In a new interview with Radio Times, Jurassic Park’s Jeff Goldblum shared some information on what we may expect from the return of his character, Ian Malcolm, in the upcoming fifth Jurassic film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. While he definitely does not want to spoil anything about the film, he did say this:
“Ian Malcolm, yes might be back in this one, and he might have something to say about the current confluence of circumstances around the use and misuse of technology. With some irony, deep wise passionate conviction……”
Goldblum also teases that Malcolm might again be wearing some dark clothing and tinted glasses. Of course the entire interview is it a bit humorous in nature – though his wardrobe hints come as no surprise to fans. Did you pick up how he changed his voice to sound more Malcolm-like when talking about his role? His words hint at a return to form for his character, possibly straying away from his personalty shift seen in The Lost World.
Finally, while not saying much, Colin Trevorrow has broken the recent trend of silence, offering a hint of an update:
What do you think of the new comments Jeff Goldblum made about the return of his iconic character Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below and on our forums!
Yesterday’s announcement of Jurassic World Evolution didn’t hide the fact that the game took place on the home of Jurassic Park and World – Isla Nublar. However, the full press kit has shared additional and exciting details about the upcoming video game that are sure to excite super fans. Most intriguingly, Jurassic World Evolution will include ‘The Five Deaths’ – aka Isla Sorna and its surrounding islands.
Las Cinco Muertes Map – seen in The Lost World and JP3
The Muertes Archipelago was first introduced in The Lost World, and while little is known about the islands outside of Isla Sorna, the other islands (Isla Matanceros, Isla Muerta, Isla Tacaño and Isla Pena) are known to be dangerous by locals. Do they also sport wild dinosaur populations, perhaps escaped from Sorna? And the bigger question is does this have any relevance to Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, which is also mentioned in the press kit?
Check out the info in full:
Frontier Developments plc today announced its new game, Jurassic World Evolution, and revealed the first trailer. Based on Universal Pictures’ iconic film franchise and created in collaboration with Universal Brand Development, the game expands on the official Jurassic World mythology and puts players in charge of cinema’s greatest tourist destination – where they will have the opportunity to create and manage their own Jurassic World. Launching in summer 2018, Jurassic World Evolution will be coming to PC, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system.
“As long-time fans of the entire Jurassic series we’re thrilled to be putting players in charge of their own Jurassic World,” said Frontier’s Chief Creative Officer, Jonny Watts. “We’re excited to bring over fifteen years of management, simulation, and creature development expertise to a destination and franchise that remains an inspiration to us.”
Jurassic World Evolution evolves players’ relationship with the Jurassic World film franchise, placing them in control of operations on the legendary island of Isla Nublar and the surrounding islands of the Muertes Archipelago. Players will build their own Jurassic World as they bioengineer new dinosaur breeds and construct attractions, containment and research facilities. Every choice leads to a different path and spectacular challenges arise when ‘life finds a way.’
The game is scheduled to release next summer and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will be in theatres June 2018.
Another key bit of info in the kit is the phrasing of “bioengineer new dinosaur breeds” – does this mean the ability to create your own hybrids, as seen in the mobile Jurassic World game will make an appearence? Hybrids are seemingly here to stay with the franchise, so our bet is on yes (plus even the title Evolution hints at the concept). As long as the game puts the focus primarily on the many ‘real’ dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, World, and the various sequels I personally will welcome hybrids.
What do you want to see from Jurassic World Evolution? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned for the latest news!
Roaring out of 2017’s San Diego Comic Con comes a new officially licensed Jurassic Park collectible… John Hammond’s Amber Cane!
Chronicle Collectibles have partnered with Paradise Collect, a new online store dedicated to movie and entertainment memorabilia such as action figures, statues, props, posters and more! The website has launched with a number of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World products from Chronicle Collectibles, as well as Paradise Collectibles’ first exclusive product:
Chronicle Collectibles and Paradise Collect began collaborating on this iconic prop replica in 2015 and has been working tirelessly to ensure it is as accurate as can be to the cane seen in Jurassic Park and briefly in The Lost World.
Celebrate the legacy of Jurassic Park by bringing home a piece of history with this exclusive limited edition 1:1 prop replica of John Hammond’s Amber Cane, cast from an original film prop with an expertly crafted finish. Special Jurassic Park logo plague, hanger clip, and wall mount hardware included.
Fans, collectors, and movie goers alike will instantly recognize this piece of luxurious pre-historic deco as there are none others line it! This walking stick is constructed of a cast resin shaft in the form of thirteen tapering sections of dinosaur bone crowned by an egg-shaped multifaceted top gem of amber, with a large prehistoric, fossilized mosquito suspended inside. The cane ends with a screen accurate footer tip and is sure to amaze and inspire pop culture enthusiasts around the globe!
The cane is an officially licensed product and the delivery is expected to be in the fourth quarter of 2017. The full price is $249.99, but much like Chronicle, Paradise Collect offers payment plans. The 6 month plan brings the cane down to $42 a month!
Only 1000 canes will be produced, so be sure to secure a copy before the opportunity goes extinct! Pre-order now!
Paradise Collectibles Group is proud to announce the official release of the Jurassic Park John Hammond Cane by Chronicle Collectibles, LLC. This product is a high-end collectible prop replica and is a global exclusive to Paradise Collectibles Group and its website paradisecollect.com. Paradise Collectibles Group is retailer of officially licensed pop culture collectibles based around your favorite movie & entertainment properties.
The year is 1993 – Kenner releases the Jurassic Park toy line which shaped many of our childhoods. From there on, Kenner (and eventually Hasbro when they entirely overtook Kenner and their products) made Jurassic Park toy lines. Whether it was a spin-off like ‘Chaos Effect’, ‘Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs’ or ‘Camo-X-Treme’ or a film line, the franchise was handled by the same company.
Most recently, Hasbro released the ‘Jurassic World’ toy line in 2015 – and to be blunt, the toys were not good. Velociraptors were missing their sickle claws, toys were poorly sculpted, poorly and cheaply painted, prone to breaking, and riddled with gaping screw holes. Not to mention, there was no sense of size consistency in the line, and it did not feature traditional human action figures. Fans were bummed.
Apparently, so was Universal Pictures – while Hasbro began to improve the quality with much better paint application on 2016’s ‘Dino Hybrid’ line, they lost the license that summer to Mattel. This is now uncharted territory – and truth be told, when I first heard the news I wasn’t excited. Mattel has no current lineups that prove they could do the classic Jurassic style of lineup (which is quite similar to current Star Wars offerings from Hasbro), and Hasbro had just put out some of the best Jurassic Park toys ever a few years back (see: Jurassic Park 2009/2011).
Art by James Flames, click for full
Let me just jump to the point: I was wrong to doubt Mattel. While the final quality of the toys remains to be seen, the lineup style is what fans have wanted and true to the legacy of Jurassic Park.
Recently, Mattel held a showcase for vendors, licencors, and more where they showed off their in-development and upcoming lines. As you can imagine, Jurassic World was there – and from what we have heard, it was easily the biggest highlight of any Mattel offering. We’re going to avoid going into too deep into specifics, as certain items will spoil future surprises, including things about the new film.
However, this is the lay of the land for the upcoming Jurassic World toys from Mattel (the images used below are from past Jurassic Park offerings, and used for demonstrative purposes only):
3 3/4″ Human Action Figures ($10)
Yes, human action figures are back – they will be roughly 3 3/4″ tall, and in scale with past Hasbro offerings. They will follow the Kenner styling of including a small or hatchling dinosaur, and some gear/weapons. However, from our understanding the gear skews more towards collectors than play factor (as in Dr. Ian Malcolm includes a film accurate flare – not a net launcher) – and the toys have articulation that will surely please.
Basic Dinosaur Figures ($10)
The bread and butter of the line – the dinosaurs are back! Roughly 6″ long, these are comparable to the basic non-electronic dinosaurs of the Kenner toy lines (or the Bash & Bites from Jurassic World). Much like classic Kenner, these dinosaurs are not dressed with permanent mortal wounds, and have simple articulation tied to a basic action feature. One of my favorite bits of news: size of the dinosaurs are considered when choosing what type of toy to make. There will be no miniature adult Tyrannosaurs – it will focus on smaller species like Velociraptor, and Gallimimus.
ROARIVORES (Electronic Dinosaur Figures) ($15)
Slightly larger than the basic dinosaur figures, these toys focus on electronic roars tied to a biting mechanism. They again do not have open wounds, and while they are not posed as neutrally as classic Kenner toys, they are less awkard than the Jurassic Park 3 offerings. Again, the size of the dinosaurs were considered when developing these toys – so at this time, there are no electronic Velociraptors, but rather species of a larger size will be focused on.
SUPER STRIKE DINOS (Deluxe Dinosaur Figures) ($20)
Slightly larger than the electronic figures, these hearken back to the classic non electronic Kenner dinosaurs of the medium size. An example that was described to use was a Stegosaurus with a tail swinging action that was very Kenner in looks. However, it was apparently closer in size to the JP 2013 Dino Showdows Pachyrhinosaurs.
Large Dinosaur Figures (prices vary)
Yes, they have a Tyrannosaurus Rex (two in fact!) and we have heard both steal the show. We’re going to avoid describing them anymore, as they’re worth waiting for the official reveal to be surprised! But it’s worth noting that there are more than Tyrannosaurs in the large scale, and some figures use a “Real feel” latex/rubber, have action features, and electronic roars.
Vehicles (prices vary)
Not much to say other than they’re film accurate, look awesome, and are scaled to the human figures. Everything in this line is sized correctly, much like the classic Kenner toys. The classic Jurassic Park Jeep has a few details super fans are sure to LOVE!
Matchbox (prices vary)
Gone are the fictional vehicles – they’re being replaced with small film accurate vehicles from all five films! Some include small dinosaurs, and the entire lineup was described as similar to the Micro Machines (but bigger) sold alongside The Lost World. This includes some very cool playsets based upon movie moments!
Games (prices vary)
There will be games – including something tied to pivotal plot elements of Jurassic World 2!
Various ‘smart’/electronic toys (prices vary)
Drones, remote control vehicles, and more! While a lot of these won’t be cheap, they do offer great modern play functionality.
Some key notes: Mattel’s first Jurassic World lineup will be called something similar to ‘Jurassic World: The Classic Collection’. This lineup is scheduled to hit stores late this year or early next year, and is mainly based upon the first Jurassic Park. While they boast film accuracy for all their items, it does seem to also borrow from Kenner by featuring dinosaurs never seen in the films.
Sometime early spring (mid April) in 2018 the Jurassic World 2 toys will begin to arrive in stores. Much like the classic Jurassic line, it boasts film accuracy and a multitude of figures and offerings. From there, the line should continue to populate shelves with new waves featuring figures from the latest sequel, or past films. There are apparently quite a few more classes/skus of toys from Mattel than those listed above, so there are plenty of surprises in store!
It’s worth noting that some of the basic dinosaur figures were described as slightly exaggerated looking, with proportions and poses that were more cartoony than realistic. Our hope is that between now and release, those items will be refined and perfected to better match their film counterparts (and proper realistic anatomical poses). Otherwise, we’re thrilled by what the line is slated to offer, and cannot wait to see photo’s from it – there are quite a few more surprises Mattel has up their sleeves, so stay tuned!
As always, sound off in the comments and let us know what dinosaurs, characters, and vehicles you want toys for. Happy #JurassicJune, everyone!
Everybody’s favourite sequel to Jurassic Park has turned twenty! 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released in theaters exactly twenty years ago today, four years after Jurassic Park. The sequel was directed by Steven Spielberg and penned by David Koepp, and was loosely based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name.
Over the years the sequel has gained some critical reviews, mainly focusing on how different it is to the book and due to the final scene, which brought the Tyrannosaurus Rex to the mainland. However, there is also a lot of love for it. For me it’s as enjoyable and thrilling as Jurassic Park; I love how distinctively different the aesthetic is to the first film, how gritty, dirty and dark the cinematography is compared to Dean Cundey’s, but how the film managed to retain the same themes and values from the first.
In a way, it’s a perfect sequel – it holds the beliefs of the original and maintains a familiar setting, but builds a darker and scarier tone.
The animatronics, the visual effects, the characters, the vehicles, the Goldblum, the lighting… everything about this movie is Jurassic Park.
What will you be doing to celebrate The Lost World’s 20th anniversary? If you’re in the UK and near to London, the Prince Charles Cinema is showing the first two films back to back in a 35mm print – this is worth checking out! There is also a screening of the first three films at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, animation director Randal M. Dutra recently spoke with vfxblog about his work on the film, and reflected on the early days of visual effects within the film industry.
Randal worked for Tippett Studio on Jurassic Park and was heavily involved in the stop-motion technology that Phil Tippett pioneered. After the success of Jurassic Park he moved to ILM as an Animation Director, and discusses his work on the film in detail. Worth the read! Thanks to Ian for sending this our way.
Let us know if and why you love this sequel in the comments section below – just follow the screams.
With the recent announcement that Jeff Goldblum will be reprising his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in the upcoming sequel to Jurassic World, what better way to celebrate than to watch Jurassic Park and The Lost World back to back?
The Prince Charles Cinema in London agrees and will be hosting a Double Feature screening of both movies, back to back, in 35mm!
The screening takes place on Saturday 17th June and opens at 8:45pm, with tickets costing £15 for non-members and £12.50 for members. You can purchase your tickets here!
The Prince Charles Cinema is known for screening original 35mm (or 70mm!) prints of movies and bringing back classics and cult films. They host marathons of popular franchises and also host movie premieres. The first time I went to the Prince Charles was for the premiere of a movie I had worked on. Another experience (and I really mean experience) was when they screened The Room and had Tommy Wiseau there, signing Blu-Rays. What a guy.
It’s a great cinema and is located right next to Leicester Square, so grab some food in Chinatown then head down to the Prince Charles! I’ll be there, will you?
At long last, we’re happy to exclusively present the entire story arc of the first season of Jurassic Park the animated series – straight from the story treatment created in the 90’s. ‘Escape from Jurassic Park’ was meant to be a prime-time television series, utilizing state-of-the-art animation to directly followup the events of the first film – however it was cancelled before fully going into production. Unlike other animated series, this was not meant to be a cartoon aimed at younger audiences, but rather targeted at the audience of the Jurassic Park film, which it would be tonally consistent with.
Sadly, the animated series was eventually cancelled before completion, and was seemingly lost to time. But much like the study of dinosaurs themselves, we did some intensive digging and uncovered the remains of something long thought extinct. This story outline was created at the now defunct Universal Cartoon Studios in 1993 – prior to the theatrical release of the film. Development lasted for some time, before the project abandoned in 1994.
Scans for authenticity – full transcript of the script below.
This (non final) story outline was used as the basis for the script and series development, and was only seen by key individuals, such as Steven Spielberg. It’s currently unknown if more detailed scripts existed for the episodes within, or if an outline for Season 2 was ever explored. Every day new discoveries from the Jurassic past are revealed, so if you have anything to share please do not hesitate to get in touch! Until more information is uncovered, enjoy the first ever, and quite possibly the only reveal of ‘Escape From Jurassic Park’!
After digging in, be sure to read our breakdown below, and view the art gallery from the series:
What a wild ride that story is – and a cliffhanger ending at that! It’s not entirely clear why the series was abandoned – some reports say Steven Spielberg pulled the plug after getting frustrated with all the merchandising for Jurassic Park while working on Schindler’s List. However, while there may be some truth to that fact, I have also heard he may have pulled the plug to avoid overlap, or canonical inconsistencies with the planned theatrical sequel (something I have heard happened again with a Jurassic World animated series).
The story shares many similarities with Michael Crichton’s ‘The Lost World’ – which was released in 1995. These include Lewis Dodgson, and a BioSyn team stealing eggs from nests to build their own park elsewhere, all while animals show up on South American mainland leading to a government coverup (due to fears of it hurting tourism). Of course, there are many differences as well – the animated series takes place on Isla Nublar, the home of Jurassic Park, while The Lost World takes place on Sorna, Site B. Further, the outbreak of dinosaurs on mainland is due to BioSyn, who purchase 100 square miles in The Amazon to build ‘DinoWorld’ – a fully fledged Dinosaur safari park with hotels, monorails, and more (much like the park in Jurassic World, ‘DinoWorld’ is inspired by Disney World.)
The story featured many brand new concepts and dinosaurs – some even got Kenner tie-in toys in 1994, including the “Dino Wranglers”, and the fanged Lycaenops, or the Komodo Dragon-like Ornithosuchus. I think perhaps the most intriguing part is Season 1 ends with Jurassic Park finally opening to the public (much to the dismay of Malcolm, Grant, and Sattler) . You could easily imagine the second season following a similiar arc of the story presented in Jurassic World, only with BioSyn shenanigans, the threat of animals on the mainland, and 100% less militarized hybrids.
I’m certainly bummed that the series was never developed – although, it would admittedly have greatly impacted the stories of future films. In a lot of ways, this is the sequel fans have imagined for years, yet never got, loaded with healthy doses of childhood imagination interjected with Michael Crichton’s themes and story development. Before we close off, I want to present a gallery of the stunning artwork created by William Stout, a key mind behind the ill-fated series:
What do you think of the story of ‘Escape from Jurassic Park’? Be sure to sound off in the comments below – it’s hard to believe we can finally learn about this series after nearly 25 years! And again, if you have more to share please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we hear an animation demo for this series still exists somewhere, waiting to be found.
As always, stay tuned for the latest news, features, and exclusives!
This morning La-La Land Records made an exciting announcement as they, along with Universal Studios, Universal Music Special Markets and Amblin Entertainment will be releasing The John Williams Jurassic Park Collection – Limited Edition.
The 4-CD set will contain score tracks from the the hit original 1993 film Jurassic Park and the 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. There will only be a limited edition amount of 5,000 units with a retail price of $59.98.
“La-La Land Records, Universal Studios, Universal Music Special Markets and Amblin Entertainment present THE JOHN WILLIAMS JURASSIC PARK COLLECTION, a special limited edition 4-CD set featuring newly remastered and expanded reissues of maestro John Williams’ (JAWS, STAR WARS, SCHINDLER’S LIST) original motion picture scores to the 1993 blockbuster JURASSIC PARK and its 1997 follow-up THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, both directed by Steven Spielberg. Williams’ monumental JURASSIC PARK scores are integral to the franchise’s worldwide phenomenon. Teeming with action, drama, humor and heart, they rank among the celebrated composer’s most accomplished works. This deluxe edition, meticulously produced, edited and mastered by Mike Matessino, in consultation with the composer, director and producers, finally showcases these master works in a worthy, definitive presentation, with additional music never before released. The set’s 56-page booklet features exclusive, in-depth liner notes by Matessino and elegant art design, packed with amazing images, by Jim Titus. This is a limited edition of 5000 units. Life indeed “finds a way,” and these indelible Williams scores make the journey a thrillingly wonderful trip!”
‘Jurassic World 2’ will be a scarier movie, that much we know. But the darker tones will apparently go beyond the on-screen roars, digging deeper into the concepts of morality. Speaking to ‘El Mundo’ at the Stiges Film Festival in Spain, Colin Trevorrow has shared more details about the upcoming sequel. [The original source El Mundo is in Spanish, and some translations come courtesy of TIME]
“It’s hard for us to imagine growing up not knowing Jurassic Park, but there is a whole new generation who possibly never saw it.” said Colin Trevorrow “We had to reintroduce the franchise for them with Jurassic World. It was a movie with universal ideas that could appeal to everyone. James Cameron understands how to do that better than anyone: how to make a film appeal to a 15 year old in China, or a child in Florida.”
Colin then elaborated on how the sequel will evolve into a darker, more complex animal: “The dinosaurs will be a parable of the treatment animals receive today: the abuse, medical experimentation, pets, having wild animals in zoos like prisons, the use the military has made of them, animals as weapons. The second part will be a very different, more complex movie that will explore new paths. For that reason, it was clear that it needed to be Bayona who would direct it, in order to have it grow and evolve with his very personal vision.”
The concepts of animal abuse were also explored in ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, notably with InGen capturing numerous animals in less than humane ways. It will certainly be interesting to see how this is further explored in the upcoming sequel, which is part of a mapped out trilogy. Colin Trevorrow recently joined our Podcast, and revealed that ‘the end’ of the trilogy was already decided while writing the first Jurassic World – so it’s safe to assume these concepts will evolve beyond those showcased in the aforementioned Jurassic Park sequel.
Be sure to listen to our recent Colin Trevorrow interview if you haven’t already! He shares many details about the upcoming sequel, including confirming a heavier use of animatronics and revealing that the story will not focus on militarized dinosaurs! The link above includes a direct MP3 of the podcast, and a transcribed summary of the key information. If you’re more of a YouTube person, we also have you covered:
It sounds like we’re in for a wild ride with the upcoming Jurassic World sequel, and I personally cannot wait to learn more. As always, stay tuned for the latest news, and sound off in the comments below!
[Note: other translations of the sourced article make mention of Jack Horner. We believe that to be a transcribing error on ‘El Mundos’ part, typing ‘Jota’ (a Spanish variation of Jack) instead of J.A. We were in the process of working on a proper translation, but TIME beat us to it, corroborating our suspicions.]
New from Chronicle Collectibles is the officially licensed 1:1 Compsognathus statue, built from the original Stan Winston Studios animatronic casting used in The Lost World: Jurassic Park! Chronicle has enlisted the help of Stan Winston Studios artist Tim Gore to paint the statue, who also had painted the ‘Compys’ for the film. Measuring in at 3o” long, 16″ tall, and 8″ wide this limited run (edition size TBD) statue costs $349.99 for the first 30 days, before going up to $399.99.
Have you bought any dinosaurs from Chronicle Collectibles yet? Let us know what you think, and what you hope they make next in the comments below! Also, if you haven’t already, check out our interview with Paul Francis who shares a ton of behind the scenes info about making official Jurassic Park products:
