Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Theatrical release poster
Directed by J. A. Bayona
Produced by
Frank Marshall
Patrick Crowley
Belén Atienza
Written by
Colin Trevorrow
Derek Connolly
Based on Characters
by Michael Crichton
Starring
Chris Pratt
Bryce Dallas Howard
Rafe Spall
Justice Smith
Daniella Pineda
James Cromwell
Toby Jones
Ted Levine
B. D. Wong
Isabella Sermon
Geraldine Chaplin
Jeff Goldblum
Music by Michael Giacchino
Cinematography Óscar Faura
Edited by Bernat Vilaplana[1]
Production
companies
Universal Pictures[2]
Amblin Entertainment[2]
The Kennedy/Marshall Company[2]
Legendary Pictures[2]
Distributed by Universal Pictures[3]
Release date
May 21, 2018 (WiZink Center)
June 22, 2018 (United States)
Running time
128 minutes[4]
Country United States[5]
Language English
Budget $170–187 million[6][7]
Box office $711.5 million[6]
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a 2018 American science fiction adventure film and the sequel to Jurassic World (2015). Directed by J. A. Bayona, it is the fifth installment of the Jurassic Park film series, as well as the second installment of a planned Jurassic World trilogy. Derek Connolly and Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow both returned as writers, with Trevorrow and original Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg acting as executive producers.
Set on the fictional Central American island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, it follows Owen Grady and Claire Dearing as they rescue the remaining dinosaurs on the island before a volcanic eruption destroys it. Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, B. D. Wong, and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles from previous films in the series, with Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, and Geraldine Chaplin joining the cast.
Filming took place from February to July 2017 in the United Kingdom and Hawaii. Fallen Kingdom premiered in Madrid, Spain on May 21, 2018, and was released in the United States on June 22, 2018, by Universal Pictures. The film has grossed over $711 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2018. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Pratt's performance, Bayona's direction, the visuals, and the "surprisingly dark moments", although many criticized the screenplay and felt the film added nothing new to the franchise, with some suggesting it had run its course.[8] An untitled sequel is set to be released on June 11, 2021, with Trevorrow returning to direct.
Plot
Three years after the incident at Jurassic World, Isla Nublar has been abandoned. A small team of mercenaries arrive on the island to collect a DNA specimen from the remains of the Indominus rex, which lie at the bottom of the park's lagoon. After sending a bone fragment to the surface, the team is attacked by the park's Mosasaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. As the surviving team barely escapes, the lagoon gate is left open, allowing the Mosasaurus to escape into the ocean.
In the United States mainland, a U.S. Senate hearing debates whether Isla Nublar's dinosaurs should be saved from an impending volcanic eruption. Mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm testifies that the dinosaurs should be allowed to perish to correct the mistake John Hammond made by cloning them long ago. Meanwhile, Jurassic World's former operations manager, Claire Dearing, has created the Dinosaur Protection Group. When the Senate rejects rescuing the dinosaurs, Claire is contacted by Benjamin Lockwood, Hammond's former partner.
Claire meets Lockwood and his aide, Eli Mills, at his estate in Northern California soon after. They plan to relocate the dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary. Mills is concerned that locating Blue, the last living Velociraptor, will be difficult, so Claire recruits Owen Grady, Jurassic World's former Velociraptor trainer, to join the mission.
The rescue group arrives on Isla Nublar and meet Ken Wheatley, the mercenary leading the rescue. Claire and former park technician, Franklin Webb, reactivate the park's dinosaur trackers while Owen, paleo-veterinarian Zia Rodriguez, Wheatley and some mercenaries search for Blue. Upon finding Blue, the mercenaries shoot her and tranquilize Owen. Zia works to keep Blue alive. After escaping a Baryonyx, Claire and Franklin reunite with Owen, as the volcano erupts. The three flee from the pyroclastic flow, barely surviving a Carnotaurus attack and a fall off a cliff into the ocean. They then sneak aboard the mercenaries' ship where they find Zia. The ship, filled with captured dinosaurs, departs for the mainland.
At Lockwood's estate, Maisie, Lockwood's pre-teen granddaughter, overhears Mills and Gunnar Eversol, an auctioneer, secretly arranging to auction off the captured dinosaurs (which include Ankylosaurus, Allosaurus and Carnotaurus) to wealthy arms dealers. Mills is also unveiling the Indoraptor, a new genetically engineered dinosaur created by geneticist Dr. Henry Wu using Indominus rex and Velociraptor DNA. Because Blue is responsive to commands, Wu wants her DNA to create improved versions of the Indoraptor. Maisie informs Lockwood about the auction. He confronts Mills, but Mills murders him.
The dinosaurs are transported to Lockwood's estate and placed in holding cages. Owen and Claire are discovered and confined, while Zia and Franklin evade capture. As the auction is underway, Owen and Claire escape and find Maisie, who shows them the auction. The Indoraptor is being bid on, despite Wu's protest that it is a prototype. Owen guides a freed Stygimoloch into the auction, disrupting it. Elsewhere, Wheatley attempts to retrieve a trophy tooth from the sedated Indoraptor. It awakens and kills Wheatley, as well as Eversol.
Mills informs Owen and Claire that Maisie is a clone of Lockwood's deceased daughter and is the reason John Hammond, who opposed human cloning, ended his partnership with Lockwood. Blue, freed by Zia, attacks the Indoraptor that is hunting Owen, Claire, and Maisie through the mansion. It crashes through a glass roof and is killed.
A deadly hydrogen cyanide leak threatens the caged dinosaurs. Claire starts to release them but Owen successfully argues against it, knowing the resulting carnage. Instead, Maisie, unable to watch them die, frees them. Mills tries to escape with the Indominus rex bone, but the Tyrannosaurus and a Carnotaurus rip him apart, and the former destroys the bone. Owen and Claire leave with Maisie while Blue and the other dinosaurs escape. In a new U.S. Senate hearing, Ian Malcolm says that humans will have to coexist with dinosaurs.
In a post-credits scene, a flock of Pteranodon fly around the Eiffel Tower replica at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cast
Main article: List of Jurassic Park characters
Chris Pratt as Owen Grady:
A Navy veteran and former dinosaur trainer for Jurassic World.[3]
Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing:
Jurassic World's former operations manager who is now a dinosaur-rights activist and has founded the Dinosaur Protection Group in order to evacuate the surviving dinosaurs from Isla Nublar.[3][9]
Rafe Spall as Eli Mills:
Lockwood's ambitious right-hand man who hires Owen and Claire to rescue the dinosaurs. Speaking of his character’s actions over the course of the film, Spall noted that “Ambition is such a powerful emotion, you can get wrapped up in it and end up doing things in order to succeed. This character believes he is doing right. He has been entrusted with pushing Lockwood’s fortune into the future and making it survive after he dies. Mills feels he is simply doing what he was asked to do.”[10][11]
Justice Smith as Franklin Webb:
A former IT technician for Jurassic World who is now the Dinosaur Protection Group's systems analyst and hacker.[12][9]
Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez:
A former Marine who is now the Dinosaur Protection Group's paleoveterinarian.[12][9][11]
James Cromwell as Sir Benjamin Lockwood:
John Hammond's former partner in developing the technology to clone dinosaurs.[13][14]
Toby Jones as Gunnar Eversol:
An auctioneer host at Lockwood Estate who sells the Isla Nublar dinosaurs for profit.[15][11] In an interview, Jones likened his character to that of “a rogue arms dealer; he sees profits in selling these creatures as weapons. He is totally morally neutral about whatever he is selling. He is only interested in whether or not it will make him a profit.”[11]
Ted Levine as Ken Wheatley:
A seasoned mercenary who is in command of the rescue operation on Isla Nublar.[11]
B. D. Wong as Dr. Henry Wu:
The former head geneticist of both Jurassic World and the original Jurassic Park. Speaking of his character’s actions, Wong stated that “he’s motivated by his love for science and his own ego, which is well supported by his massive achievements. He’s really kind of a genius and he really is responsible for this alleged technology creating these creatures. I think he turns a blind eye to the human suffering that comes as a result because he thinks he’s looking at some bigger picture.”[16][17]
Isabella Sermon as Maisie Lockwood:
The grand-daughter of Benjamin Lockwood.[18][19][20][21]
Geraldine Chaplin as Iris:
The housekeeper of the Lockwood Estate, Maisie Lockwood's nanny, and keeper of the family's secrets.[22][11]
Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm:
An expert in chaos theory who once consulted for InGen's Jurassic Park.[23] In a podcast interview, Goldblum revealed of his role "It's small… who knows, they may cut me out entirely! But if I stay in, I'll be a sprig of parsley or a little garnish, hopefully with some impact!"[24][25] Director Bayona confirmed that Goldblum's role is simply a cameo, stating, "He doesn't have a major role in the action but it's definitely a very meaningful one in terms of the story."[26]
Production
Development
During early conversations on the 2015 film Jurassic World, executive producer Steven Spielberg told director Colin Trevorrow that he was interested in having several more films made.[27] In April 2014, Trevorrow announced that sequels had been discussed: "We wanted to create something that would be a little bit less arbitrary and episodic, and something that could potentially arc into a series that would feel like a complete story."[28] Trevorrow said Chris Pratt and Omar Sy might reprise their roles for the next few films and said he would direct the film if asked.[28] Trevorrow later told Spielberg that he would only focus on directing one film in the series.[27] In May 2015, Trevorrow announced that he would not direct another film in the series: "I would be involved in some way, but not as director." Trevorrow felt that different directors could bring different qualities to future films.[29] Pratt had been signed for future films in the series,[30] as was Ty Simpkins, who portrayed Gray in Jurassic World.[31]
On June 3, 2015, Trevorrow stated that Jurassic World left many story possibilities open: "I really like the idea that this group of geneticists aren't the only people who can make a dinosaur […] when you think of the differences between Apple and PC—the minute something goes open-source, there are all kinds of entities and interests that may be able to utilize that technology."[32]
On June 8, 2015, Jurassic World producer Frank Marshall met with Trevorrow and Universal Studios to discuss a sequel.[33] Later that month, Trevorrow did not deny that the film could involve "dinosaur soldiers"[34] and said the series is "not always gonna be about a Jurassic Park", saying he felt that future films could explore the idea of dinosaurs and humans co-existing.[27] Trevorrow also hinted that the next film may not involve the Jurassic World theme park[35] and said he would be interested in seeing a Jurassic Park film made by one of several Spanish horror film directors, whose names he did not mention.[36]
Pre-production
On July 23, 2015, Universal announced that a fifth film had been scheduled for a June 22, 2018, release date in the U.S. It was also announced that Trevorrow would write the script with his writing partner Derek Connolly, as they did for Jurassic World; that the film would be produced by Frank Marshall; and that Spielberg and Trevorrow would act as executive producers. Universal also said that Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard would reprise their roles from the previous film.[3] At the time of the film's announcement, Trevorrow said the series "isn't always going to be limited to theme parks" and confirmed that the film would not involve "a bunch of dinosaurs chasing people on an island. That'll get old real fast."[37] Trevorrow also spoke of the film's possible open-source storyline: "It's almost like InGen is Mac, but what if PC gets their hands on it? What if there are 15 different entities around the world who can make a dinosaur?"[37]
In August 2015, Howard said that the script was being written,[38] and it was announced that the film would be released in the UK two weeks early, on June 7, 2018.[39] Later that year, B. D. Wong said he "would be happy to return" as Dr. Henry Wu,[40] while Howard announced that filming would begin in 2017.[41] Howard also said she would be interested in seeing characters from earlier Jurassic Park films return for the fifth film, saying, "I could see versions of the film where a lot of the characters come back."[42] By October 2015, director J. A. Bayona was being considered to direct the film, although he chose instead to direct the World War Z sequel, a project to which he had already signed on.[43] In January 2016, it was reported that Bayona could still be a candidate to direct the film after he left the World War Z sequel.[44]
In March 2016, London was being scouted as a possible filming location and setting for the film,[45] and it was subsequently announced that filming would take place at a UK studio.[46] On April 14, 2016, actor Jeff Goldblum said he had no plans to appear in the film as his character Ian Malcolm, although he said he was open to the possibility.[47] On April 18, 2016, Bayona was announced as the film's director, with Belén Atienza and Patrick Crowley joining Marshall as producers.[48] Spielberg, Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy had been impressed by Bayona's 2012 film, The Impossible, and initially considered having him direct Jurassic World, but he declined as he felt there was not enough time for production.[49][50] Trevorrow wanted Bayona to direct the film after seeing his 2007 horror film, The Orphanage.[51][52] Before Bayona was hired, he met with Trevorrow and became enthused with the project because of the script's second half, which would play out like a haunted house film.[53] After Bayona was hired, Trevorrow said about the film, "We're moving it into new territory. J. A. Bayona is an incredible director and I know he'll push the boundaries of what a 'Jurassic' movie is. I think it's important that we take risks. A franchise must evolve or perish."[54] Trevorrow and Bayona worked closely throughout the film's production.[11] In June 2016, actor Sam Neill was asked if he would return to the series as Dr. Alan Grant and responded, "You never say never, but I think it's moved on. It's different times."[55]
The film, under the working title of Ancient Futures,[56] was in full pre-production as of July 2016, with storyboards being designed.[57] Andy Nicholson was hired as the film's production designer and spent four weeks with Bayona in Barcelona, discussing reference pictures and background details, as well as Bayona's ideas for the Lockwood mansion.[11] Production was scheduled to begin in Hawaii in February 2017.[58][59] Wales was also confirmed as a filming location,[60] including Brecon Beacons and Penbryn.[61] Trevorrow stated that Hawaii would be used as a primary filming location, while U.K. shooting would be limited to studios, without the story taking place there. Trevorrow also said that the film would feature many dinosaurs that were not seen in previous films and denied that the film's story would involve militarized dinosaurs, which would only be mentioned in the film.[62]
For the film's second half in which dinosaurs are transported by boat to the mainland, Ecuador and Peru had both been scouted as possible filming locations and settings, while Marshall thought that Cabo San Lucas would be ideal, but such locations ultimately did not work for the film's story. Although the film was partially shot in England, Spielberg felt that the country was too far from the fictional Isla Nublar to be used as the in-film setting during the second half, as he and the producers did not want the film to focus too much time on a boat. Crowley stated, "Rather than making it a movie about traveling on a boat, which is not very exciting, you needed to get to the place."[63]
In September 2016, Bayona confirmed that the film would be the second chapter in a planned Jurassic World trilogy.[64] Later that year, Marshall said that Wong was "probably going to come back,"[65] while Jurassic World composer Michael Giacchino confirmed that he would return to compose the fifth film.[66] Óscar Faura was announced as the film's cinematographer at the end of the year.[67]
Writing
Although Spielberg was heavily involved in the development of ideas for Jurassic World, he had Trevorrow and Connolly devise their own ideas for the sequel, while retaining final approval on the project.[68] In June 2015, approximately two weeks after the theatrical release of Jurassic World, Trevorrow embarked on a road trip from Los Angeles back to his home state of Vermont. Connolly agreed to accompany Trevorrow on the trip so they could discuss a basic set of ideas that Trevorrow had for the film.[11] During their eight-day trip,[69] the writers began work on the script and devised the basic story.[70][71] Trevorrow said the film's story was inspired by a quote from Dr. Alan Grant in the first film: "Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution, have suddenly been thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea of what to expect?"[72] Trevorrow also said that the story was heavily inspired by the idea that, "A mistake made a long time ago just can't be undone."[62] The film is also based on concepts from Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park (1990) and its sequel The Lost World (1995), and includes dialogue from the first novel.[62] Isla Nublar's volcano was an idea that existed in the first novel, and the writers chose to incorporate the idea into the film's plot.[73]
In his initial film treatment, Trevorrow had included story elements that Marshall and Crowley considered excessive for a single film, as the producers felt it was also important to include details about Owen and Claire's lives after the events of Jurassic World.[63] For the script's structure, Trevorrow said he had been inspired by Spielberg's 2015 film Bridge of Spies, in which two seemingly unrelated stories "collide in the middle, and move on together."[68] Trevorrow was also inspired by the 1975 film Three Days of the Condor, stating, "It's one of those places where you think you know what the score is, and then everything changes, and then suddenly you don't know who to trust."[68] Having directed Jurassic World, Trevorrow became familiar with how animatronics worked and wrote scenes into the sequel in a way that would allow for their use, as animatronics are incapable of certain actions such as running.[74] After Bayona was hired, he began reading all of Crichton's novels—including Jurassic Park and The Lost World—for inspiration and "to try to immerse myself in Crichton's mind."[75][76] Trevorrow and Connolly began working with Bayona in July 2016, to perfect the script to the director's liking.[62] Trevorrow stated that the film would be more "suspenseful and scary" than its predecessor: "It's just the way it's designed; it's the way the story plays out. I knew I wanted Bayona to direct it long before anyone ever heard that it was a possibility, so the whole thing was just built around his skillset."[62] Trevorrow later described the film as "The Impossible meets The Orphanage with dinosaurs."[52]
Bayona stated that with the first half of the film set on an island, "you have what you expect from a Jurassic movie," while the second half "moves to a totally different environment that feels more suspenseful, darker, claustrophobic, and even has this kind of gothic element, which I love."[77] Bayona's concept of gothic suspense for the film was influenced by Alfred Hitchcock films as well as the 1979 film Dracula.[78] Bayona compared the film to The Empire Strikes Back and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which were both considered darker than their predecessors.[79] Trevorrow said the film's dinosaurs would 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."[80] The idea of weaponized dinosaurs came from Spielberg.[69][81] Trevorrow said that with the film's dinosaur auction, "The worst instincts of mankind are revealed. The first film was very clearly about corporate greed. This is just about human greed."[82] The film includes ideas previously featured in a rejected 2004 draft for Jurassic Park IV (later Jurassic World), presented in the same structure: a return to Isla Nublar followed by a second half set in a large Gothic building on the mainland. The idea of a dinosaur auction was also present in the rejected draft, which Trevorrow had read while writing the first Jurassic World film.[83][84]
Marshall said that Bayona had incorporated his own ideas into the film's script, but stated that it is essentially the same original story devised by Trevorrow and Connolly.[57] The film's underwater opening sequence was already in Trevorrow and Connolly's script, and Bayona asked Trevorrow to push for it to become a bigger scene with a larger set.[53] Among Trevorrow's ideas was to include Jeff Goldblum's character of Ian Malcolm, who appeared in the franchise's earlier films.[85] Trevorrow and Goldblum discussed dialogue ideas for Malcolm, and Trevorrow stated that he used a lot of dialogue from Crichton's Jurassic Park novel for the character.[11][86] Marshall stated that Trevorrow wrote Malcolm as "the 'Uh oh, danger, I told you so' kind of character,"[50] and Trevorrow said about the character, "I saw him as kind of Al Gore. He's got a beard now, and he's like, 'I told all of you this was going to be a disaster, and sure enough it is.'"[87]
Casting
In October 2016, casting was underway for the role of a nine-year-old girl.[88] Approximately 2,500 girls were interviewed for the role, which ultimately went to Isabella Sermon, marking her film debut.[11] By November 2016, Tom Holland—who previously starred in The Impossible—had discussed having a possible role in the film, but he did not believe he would be available for filming because of scheduling conflicts.[89] Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, and Justice Smith were cast at the end of the year.[90][91][92]
Daniella Pineda, Ted Levine and James Cromwell were cast in early 2017,[93][94][14] while Wong confirmed his return as Dr. Henry Wu.[16] To maintain secrecy, the Ancient Futures title was used in the casting phase. During auditions, references to dinosaurs were replaced with animals such as lions and grizzly bears.[95][96] To convince the studio that Pineda was right for the role of Zia, Bayona had her demonstrate that she could perform comedy and drama scenes, as well as improvisation. Pineda auditioned a total of seven times before receiving the role. She auditioned for Bayona, Atienza, and Crowley, and did not meet the cast until she arrived in England for filming.[97]
In March 2017, Bayona announced that Geraldine Chaplin, who had roles in each of his previous films, had joined the cast.[22] The next month, it was announced that Jeff Goldblum would be reprising his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm from the first two films.[23] Bayona considered Malcolm a "great character!"[76] while Marshall said, "The world has changed a lot since Ian Malcolm went to Jurassic Park and we need his point of view now more than ever. He told us about chaos theory, he was right."[98]
Filming
Filming began at Langley Business Centre in Slough, England, on February 23, 2017.[99][100] Scenes shot at the business center included Claire's Dinosaur Protection Group office, Owen training his baby raptors, and Owen and Claire attempting to retrieve blood from the sedated T. rex.[11] A majority of filming in England took place at Pinewood Studios.[101] Because of its large sound stages, Pinewood Studios was considered perfect for the film's many interior scenes.[63] After filming concluded in England, production moved to Hawaii,[102] which was used as a primary filming location.[62] Scenes shot in Hawaii were set on Isla Nublar, the fictional island featured in the first and fourth films.[103] Scenes were also expected to be shot at Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.[104]
The film was shot in CinemaScope, and is the first entry in the Jurassic Park series that is presented in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The film crew used Arri Alexa 65 cameras throughout the duration of filming.[85] Spielberg was shown scenes from the film during production and he offered his opinions to Bayona.[51] During filming and in between takes, Bayona used an iPod to play different types of music on set to inspire the actors during certain scenes, as he had done for his previous films.[105][106] Bayona also played sound effects from previous films in the series,[107] including a T. rex roar that he sometimes used to get a natural reaction from the actors.[108] In particular, Bayona played unexpected sounds and loud music to scare Smith for certain scenes, as his character is portrayed as easily frightened.[95][105] Prior to being filmed, Bayona and Pratt discussed each scene involving the character of Owen, and many of Pratt's ideas were added into the film. Speaking about Levine's character, Bayona said, "He came with this idea of creating this kind of military man. He just wanted to portray the most hateable character possible. […] And he was so creative on set, trying to give ideas, bringing story notes to make this character more and more hateable."[53]
In April 2017, scenes were filmed at East Berkshire College in Berkshire, England,[109] and at Loch Long in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.[110] Also that month, filming took place at Hartland Park—formerly the Pyestock jet engine test site—in Fleet, Hampshire, England,[111][112] where the film's opening sequence was shot. The scene was filmed through the night and involved helicopters, rain machines, and lightning simulators to depict a thunderstorm.[11] Bayona described the opening scene as a "massive action piece" that resembled the prologues used in James Bond films.[113]
Scenes were filmed on sets at Hawley Common, also in Hampshire,[112] where the exterior of Lockwood's mansion was built, as well as a mainland loading dock where the dinosaurs are brought.[11] The exterior of the Arcadia, the ship that transports Isla Nublar's dinosaurs to the mainland, was created entirely through computer-generated effects by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which worked on the previous films. The ship's interior was constructed by Nicholson and his team as a large set at Pinewood Studios, and after filming, the set was rebuilt to depict the large rooftop of the Lockwood Estate.[11] Nicholson previsualized each of the sets that he and his team built to ensure they would be large enough for the intended scenes, stating, "Someone can tell you a Velociraptor is X-feet long, but until you see it in the space, you can't appreciate what that means in terms of your set and the action that needs to take place within it."[11] The interior of the multi-floor Lockwood Estate was built entirely on sound stages at Pinewood Studios. The estate set included Eli Mills' office, Dr. Wu's large underground laboratory, an underground dinosaur containment facility, separate bedrooms belonging to Benjamin and Maisie Lockwood, and a large library with dinosaur skeletons and artifacts. When filming was completed in the Lockwood library, the set was redecorated and converted into the estate's underground garage, where the dinosaur auction takes place.[11]
On May 10, 2017, it was reported that scenes were being filmed at Rock Barracks military base, near Woodbridge, Suffolk.[114] By that time, a leak had stated that the film would center around Blue, the last surviving raptor from Jurassic World, and Owen stopping her from being used for violence.[115][116] On May 24, 2017, scenes were shot at Hampshire's Blackbushe Airport, which stood in as an American airfield.[117] On June 10, 2017, Bayona announced that filming in the United Kingdom was finished.[118][102] Up to that point, Trevorrow was present as an on-set writer for each day of production so he could aid Bayona with any possible script changes.[119][120] Goldblum shot his scenes in a single day at Pinewood Studios,[121] during the last day of filming in the United Kingdom.[122] Jones also filmed his scenes on large sets at Pinewood Studios.[11]
Filming in Hawaii was underway as of June 13, 2017.[123][124] On June 21, 2017, filming began at Heʻeia Kea Small Boat Harbor in Heʻeia, Hawaii,[125] which served as Isla Nublar's shipping dock.[11] More than half of the harbor was closed for filming, which required the use of smoke machines. Scenes were scheduled to be shot at the harbor throughout the end of the month.[125][126] Filming also took place in a nearby Heʻeia jungle for scenes in which Owen searches for and locates Blue.[11] On June 22, 2017, the film's official title was announced as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.[127] At the time, filming was underway at Kualoa Ranch on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.[128] Filming at Kualoa Ranch included the exterior set for a radio tower bunker.[11] In Hawaii, scenes in which characters are running were filmed with the use of the Edge Arm, a stabilized camera that was attached to a crane, which was mounted to a truck that drove alongside the actors. The specialized camera allowed for scenes to be shot steadily despite the truck driving over rough terrain.[129]
The film includes a scene on Isla Nublar in which Claire and Franklin are riding in a ball-shaped Jurassic World Gyrosphere ride to evade dinosaurs.[130] The scene was shot at Kualoa Ranch[11] and in England, and Bayona described it as one of the film's biggest challenges.[130] In Hawaii, the Edge Arm was used to film the actors riding in the Gyrosphere as it was hauled on a trailer to simulate its movement.[130][129] In England, an outdoor roller coaster track with a drop was constructed for the Gyrosphere, which Howard and Smith rode in to shoot a scene in which the ride plummets off a cliff and into the water surrounding Isla Nublar.[130] The final portion of the scene was shot at Pinewood Studios, where a large indoor tank was constructed and filled with water to depict the submerged ride. Pratt was aided by a diving instructor for the scene, which also involved Howard and Smith underwater.[130][131] Filming in the tank lasted five days,[11] and required 85 crew members.[132] Pratt stated that the film involved significantly more stunts than its predecessor.[11]
David Vickery and his team at ILM created the volcanic special effects and consulted volcanologists for research. According to Vickery, the team inquired "how a volcano of this type might erupt" and also requested information about "the various stages of lava and pyroclastic flow. We are speeding it up a bit for the sake of our film, but it is definitely all based on real science."[11] The Main Street section of the Jurassic World theme park was rebuilt on Police Beach in Hawaii for a scene in which Owen and Claire return to the island. Nicholson had part of the Main Street practically built, although the park's visitor center could not be constructed in its entirety because of its large size. Unbuilt portions of the park were created by ILM using digital set extensions. Main Street was the largest set built in Hawaii, and required more than three months to complete.[11] On July 7, 2017, filming took place at Oahu's Hālona Blowhole,[133][134] where Pratt, Howard and Smith shot scenes on a beach.[11][135] Filming concluded on July 8, 2017,[136] after shooting was completed at Hālona Blowhole.[137] Bayona said that making the film was the biggest challenge of his life.[52] The original cut of the film was approximately two hours and 45 minutes,[138] which the filmmakers considered too long.[139] The film was trimmed to two hours and eight minutes for the final cut.[138] One scene that was removed from the film would reveal the character of Zia to be a lesbian, an idea that came from Bayona and Trevorrow, who chose to cut it out for runtime reasons.[139]
Creatures on screen
The film's dinosaurs were created through a combination of animatronics and computer-generated imagery (CGI).[11] Special effects artist Neal Scanlan served as the film's creature effects creative supervisor,[140] while Vickery and Alex Wuttke served as visual effects supervisors.[141] Scanlan worked on the animatronic dinosaurs, while Vickery and his ILM team created versions of the dinosaurs through CGI.[140] Scanlan worked closely with Bayona and Vickery to create the creatures,[140] and Vickery and ILM did extensive research to accurately create and depict the dinosaurs, which included consulting with paleontologists. The ILM team also referred to elephants and rhinos to determine how the dinosaurs should move and behave.[11] After reading fan thoughts on dinosaurs and speaking with children, Bayona realized that dinosaur textures and colors were frequently brought up, and stated, "I thought that was the area where I could play with. They feel somehow a little bit more exotic and richer in this movie."[140] New research had also suggested that real dinosaurs were more colorful and brighter than previously thought.[11]
The film features more dinosaurs than any previous film in the series,[52] as Bayona wanted to include several new dinosaurs not previously seen in earlier films,[140] including Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Sinoceratops, Stygimoloch, and the fictional Indoraptor.[142] Dilophosaurus was in the film's original cut, but was removed.[138] The film features more animatronic dinosaurs than any previous sequel,[143][144] and the animatronics used were more technologically advanced than in the previous films.[143] Five animatronic dinosaurs were created for the film, whereas the previous film only featured one.[11] More animatronics were used because the film features closer interaction between humans and dinosaurs than its predecessor, including a scene in which Howard rode atop the sedated T. rex.[11][145] Bayona stated that animatronics "are very helpful on set, especially for the actors so they have something to perform against. There's an extra excitement if they can act in front of something real."[140] Scanlan stated that animatronics were not best for every scene: "In some ways it will have an impact on your shooting schedule; you have to take time to film with an animatronic. In the balance, we ask ourselves if it is economically and artistically more valuable to do it that way, or as a post-production effect. Once we have looked at each particular case, with the director and the VFX supervisor we decide whether—because of the environment or the circumstances—it is the right way to go practically."[11]
Scanlan spent more than eight months at Pinewood Studios to work on the creatures before and during filming, with a crew of approximately 35 people.[146] One of the first animatronic creatures needed for filming was a full-scale T. rex head and shoulders. ILM sent Scanlan a model of the T. rex from its appearance in Jurassic World, and Scanlan used it to create a full-scale 3D print of the T. rex head and shoulders.[11] The life-sized T. rex animatronic was controlled through joysticks, with the ability to breathe and move its head.[143] Within the film's story, the T. rex is portrayed as the same individual featured in previous films.[147] Trevorrow said, "We've been following this same character since the beginning; she's the same T. rex that was in Jurassic Park and in Jurassic World. She is iconic—not just because she's a T. rex, but because she's this T. rex."[11]
Scanlan's team also created functional animatronic models of the Indoraptor and Blue.[140] The Indoraptor consisted of a head and an arm that were used for certain scenes.[145] The Blue animatronic was created to lay down on an operating table, depicting the animal in an injured state while the character of Zia operates on the creature. Up to 12 puppeteers, hidden under the operating table, were needed to control the animatronic during filming.[11] The Blue animatronic's movements were rehearsed in advance of each scene.[140] According to Vickery, Blue's movements were designed to resemble a dog: "You look at the way Blue cocks her head and looks up at you. It's exactly like a dog. You're trying to sort of connect the dinosaur with things that you understand as a human."[141] Scanlan's team also made puppeteering aids, rod puppets, and several prop dinosaurs, all created in coordination with Vickery to ensure a consistent result between the practical effects and CGI.[140] Animal motions that could not be perfected with puppetry, such as blinking, were instead created with computer technology.[11] Among the puppeteer dinosaurs were baby velociraptors, which were used for a scene with Pratt.[146]
For advice on veterinary procedures and animatronic movements, the filmmakers sought a veterinary surgeon who had experience with African wildlife. Jonathan Cranston, a Gloucestershire veterinary surgeon, was recommended for the position because of his experience with wildlife in South Africa. Cranston advised Bayona and the producers on how to choreograph several scenes to accurately depict complex veterinarian procedures that involved the dinosaurs. Cranston also worked closely with Pratt, Howard, Pineda and Smith to teach them how to perform such procedures. Additionally, Cranston advised the puppeteers on creating subtle and authentic animal movements, and also worked with Bayona on two scenes. Cranston was on set for 12 days, primarily at Pinewood Studios.[148]
Marketing
A six-second clip from the film was released on November 22, 2017.[149][150] The first trailer was teased for release on November 30, 2017, but this was later confirmed to be incorrect.[151] Several teaser trailers and a behind-the-scenes featurette of the film were released in early December 2017,[152][153][154][155] prior to the release of a full-length trailer on December 7.[21][152] That month,[156] Universal launched a website for the Dinosaur Protection Group that ultimately included miscellaneous information about the group and its effort to save the island's dinosaurs,[12] as well as a video featuring Howard, Pineda and Smith as their characters.[157] A second trailer aired during Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018.[158][159] A 30-second teaser trailer was released on April 13, 2018, announcing the release of a third full trailer on April 18.[160][161]
Universal spent $185 million on partners for a global marketing campaign, more than double the cost of the previous film's partner program.[162] The campaign included nine partners which aired television commercials and sold products to promote the film. The partners were Dairy Queen, Doritos, Dr Pepper, Ferrero SpA, Jeep, Juicy Fruit, Kellogg's, M&M's, and Skittles.[162] The global marketing campaign consisted of 1.3 billion items to promote the film, including 100 million boxes of Kellogg's products and 15 million packages of Kinder Joy candy by Ferrero.[162] Dairy Queen, a returning partner from the previous film, sold "Jurassic Chomp" ice cream desserts in collectable cups, while Doritos and Dr Pepper marketed versions of their products that featured images of the film's dinosaurs.[162][163] For Super Bowl LII, Trevorrow directed a Jeep commercial starring Goldblum and featuring a T. rex. Within 24 hours of its release, the commercial received 39.7 million online views, which was more than any film trailer that was watched online following its Super Bowl LII television debut.[162] Universal also teamed up with Amazon for a marketing stunt in which a large dinosaur-sized box was driven around Los Angeles on a truck to promote the film.[164][165]
Licensing partners included Mattel, Lego, and Funko, all of which created toys based on the film.[166][167][168][169] Mattel produced a variety of toys,[170] including dinosaurs and action figures,[171][172] as well as Barbie dolls featuring the likeness of Pratt and Howard as their characters.[167] A mobile app titled Jurassic World Facts was released as a tie-in to Mattel's dinosaur toys, which included symbols that could be scanned to collect facts about each creature.[172] Lego is expected to release 13 Lego sets based on the film.[168] A video game, Jurassic World Evolution, was released simultaneously with the film.[173] A two-part virtual reality miniseries titled Jurassic World: Blue was released for Oculus VR headsets as a film tie-in. It was created by Felix & Paul Studios and Industrial Light and Magic, and features Blue on Isla Nublar at the time of the volcanic eruption.[174][175][176][177]
Release
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had its premiere at the WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain, on May 21, 2018.[178][179] The international theatrical release began on June 6,[180] with the film being released in Singapore and Malaysia on June 7,[181][182] in the United Kingdom, India, Italy, South Korea and Angola on June 8,[183] and in Pakistan on June 16, 2018. The film was released in the United States on June 22, 2018.[3][78]
Reception
Box office
As of June 24, 2018, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has grossed $150 million in the United States and Canada, and $561.5 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $711.5 million, against a production budget between $170–187 million.[6]
United States and Canada
In December 2017, a survey from Fandango indicated that Fallen Kingdom was one of the most anticipated films of 2018.[184] Initial projections three weeks before its release had the film grossing between $130–150 million from 4,475 theaters (the second-widest release ever behind Despicable Me 3) in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, with BoxOffice magazine estimating a total of $325–380 million for its final domestic gross.[185][186] By the week of its release, the low-end of projections had reached $135 million.[7] The film grossed $15.3 million from Thursday night previews at 3,600 theaters, down from the $18.5 million grossed by Jurassic World, and $58.7 million on its first day, the 28th best-ever and second-highest of the franchise. It ended up debuting to $150 million, the 20th best opening of all-time and second highest for Universal.[187]
Outside North America
Overseas, the film was released in 48 countries between June 6 and June 8, 2018, including France, Germany, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, and Spain, and was projected to gross $130–145 million in its opening weekend.[188] It made $20.2 million on its first day, including $1.4 million in France and $1 million in Indonesia. In South Korea, it grossed $9.7 million (₩10.3 billion) and sold over 1 million tickets, setting opening day records for both (beating The Mummy's ₩7.4 billion and Avengers: Infinity War's 980,000, respectively).[189] It went on to have an international debut of $151.1 million, including $8 million from IMAX screenings. Its largest opening markets were South Korea ($27.2 million), the UK ($19.9 million), France ($10 million), Spain ($9.5 million) and Germany ($9.1 million).[190] In China, the film was released on June 15 and made $34.4 million (¥220 million) on its opening day, nearly double the first day total of its predecessor ($17.5 million).[191] It went on to open to $111.9 million (¥715 million), the fourth best-ever in the country for a Hollywood release (behind The Fate of the Furious, Avengers: Infinity War and Transformers: The Last Knight), and bringing the film's two week international total to $372.1 million, more than the entire lifetime gross of Jurassic Park III ($368 million).[192]
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Fallen Kingdom holds an approval rating of 50% based on 257 reviews, and an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom adds another set piece-packed entry to the blockbuster franchise, although genuinely thrilling moments are in increasingly short supply."[193] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 59 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[194] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 82% overall positive score.[187]
Variety's Owen Gleiberman called the film better than the first Jurassic World but wrote "...[Fallen Kingdom] ends up being just a so-so ride. I hope the next one is an all-out ride — but that for the first time since Spielberg's 1993 original, it's actually a great one. The audience for this series has proved that it will turn out in mega-droves. But it deserves more than a passable rerun taking itself too seriously."[195] In a positive review, Scott Mendelson of Forbes wrote "Fallen Kingdom is a gorgeous, mostly enjoyable blockbuster that looked great in IMAX. That it doesn't cash all the checks it tries to write is why it's merely a good movie instead of a great one."[196] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore also praised the film saying, "Finally making good on its name, J.A. Bayona's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom says goodbye to the park for good, not just carrying the de-extincted dinos off the island but freeing itself from the genre trappings of the previous four films."[197]
The Verge's Bryan Bishop was more critical, writing, "Like its predecessor, Fallen Kingdom is overstuffed with ethical conundrums, and not sophisticated enough to fully engage with them. And the movie's villains become such cartoony caricatures that it's impossible to take Fallen Kingdom's attempted philosophical musings seriously."[198]
Exclaim!'s Alex Hudson said the film is "a straight-ahead monster movie: it's dumb, occasionally gory, and mostly plenty of fun...It won't rekindle your childhood fascination with dinosaurs, but it makes for a suitably silly creature feature."[199]
Several reviewers singled out, as exceptionally "poignant", the scene where a lone Brachiosaurus, stranded on the docks at Isla Nublar, succumbs to the volcanic fumes while the characters helplessly watch from the departing shi
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