathe, with some scenes getting more mysterious and slowing down to build tension. Those thriller aspects from season one return as Brooklynn is drawn deeper into Soyona Santos’ criminal world.

The dynamics surrounding Brooklynn are intriguing and engaging this season. She’s focused on her mission, but you almost get the sense that spending too much time with the dark side is tempting her to fall for it. Things feel a little different this time around, especially between Soyona and Brooklynn.

This season, as with previous seasons of the show, continues tying itself closely to the movies and specifically in this case, Jurassic World Dominion. We meet Lewis Dodgson and we of course arrive at the Black Market in Malta where Soyona begins her plan with the Atrociraptor pack. The animated shows in the past have carefully written their story around the events of the movies and that is exactly what we see here in Malta, but we also see new locations like the catacombs that run beneath the black market.

We learn more about Soyona’s relationship with BioSyn and Dodgson, but this season also focuses on the other, shall we say, villain of the show: The Handler. This season provides more information on where the Atrociraptors came from, and as you will have learned from the show’s marketing, The Handler is revealed to be working with BioSyn and Soyona Santos. Season 3 manages to humanize the Handler, as we see the bond she has with the Atrociraptor pack. Another testament to the great writers in humanizing the antagonists of this show, creating a relatability that actually ends up making the viewer concerned about what happens to her.

The inclusion of Barry, Dodgson, and Soyona this season proves that Chaos Theory is the perfect supplemental piece to the movies and that the writers wanted to provide further depth to these characters.

As with every season of the show there is continued refinement in both the animation and lighting, and they really take advantage of the many countries we visit. So far the show has taken us across the USA, we’ve spent time at sea, we’ve spent time in Africa, and now we’re in Malta and Italy. This show has some really stunning moments.

Season 3 shows us the run-up to BioSyn’s global dinosaur access and intertwines with Soyona’s relationship with Dodgson, showing us just how this whole deal came to be. This season does not hold back on the dinosaur on human action either. Raptors are back, including Dominion’s feathered Pyroraptor, which causes havoc in Italy after escaping from the valley at BioSyn. There’s a lot of raptor action this season, so naturally the tension and suspense throughout the episodes really stands out. For those who loved the first season of this show, season 3 is going to hit really well.

Now of course the Jurassic animated shows are not for everyone and are aimed at a younger audience – but we try to view these seasons with that knowledge in mind. Some opinions on the movies aside, you can see just how well crafted this show is. If you liked Dominion, you will love season 3.

Overall this season adds so much value and depth to Jurassic World Dominion – something that some would argue is sorely needed. There’s almost too many connections to count. It’s definitely exciting to see and learn the secret workings behind some of the action and dinosaur trafficking that we witness in the third Jurassic World film, and also to also see a different side to all of the dinosaur chaos that happens in the streets of Malta.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory and its predecessor Camp Cretaceous are no strangers to tying their story and characters to the Jurassic movies. Chaos Theory continues that engaging storytelling this season while also expanding its own roster of characters, dinosaurs, and action that makes the show that much more thrilling.

Season 3 is both heartwarming and harrowing – fans should love this continuation of the Nublar 6 and Jurassic story.

Watch our full review of the new season below!

“It was just fun to return to that world of great adventure backed by real science…” – David Koepp on Returning for Jurassic World: Rebirth

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

Nearly one year after the film’s announcement, we are finally hearing from Jurassic World: Rebirth writer and Jurassic veteran David Koepp. He joined host Mike DeAngelo on The Discourse Podcast and had great things to say about his return to the dinosaur franchise he helped start.

From The Discourse:

David Koepp stopped by The Discourse recently to talk about his latest career developments, like working with Steven Soderbergh on “Presence.” But Koepp also teased his return to a major franchise he once helped make a classic: “Jurassic Park.” He writes Gareth Edwards‘ upcoming “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” his first film in the franchise since “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” So what brought Koepp back to pen a new dinosaur actioner after 25 years?

In Koepp’s words , it was the chance to write a streamlined script in a familiar world. “That was a ball. I had such a nice time on it,” said about writing “Rebirth.” I hope people like the movie because the series tended to change after three, and it felt like, ‘Okay, so let’s change our tone.” Steven [Spielberg] and I were interested in a tone that was maybe more akin to the very first movie. I saw it early on as a mission movie. I like things that are driven by bottles, by containment, you know?”

“And so, developing a limited team and a thing that they have to accomplish – that was all really fun,” Koepp continued. “And it was just fun to return to that world of great adventure backed by real science and write some cool new characters. You don’t often get a chance to have a blank slate and say, ‘What do you want to do?’ There were no franchise expectations other than dinosaurs.”

Koepp even went so far as to create a list of rules the franchise needs to abide by moving forward, which was inspired by the most unlikely of sources. “I actually wrote a list of our nine commandments, which was inspired by Chuck Jones, who had written nine commandments for the Roadrunner cartoons – like all adventures must take place in the American Southwest, gravity is always the coyote’s worst enemy, all products must come from the Acme corporation,” Koepp said. “And so I made a list of things that we had to abide by – one was the events of the previous six movies that cannot be contradicted or denied because I don’t like a retcon. Those are no fun. Two, Humor is oxygen. Science must be real. You know, all the things that we wanted our movie to be. And I just had a great fun doing it with Steven and then with Gareth [Edwards].”

Reflecting on the experience, Koepp described the surreal nature of returning to a franchise 30 years later. “It was trippy to go back to a London soundstage 30 years after I walked onto a Los Angeles soundstage and see the jungle and the people in their jungle gear,” he said. “And it was just all back. It even smelled the same.” But the cast of “Rebirth” are all newcomers to “Jurassic Park” this time around. Edwards’ new film stars Scarlett Johannson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahersala Ali, and hits theaters on July 2, 2025.

And while the new “Jurassic Park” movie isn’t an official reunion between Koepp and Spielberg, Spielberg’s upcoming UFO blockbuster certainly is. Koepp also had enough time on the podcast to confirm that his upcoming collaboration with the director is a sci-fi adventure reminiscent of Spielberg’s earlier works. “Yes, it is like a sci-fi… Well, I don’t know. I’m not supposed to say. But, yes, it is,” Koepp confirmed. “It does harken back to maybe a different tone than [what he’s done lately]. Something he used to do that he hasn’t done for a little bit.”

In other words, everything old is new again when it comes to Koepp’s recent scriptwriting. Spielberg’s next picture hits theaters on May 15, 2026. – Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.

David Koepp wrote Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), adapting from Michael Crichton’s novels, and he has been involved in small capacities for ideas, writing, and revisions on multiple films in the franchise since then. He is undoubtably one of the foremost voices on the Jurassic franchise story and certainly has a fantastic resumé within the series.

It is truly great to hear him talk about Jurassic in such detail again after all this time, and to hear about the ease and enjoyment in his return to collaboration with Steven Spielberg. His passion for the franchise is still clear, as he even introduced his own new “franchise commandments”! I can’t think of too many names who would be a better choice to create a set of Jurassic commandments.

1. The events of the previous 6 movies cannot be contradicted or denied

2. Humor is oxygen

3. Science must be real

Great adventure and real science. Very sound guidelines for a franchise like Jurassic. What are the other six? I love his words about returning to a Jurassic set after all this time, and being a part of developing a new story from a blank slate. What he had to say about the other trilogies is also generally on point:

“…the series tended to change after three, and it felt like, ‘Okay, so let’s change our tone.”

I can’t wait to see what “tone” Koepp has helped create for Rebirth, and how those Jurassic commandments play out. What would your commandments be?

You can read the full extent of Koepp’s Jurassic comments and listen to the full episode of The Discourse Podcast here. He also spoke about the upcoming UFO event film he is writing for Steven Spielberg, set to release Summer 2026, plus his work and friendship with Steven Soderbergh and Kevin Bacon.

Jurassic World: Rebirth Stars Share More On Upcoming Film

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

As the Wicked press tour and other promotional events continue, Jurassic World: Rebirth stars Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson have shared more details and personal feelings about their time filming this summer, their experiences with the Jurassic franchise, and the run-up to the seventh film next year.

Scarlett Johansson joined NBC’s TODAY for her “milestone birthday” recently to discuss her career, upcoming projects, and her experience directing for the first time:

When asked about Jurassic and the upcoming film, Johansson shared:

“Jurassic World: Rebirth, we just finished it. I feel like we’re still shooting it. We shot it in Thailand, Malta, and the UK, and it was a whirlwind. We shot for the last five months or something like that. My life-long dream has always been to participate in Jurassic in any way – I’ll do your craft service, your dinosaur motion-capture, I was like, put the dots all over me I’ll be that person. It was… It was a crazy ride, and it’s coming out, like, tomorrow basically.”

Her excitement and passion for the Jurassic franchise have been evident in every interview since she was announced as cast, and it’s great to hear about her experience during production. She certainly had nice things to say about her future Jurassic co-star and current Wicked star Jonathan Bailey as well. Water finds a way.

Jonathan Bailey spoke to Who What Wear about his career, fashion, Wicked, and upcoming performances:

From Who What Wear, Bailey on joining the Jurassic franchise in Rebirth:

Following Richard II, Bailey will return to the big screen with Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali in Jurassic World: Rebirth, playing paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis. A passing of the torch from Wicked co-star Jeff Goldblum, perhaps? We’ll have to wait and see, but Bailey does call Goldblum’s Jurassic Park character Dr. Malcolm the “rizz king” and credits the actor’s performances for keeping him “enthralled and titillated.” “If I can achieve half of what he did in the original Jurassic, I’ll be very happy,” he adds.

What Bailey can say about his own experience at this time is how excited he is to be joining the major franchise given how deeply nostalgic it is for him. Jurassic Park was the first film Bailey saw in the cinema with his family. He gets goosebumps thinking back on that time. “I just remember feeling so alive,” he says. “It’s a bit like Wicked [and] going back to singing and dancing. [I’m] now going back to one of these iconic experiences that I found so inspiring then, to be able to infiltrate that world.” To say Bailey is excited about this movie would be an understatement. “The idea of the John Williams theme playing under trotting through some grass fields chasing a dinosaur, you can’t get more mind-blowing and eye-popping than that,” he says.

Needless to say, Scarlett Johansson is a massive star, and Jonathan Bailey is becoming one before our eyes. The Jurassic franchise has impacted so many artists and filmmakers, and it’s apt that the franchise’s next big names have such deep connections to the films. Both have incredible acting skills and have built quite the portfolio for themselves. Jurassic World: Rebirth boasts one of the best casts of any 2025 film, which should help it attract audiences across the globe.

‘Jurassic Park 3’ Soundtrack By Don Davis Gets A New 2-CD Release!

Posted on by Derrick Davis

La-La Land Records has been hitting a homerun with ‘Jurassic Park’ fans over the years. In 2016, they released a double CD set of expanded and remastered soundtracks for the classic John Williams scores ‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ with both getting sperate releases (and even more material) in 2022 & 2023 respectively. This year, they have a new soundtrack release for the franchise’s third film, ‘Jurassic Park 3,’ composed by Don Davis! But what sets it apart from previous releases, and is it a definitive presentation of the score? Let’s take a walk in the park and find out!

In 2001, the soundtrack was released on CD in the form of a 54-minute album via Decca records. Composer Don Davis (‘The Matrix Trilogy’) assembled this 1-CD release himself, combining some cues together to form certain tracks, and arranging it all in his own personal sequence. Unlike the John Williams scores for the prior films, this one is nearly wall-to-wall action (just like the film). While it runs through every scene, it also expertly weaves themes established by Williams in very fun and clever ways. Also included on the album was the 1999 Randy Newman song “Big Hat, No Cattle,” which puzzled fans since it is only briefly heard in the film during an early bar scene in the background. While this album featured a decent amount of the score (about 50 minutes of Davis’s material), it did leave off several noteworthy cues that were heard in the film. Some of these were favorites of those who had seen the film, such as the climactic showdown with the Spinosaurus, expecting to find them on the album but ending up disappointed.

Interesting to note is that this album was an “Enhanced CD.” If put into a computer’s CD or DVD ROM drive, it would open a program with access to special features, including: the film’s trailer, a dinosaur size chart, photos, website access, a text conversation with Don Davis, and a trailer for the unreleased PlayStation game ‘Jurassic Park: Survival.’ (It should be noted that the new 2024 soundtrack release does NOT include any of this content.) While this 2001 CD Album is now out of print, it can at least be bought for relatively cheap prices in the secondary market and is also easily available for digital purchase.

It’s been theorized that because the album’s CD needed extra space for the enhanced content (along with the Randy Newman song), it forced Don Davis to make his arrangement of the cues shorter than perhaps he wanted. This explains why the score’s runtime on the album is about 20 minutes shorter than the albums were for ‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park.’ In fact, it could have otherwise included even more additional music, given the format’s size limits of about 80 minutes.

Curiously, about a year after the album was released, an “Academy Promo” CD was sent out for Oscar consideration that found its way online (perhaps by Dennis Nedry?). This longer, unofficial version of the soundtrack contained several additional tracks not included on the commercial Decca release, including many extended film versions of existing tracks. (However, it did not include the Randy Newman song nor any of the “Enhanced CD” content.) Some of the additional highlights include music for when the raptor eggs are discovered in the jungle, the Spinosaurus chasing the group toward the aviary’s entrance, and the film’s entire climax tracks (albeit with a fuller mix and additional orchestrations). Since this wasn’t an official release that one could find in stores, these unique tracks were shared with many fans through internet piracy. Over the past two decades, this was unfortunately the only way for anyone to hear the extended version of the soundtrack apart from watching the film itself.

Now, La-La Land Records presents a brand-new 2024 expanded release. This edition includes both the original soundtrack album, the additional tracks from the Academy promo, & more!

La-La Land Records, Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Decca Records present JURASSIC PARK III, a limited edition 2-CD remastered and expanded presentation of acclaimed composer Don Davis’ (THE MATRIX, THE MATRIX RELOADED, BOUND) original motion picture score to the blockbuster second sequel in the legendary JURASSIC PARK franchise, starring Sam Neill, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni, and directed by Joe Johnston. Expertly interpolating, and building on, maestro John Williams’ iconic JURASSIC themes, composer Davis propels the film’s excitement even further with his own powerhouse, original orchestral material. Expanded and sounding better than ever, JURASSIC PARK III shines brilliantly – it’s robust, thematic high-octane film scoring that finally gets to shine in full within this deluxe release. Produced by Mike Matessino and Neil S. Bulk, newly edited by Bulk and mixed and mastered by Matessino from the original 24 bit film mixes, this 2-CD presentation showcases the original 2001 soundtrack release remastered on Disc 1, with the expanded film score spread across both discs, concluding with additional tracks on Disc 2. The exclusive, in-depth liner notes are by John Takis, including new comments from the composer, while the sharp art design is by Jim Titus, continuing the eye-catching style he employed for our JURASSIC PARK and THE LOST WORLD re-issues. This is a limited edition of 3000 Units.

The presentation of this edition of the score is the opposite of how their 2022 ‘Jurassic Park’ release was done: the original album is on the first CD, followed by the first section of the expanded score, with the rest of it and some additional alternates on the second CD. The release was presented this way due to space limitations on the CD format and their own personal preferences. The original album was included due to unique edits & takes that several of the tracks had and, of course, the Randy Newman song. For those already familiar with the original album, or want to skip to the expanded presentation, you’ll want to begin with track 17 on CD 1.

Right away, we hear something new: the film version of ‘Isla Sorna Sailing Situation.’ The only real addition to this cue is a sustained note near the beginning (as the film’s title cards are appearing on screen, and the water ripples). Other film versions as heard on the Academy promo are present, such as ‘Bone Man Ben,’ ‘Raptor Repartee,’ and ‘Cooper’s Last Stand.’ But what will be exciting for fans of the score are a few other film versions heard for the first time, such as ‘Dinosaur Man,’ ‘The Dinosaur Fly-By,’ and most notably ‘The Raptor Room’ (which includes an alternate segment and a longer moment with the choir). Additional alternates include an alternate opening to ‘Clash Of Extinction’ (a cue not heard in the film in any form), an alternate ending for ‘Raptor In The Cabin,’ and an alternate ending for ‘River Reminiscence.’ A major highlight, presented in extended form, is ‘The Hat Returns / End Credits,’ which showcases the full version of the end credits for the first time (longer, and arranged differently, than what is heard in the film).

However, despite having all of the Academy promo tracks (making those bootlegs of it finally obsolete), and a few other film versions of cues; there are still several missing, without any explanation. Most notably not on this release are film versions (or, what could be vastly different ‘film mixes’ that remove some of the brass and other instruments from their original compositions) of ‘Frenzy Fuselage,’ ‘River Rampage,’ and ‘Paul Makes A Leap.’ What’s interesting is that some of these tracks do have supposed “extended” versions on this release, but when hearing them there are no discernable differences. Listening closely, there are only either very minor performance differences or a sustained note with a longer fadeout at the end. The cues ‘Party Crasher,’ ‘Brachiosaurs On The Bank,’ and ‘Pteranodon Habitat’ have different openings or endings entirely in the film as well, and are also not present here. ‘Pteranodon Habitat’ has a timpani-heavy ending in the film, and while it is not certain if this piece was even composed by Don Davis, it would have been nice to have gleamed some explanation. Unfortunately, the liner notes (while detailed on the film’s history and the making of the score) don’t give us any intel on this topic.

Do these omissions taint the release of this soundtrack? That may depend on how much you were hoping to have those versions of the tracks. Neither me nor Bernard A. Kyer (who provided some details mentioned in this review) were asked to participate in this release like we did for ‘Jurassic Park’ in 2022 and ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ in 2023, so we can’t explain the absence of these film versions. There is a chance that the elements used in the film could not be found, or some strange rights issues, but without any information given we can only speculate. In my personal opinion, I do prefer the fuller orchestrated versions of these tracks that are included rather than what can be heard in the film.

Omissions aside, this is still the best release the ‘Jurassic Park 3’ soundtrack has ever had. The clever cover artwork that matches the prior two releases is fantastic, the sound quality is great, we finally have an official release of the Academy promo’s tracks, and it provides several film versions of cues people have wanted to hear outside of the film ever since it came out. With the original album also included at the beginning, there really is no need to own the previous release unless you want to hang onto the “Enhanced CD” content (if it even works on your computer anymore).

Listen to some sound clips of the new release below, then be sure to order your copy from La-La Land Records today!

TRACK LISTING (with select sound clips):

DISC 1
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM (54:28)
1 Isla Sorna Sailing Situation 4:21
2 The Dinosaur Fly-By 2:13
3 Cooper’s Last Stand 1:59
4 The Raptor Room 2:35
5 Raptor Repartee 3:04
6 Tree People 2:00
7 Pteranodon Habitat 3:01
8 Tiny Pecking Pteranodons 3:34
9 Billy Oblivion 2:49
10 Brachiosaurus
On The Bank 2:05
11 Nash Calling 3:36
12 Bone Man Ben 7:18
13 Frenzy Fuselage 3:58
14 Clash Of Extinction 1:39
15 The Hat Returns / End Credits 5:07
16 Big Hat, No Cattle 4:24
Performed by Randy Newman

SCORE PRESENTATION (85:07)
17 Isla Sorna Sailing Situation (Film Version) 4:26
18 Dinosaur Man 1:43
19 Udesky, Nash And Cooper 2:29
20 The Raptor Bone 1:18
21 Raptor In The Cabin 1:52
22 The Dinosaur Fly-By (Film Version) 2:28
23 Cooper’s Last Stand (Extended Version) 2:52
24 Frenzy Fuselage (Extended Version) 4:08
25 Clash Of Extinction 1:40
DISC 1 TOTAL TIME: 77:40

DISC 2
SCORE PRESENTATION CONT’D
1 Kirby Paint And Tile Plus 4:07
2 Bone Man Ben (Film Version) 3:39
3 Raptor Eggs 2:54
4 The Raptor Room (Film Version) 2:44
5 Raptor Repartee (Film Version) 3:28
6 Eric To The Rescue 1:52
7 Tree People (Film Version) 2:02
8 Nash Calling 3:36
9 Party Crasher 3:16
10 Pteranodon Habitat 3:01
11 Tiny Pecking Pteranodons (Film Version) 3:24
12 Billy Oblivion (Film Version) 2:54
13 Brachiosaurus On The Bank 2:05
14 Reaching For Glory 2:32
15 River Rampage 2:13
16 Paul Makes The Leap 2:59
17 River Reminiscence 1:07
18 Raptor Harassment 3:41
19 The Hat Returns / End Credits (Extended Version) 10:02

ADDITIONAL MUSIC (13:14)
20 Dinosaur Man (Alternate) 1:43
21 Raptor In The Cabin (Alternate) 1:52
22 Cooper’s Last Stand (Alternate) 2:38
23 Clash Of Extinction (Alternate Opening) 1:46
24 River Rampage (Alternate Ending) 2:11
25 River Reminiscence (Alternate Ending) 1:08
26 Dinosaur Man (With Choir) 1:44
DISC 2 TOTAL TIME: 75:18
TOTAL 2-DISC TIME: 2:32:58

Still available from La-La Land Records are their 2-CD remastered/expanded reissues of ‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park!’ Don’t miss your chance to own the ultimate versions of those scores as well!

Note: Additional images of physical product provided by Matthieu Munoz.

Are you going to get this new release of the ‘Jurassic Park 3’ soundtrack? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

Review – Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Season 2

Posted on by Jurassic Outpost

Season 2 of Jurassic World’s animated show Chaos Theory premieres on Netflix October 17th! We were fortunate to be able to view it ahead of time, and we’re excited to share our review and reactions to the upcoming season!

Chaos Theory debuted in May 2024 and was a follow-up to Camp Cretaceous, a five-season show which saw six teenage campers become stranded on the island of Isla Nublar after the Jurassic World disaster.

Chaos Theory picked things up six years after the campers were finally rescued and brought us into a world where dinosaurs now roam alongside humans on the mainland after escaping from Lockwood Manor, the Arcadia transport ship, and proliferating via the spread of genetic technology. 

The first season was a master class in both storytelling and its ability to tie its animated world to that of the live-action Jurassic World films.

We met the more mature versions of the survivors from Camp Cretaceous – dubbed the Nublar Six – as they dealt with a whole new conspiracy that links back to the disappearance of one of their own – Brooklynn.

The question is, will the second season continue the same feeling of thrills, wonder, adventure, and terror as the first? Will we get answers about Brooklynn’s disappearance, and where is the cargo ship heading?

Read on for our review of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Season Two!

When we last saw the Nublar Five they were boarding a dinosaur-filled cargo ship, destination unknown. The first season unraveled the beginning of the conspiracy – the group discovered that agents within the DPW, a Government organization tasked with ensuring dinosaurs and humans can co-exist, were also facilitating part of the dinosaur black-market trade. Brooklynn herself had been investigating dinosaur trading by DPW agents since the events at Lockwood Manor, and was believed to have been killed by a rogue Allosaurus at one of these dino-drops.

The season showed us the Nublar Five reuniting in the wake of Brooklynn’s death, and trying to find answers to exactly what happened to her. This led them to many places across the USA, and introduced them to a handful of new characters – the mysterious raptor handler, DPW regional manager Dudley Cabrera, Bobby Nublar, and Mateo, the DPW worker who was driving the truck containing the Allosaurus, and witnessed Brooklynn’s supposed death. These characters all help piece together the puzzle of what exactly happened that fateful night and established that a much larger conspiracy is at play.

It is revealed to us at the very end of the season that Brooklynn survived the attack and has been monitoring both her friends and the DPW’s dinosaur trading in hiding, using the website DarkJurassic and a “new working relationship” with Daniel Kon to collect data and communicate with whistleblowers.

The first season did a wonderful job of showing us a world post-Fallen Kingdom, where dinosaurs now roam free across many states in America. We saw both the havoc they can cause, whether intentionally or not, and the many ways in which humans capitalized on the de-extinct animal’s arrival.

Given how high the stakes were following the end of the first season, has Season Two managed to capture the same success, and also expand on it?

In short: yes, it absolutely has.

Season 2 picks up exactly where we left off – the group are holed up in an empty dinosaur container awaiting the ship to reach its destination, and we get a sense they’ve been traveling for quite some time now. This season continues to expand on our titular characters, and focuses in on their internal struggles.

A highlight of the first season was the PTSD the characters faced after their time on the islands – specifically Yaz, who was dealing with some serious trauma. This season continues this thread, but focuses more on Kenji, who – while stoic and acting strong in front of his friends – is struggling immensely with the death of Brooklynn and his father.

The characters pick up on this, and we’re treated to some rather tender moments between members of the group – a credit to the writers’ work managing to intertwine these characters internal struggles with the dangers that surround them. It continues to be refreshing having a show aimed at a younger audience that is willing to mature with its characters and its audience, and not pull away from portraying complex human emotions.

While all the characters get their screen time, a large focus is put on Darius and his own memories with and feelings for Brooklynn – something that caused conflict between he and Kenji in the first season, and continues to be something the three of them contend with.

The first episode truly throws us right into the adventure. After a storm knocks out power on the ship, some of the dinosaurs escape their containment – including the new, big bad dinosaur, the Majungasaurus. This menacing dinosaur and the escape of others on-board are shown to us in a brilliant, tension-building way – mostly through strikes of lightning that show the chaos of panicked dinosaurs and their predatory drive in flashes of light, chasing and hunting the humans on the ship.

It poses a serious threat to the characters aboard the ship, which is something Chaos Theory season 2 continues to do so well: showing us the true terror that can come from these de-extinct beasts, but also the relationships that can form between humans and calmer species. And we must say, especially in the first episode, Chaos Theory season 2 builds excellent, suspenseful atmospheres for our characters to interact with these creatures in.

After a turbulent first episode, the group manage to escape the ship and eventually make it to land. The first season did a great job of showing us dinosaurs across America and what the reality of that means, and this season is no different. It takes a big swing taking us to environments entirely new to the franchise, outside of the USA, but it’s handled perfectly.

The introductions of a new location and two new characters (a mother and daughter native to the region) all feels natural, and is a welcome change. The inclusion of this new culture, language, and environment are presented flawlessly and are exciting to have joining the Jurassic franchise. Many of this season’s main dinosaur species being native to the continent or area of the world is a great real-world paleontology nod as well.

As many have guessed, we are taken to a country in Western Africa and introduced to Zayna and Aminata who have found ways to co-exist with the dinosaurs that recently arrived. A small herd of Stegosaurs live nearby to their home, and a particular Gallimimus becomes somewhat of a Bumpy-like figure to Zayna.

We learn through dialogue that the dinosaurs aren’t supposed to be here – and that Darius didn’t think other continents even had dinosaurs. This all ties into the larger conspiracy at play, which leads the group to travel up-river to find answers about where the dinosaurs are coming from – and who is behind it. New dinosaurs and some familiar favorites fill out this season, with a particular spotlight given to the Suchomimus – a semi-aquatic dinosaur that becomes quite a concern for the group. As the group continues to explore this new location and find answers, we are finally re-introduced to Brooklynn, and find out exactly what happened on that dreaded night.

Her character is handled carefully and her own storyline is expanded, providing evidence and much-needed context for her actions following that attack. Like the other characters, she’s dealing with her own post-traumatic stress coupled with the high-stakes nature of her investigation activities, and this is something navigated expertly as we move through the story.

However, she’s on a mission and will seemingly stop at nothing to get it done – even at times putting herself in more danger. She’s following leads and not letting her newfound disability hold her back. Season 2 tackles the two storylines at once, jumping between Brooklynn’s own globe-trotting adventure and the Nublar Five’s survival and simultaneous investigation in Western Africa.

We are also shown further examples of how the world post-Fallen Kingdom dinosaur escape is dealing with these creatures. After a few years attempting to co-exist, you get a sense that people are beginning take matters into their own hands. A particular vigilante group emerges, Dinosaur Liberation Now, showing that people are growing tired of the dinosaurs being there, and are also not happy with the captivity that many of them involuntarily find themselves in.

Many are curious about the identity of The Broker. The character was teased in the first season, and is unveiled in the new season. We can’t say anything about that yet – but it’s worth the wait and something you will want to uncover for yourself. The character will be a big surprise to many.

The writers of Camp Cretaceous and Chaos Theory successfully tied some of the show’s elements to the live-action movies and the second season expands on this – we learn more about the state of the world between Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, and certain plot elements tie the show even closer to the third Jurassic World movie.

As the show continues it could tie even closer to the movies, perhaps aligning directly with Dominion or even filling in more gaps in the Jurassic timeline after the events of Dominion. Regardless of where we’re headed, season 2 certainly progresses and modernizes the Jurassic franchise in great ways.

This season continues to deliver on the gorgeous settings and animation. The locations are diverse and intriguing, with the lighting and composition aiding in the storytelling and providing some very Jurassic visuals. It all comes together to deliver on a truly great looking show, with fantastic dinosaur textures and character animation throughout.

Leo Birenberg delivers on the score yet again, providing a terror-inducing soundtrack that is clearly inspired by the films and music of Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann. It is concurrently mysterious, intense, moving, and perfectly synthesized to match this modern Jurassic thriller.

Season two is full of terror, adventure, and well-written characters, with plenty of mysteries to explore. It also has enough connective tissue to the Jurassic Park franchise as a whole to satisfy any fan. It takes the Jurassic story to quite unexpected places, and certainly ups the stakes to progress even further in the animated Jurassic World.

As a whole season 2 delivers on the premise established in the first, and continues to expand the stories and mysteries that this animated show has crafted. It might not be quite as hard-hitting as the first season, but following that fantastic debut was always going to be tough, and nothing really holds this back.

This season quickly advances the Chaos Theory adventure into its next phase, and brings the story to places never before seen in the Jurassic franchise, all while providing just as much intrigue and suspense. It features some nice ties back to season one of the show as well as some great references to multiple films in the Jurassic franchise. Importantly, season two also does a great job building on the themes of disability and inclusion with another diverse roster of characters and creatures.

But that’s just our opinion! And when the season drops, we’d love to hear yours down below in the comments!

Chaos Theory’s second season arrives on Netflix October 17th, and if you enjoyed the first season, get ready to continue this thrilling adventure! Check out our full video review below!

‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ Celebrates 25th Anniversary With New Soundtrack Release!

Posted on by Derrick Davis

BBC’s 1999 TV mini-series ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ is one of my favorite dinosaur media productions that has ever been made. It became “the most-watched factual science programme on British TV of the 20th century,” spawning an entire genre of dinosaur documentaries where we truly felt like we were part of their world. I remember watching its broadcast on the Discovery Channel and being absolutely blown away. Despite its outdated science, the original ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ remains the pinnacle of how to tell these stories in a way that is completely alluring, realistic, and genuinely moving. It’s a cinematic classic that is personally unrivaled, although next year a new series with the same name will be released.

To celebrate the original program’s 25th anniversary, composer Ben Bartlett is reissuing his majestic and memorable score on digital platforms! Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, this score was the winner of the BAFTA for “Best Original Television Music” in 2000, and its legacy has been lovingly endured by its fans ever since.

Composer Ben Bartlett says:

“I am super excited to be re-releasing my music for Walking With Dinosaurs after 25 years, and to revisit my musical roots in orchestral music. Listening to these tracks again I am struck with how fresh they sound. I feel I am coming full circle after living a quarter of a century in TV and Film music production, and liberating a musical spirit from its amber mould.”

“Over the years I have received heartwarming messages from both aspiring composers and paleontologists. Some now mature scientists have expressed gratitude for the music for the iconic show Walking With Dinosaurs, as during their childhood it tapped into emotions beyond the reach of pure science, and driving a passion for paleontology. I am incredibly touched that over the years Composers have frequently got in touch to connect about how the music led them to pursue careers in music for picture, and the score has been used at music colleges around the world.”

The score is available on various digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube, & Qobuz (high resolution audio).

This new soundtrack release appears to be remastered and is a tad louder than before. In terms of music that was previously unreleased, there are really only two tracks.

The opening track “Walking With Dinosaurs” omits the Kenneth Branagh dialogue that played over the original CD version from 1999 (he was the narrator on the original program) in favor of simply the music. While some may miss that edit, I personally am happy to finally have this piece of music without it. Interestingly, the opening brass statement (and perhaps the rest) sounds like a different performance as well.

The second track with unreleased music comes near the 2:50 mark of the aptly renamed “Torosaurs Lock Horns Plus,” providing about a minute of new material.

A few tracks from the score actually appear to have slightly less music compared to the original CD release, but in minor ways that may not be detected by most in the form of micro-edits. The biggest example of this is “Cruel Sea,” which is over 40 seconds shorter than its CD counterpart. It seems to mostly remove some of the track’s repetition in parts, but it is curious such an edit was made for a digital release when length is not relevant. I can only assume this was done by Ben Bartlett for his own personal preferences, but completists may want to hang onto their CDs to retain the minor omissions. Because of this, and other music from the show that is still missing from this release, I hesitate to refer to this as a “complete” release myself.

After the “End Credits” track, there are three additional tracks from the ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ special ‘The Ballad Of Big Al’ (aka ‘Allosaurus’). These were previously on the CD album for the ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ sequel production from 2001, ‘Walking With Beasts.’ It’s more appropriate to now have them included on this release, featuring some of the most rousing action music of the entire saga in “Battle Of The Salt Plains.”

The ‘Walking With Beasts’ soundtrack also has a new digital release of its equally fantastic score. It includes several never-before-heard tracks from the program, performed by the BBC Singers, and is available at the same Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube, & Qobuz (high resolution audio) links.

While the ‘Beasts’ soundtrack release is also not “complete,” it does feature about 18 minutes of previously unreleased music; covering episodes of the program that weren’t represented before. This will be a godsend for fans, since the original soundtrack CD album was apparently fast-tracked for release before the final two episodes were even scored. This is something Ben Bartlett has wanted to rectify ever since, making this new release an important milestone.

For fans of ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ who have never heard the ‘Beasts’ score, it features much more percussive elements throughout and a darker overall tone (ala ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’). Several tracks also feature very effective choir, usually in the form of chants, that give it a striking identity not present in the previous score. Definitely worth a listen, especially in this extended release.

Previously, AI artwork was used for both digital album covers but was quickly changed to instead feature the composer among museum displays. A forthcoming vinyl release of both scores will apparently feature original paleo artwork for their covers. No ETA on those releases just yet, or if the digital versions will have their album artwork updated to match. Sadly, CD collectors, like me, appear to be omitted from all releases (the format isn’t dead yet!).

Despite the mentioned issues of both score releases, it is still great to have them widely available again for everyone to hear. I think every ‘Jurassic Park’ fan should give them a listen (and perhaps throw Bartlett’s name in the ring to score ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth?’). Hopefully Blu-Ray releases of the original programs themselves will also be on the way to celebrate the anniversary!

Do you remember the original ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ mini-series from 1999 and its sequels/spinoffs (including ‘Prehistoric Park‘ starring Nigel Marvin)? Reminisce in the comments below, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

NOTE: This article was updated on 10/22/2024 to reflect album cover updates & more information on the ‘Walking With Beasts’ soundtrack.

Frontier Includes Details for ‘New Jurassic World Game’ in Latest Report

Posted on by J. Malone

Frontier Developments released their latest portfolio strategy and financial reports, which included information about the ongoing development of their third Jurassic World game.

The report states:

‘Development is on track for a third Jurassic World game coming in FY26, in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, alongside the promotional support of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s all-new film, Jurassic World Rebirth, currently scheduled for release on 2 July 2025.’

News broke back in June of Frontier developing a third Jurassic Park Evolution game. The news was met with mixed reactions. While it is exciting to see Frontier continuing to delve into the world of Jurassic, the question of “is another Evolution needed?” hovers.

The announcement of the third game came only weeks after the Park Manager’s DLC Pack release for Jurassic World Evolution 2. So, with JWE2 still getting new content, what is the need for a whole new game? Furthermore, the overall release of JWE2 felt muddled. The game’s initial release felt incomplete and was rife with bugs. Then DLCs and content that felt like it should’ve been included to begin with were sold separately over months at varying prices. While a beautiful and masterful game, it’s been hard to not feel the constant twist of the capitalistic knife during the entirety of JWE2’s existence. And, if I’m being honest, that’s exactly what a Jurassic World Evolution 3 feels like.

While JWE2 certainly expanded (and in some cases perfected) what JWE1 started, it perhaps doesn’t feel as if there has been enough growth or change to warrant yet another entry in the series. In fact, some gamers and Jurassic fans have pointed to that being a reason why they weren’t interested in JWE2 even.

So, what are some things that Frontier could change or include that would turn Jurassic World Evolution 3 into an instant MUST? We have some thoughts.

1.) More “Scientifically Accurate” skins (ala Rex 65 MYA, Utahraptor, Deinocheirus,) and skins we don’t have yet

On top of expecting every species of animal and their skins that we’ve had thus far in the JWE canon, we’d LOVE to see skins that we haven’t had yet for certain animals (*cough* TLW Ptera *cough*).

We would also love if a lot more of them got the “realistic” makeover. Come on, gimme a small feathered Velociraptor. A fluffy compy. A seven-meter-long Dilophosaurus.

2.) Dinosaurs from the Universe and Juveniles

While there are a great many species included in JWE, there are still several dinosaurs from the Jurassic canon missing. Fans love to try and recreate scenes from the books, games, and more- we want to see some of our favorite dinosaurs from different parts of the series brought to life. Psittacosaur. Coelurus. Mussaurus. Ornitholestes. We can go on. Call us Frontier, we got a list on standby.

Also, it would be amazing if we could finally get juveniles, or even eggs and nests. Juveniles alone would be a great addition, for being able to make a Gentle Giants Petting Zoo, a proper Tyrant family on Isla Sorna, or hidden raptor tribes in the jungles of your park. The Jurassic franchise shows off so many amazing juvenile dinosaurs, yet we’ve never had a Jurassic game that lets us have them in our park. It’s a shame.

3.) Create your own hybrid

Enough said. I want to just have a high-quality version of the splicing machine in my Jurassic Park 3 Dino Dex. Is that too much to ask for?

4.) Rides/Coasters/Attraction creation

River Adventure/Kayak Ride is a must, first off. We’ve been begging for it forever.

On top of that, it would just be wonderful to actually build other attractions. We’ve seen the Jurassic franchise utilize “rides” in the stories for their theme parks, and in expanded material like Camp Cretaceous, Jurassic Park The Game, and more. Rides are undeniably an important part of any theme park, and there’s a severe lack of rides in the JWE games. Let us build our own VelociCoaster.

5.) More “Non-Dinosaurs”

Deinosuchus, Sarcosuchus, Megalania, Beelzebufu, Postosuchus, maybe even large arthropods? And, come on, it’s time for some mammals.

6.) ADS System

A key plot element in Jurassic World: Dominion, BioSyn’s ADS system helps keep the pterosaurs in their vally corraled and under a certain height, outside of “aviary” like enclosures.

It’d be great if this was added to the game so that we could have pterosaurs flying around in paddocks with other animals, but not necessarily able to fly around our parks doing damage and killing guests.

7.) More Decorations, Building Modification Options, and “Stops” for Guests

More signage, rest areas, smoking areas, smaller vending decorations, TLW double trailers, building ruins, the list is honestly endless.

8.) More ranger missions.

Where JW2 really shines is on the missions during the various modes. Frontier took the idea of small missions that goes back to Jurassic Park Operation Genesis and made them so immersive that you truly get wrapped up in the beauty, the chase, or the tension sometimes during these tasks. They are the best moments of the game, and we desperately want more of them.

So, tell us, what do you want from Jurassic World Evolution 3?

Walking with Dinosaurs to Return in 2025 with All-New Series

Posted on by J. Malone

BBC Studios recently announced that they are co-producing an all-new Walking with Dinosaurs series with ZDF and France Télévisions, for the BBC and PBS stations.

From the official press release:

‘In an exciting reimagining of one of the BBC’s best loved factual shows, each episode of Walking with Dinosaurs will tell the dramatic story of an individual dinosaur whose remains are currently being unearthed by the world’s leading dinosaur hunters. Thanks to cutting-edge science, experts can reveal how these prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died more accurately than ever before. As the dinosaur’s bones emerge from the ground, the series will bring these prehistoric stories to life with state-of-the-art visual effects – making each episode a gripping dinosaur drama based on the very latest evidence.‘

The original Walking with Dinosaurs series, which debuted in 1999, mixed digital and practical effects to showcase dinosaurs (and other animals that lived during the Mesozoic) in natural environments and with [at the time] up-to-date scientific knowledge. The six-part series was record-breaking, and due to its popularity, it spawned several spin-off series and specials, such as Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special, Walking with Beasts and Sea Monsters. There was also a very successful Walking With Dinosaurs arena show (produced by Creature Technology Company, who are also responsible for the animatronics used for a plethora of Jurassic projects such as Jurassic World Live Tour!, Jurassic World The Exhibition, and Jurassic World Adventure at Universal Bejing,) and one unfortunately unsuccessful movie attempt in 2013.

The new Walking with series will span six episodes and audiences can expect to meet many different prehistoric species in an array of Mesozoic landscapes. These include a Spinosaurus roaming the rivers of ancient Morocco; Cretaceous favorites of North America; and a lonely Lusotitan risking it all for a chance at love in Portugal. Scientific consultants, such as Dr. Thomas Holtz, have also given hints as to how the series will be structured:

Watch the teaser for the all-new series, and let us know in the comments if you’re excited about the new series and what you hope to see!