Universal Pictures
Almost three years since the end of Colin Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World” trilogy, Universal Pictures is yet again ushering viewers back into a world teeming with dinosaurs. This round, the director’s seat is occupied by Gareth Edwards, known for his work on “Godzilla” (2014) and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” steering “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Recently, the film’s first trailer was released, hinting at a fresh start for the franchise and an abundance of dinosaurs. This time, the dinosaurs are not the familiar ones we’ve seen before – these are much more perilous.
“These dinosaurs are the ones that failed. Mutations are present,” producer Frank Marshall revealed to Vanity Fair in a film preview. “They’re all grounded in real dinosaur studies, but their appearance is slightly different.”
Those who have seen the “Rebirth” trailer would have noticed a peculiar dinosaur that makes several appearances, unlike anything we’ve seen in the franchise so far. It is mostly hidden in shadows, only revealed by the light of flares or concealed behind glass, but it’s evident that this creature is a man-made monstrosity with prehistoric elements. But what exactly is this mutant dinosaur? This remains the lingering question. We do have some answers, even though the complete picture is yet to fully emerge.
Director Gareth Edwards’ Remarks on the Mutant Dinosaur
Universal Pictures
The official synopsis from Universal for “Rebirth” mentions that the main characters will “confront a sinister, shocking discovery that has been kept secret from the world for decades.” This undoubtedly seems to hint at the botched dinosaur experiment we see in the trailer. Edwards, in that same Vanity Fair article, gave some insights about the creature, detailing how other famous movie monsters influenced this mystery beast’s design:
“When you create a creature, you take a large pot and fill it with your favorite monsters from different films and books … Some Rancor went in there, some H.R. Giger, a bit of T-Rex …”
H.R. Giger is renowned for creating the Xenomorphs in the “Alien” franchise, a truly horrifying starting point. Then there’s the Rancor, known to “Star Wars” fans as the monster in the basement of Jabba’s palace in “Return of the Jedi,” a definite influence on the mutant dinosaur we see in the trailers. Toss in some T-Rex elements, particularly noticeable in the creature’s arms, and we have a monster in the truest sense of the word.
“This island was the research facility for the original Jurassic Park,” Scarlett Johansson’s character Zora Bennett reveals in the “Rebirth” trailer. Dr. Henry Loomis, played by Jonathan Bailey, later adds, “These dinosaurs were too dangerous for the original park. The worst of them were left here.”
Of course, dangerous dinosaurs and man-made creatures aren’t novel concepts in this franchise. “Jurassic World” in 2015 introduced the concept of hybrid dinosaurs, starting with the Indominous Rex. More hybrids such as the Indoraptor appeared in the film’s 2018 sequel, “Fallen Kingdom,” and the animated series “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous” further explored this concept by including creatures like the Scorpios Rex and the Spinoceratops. So, is this mutant dinosaur an early hybrid experiment? Or is it something else entirely?
The Possible Identity of the Mutant Dinosaur in Jurassic World Rebirth
Universal Pictures
At the time of writing, there are no definitive answers, but it’s plausible this mutant dinosaur is another hybrid. As Zora points out in the “Rebirth” trailer, the film’s characters encounter this creature at the original research facility for John Hammond’s (previously portrayed by the late Richard Attenborough) inaugural Jurassic Park. This isn’t Site B, also known as Isla Sorna, which was first introduced in Steven Spielberg’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” in 1997. This was the location where Hammond’s team initially learned how to create dinosaurs. Undeniably, there was a steep learning curve in the early stages. Even as Hammond was preparing to open his park, not everything went smoothly. Imagine the things that went wrong during those early days.
Indeed, it is possible that this mutant dinosaur was an unsuccessful attempt to resurrect a real dinosaur. According to Edwards, the creature possesses some T-Rex aspects, and the trailer reveals T-Rex-like arms. Could this have been an initial attempt by the Jurassic Park genetics team to create a T-Rex that went terribly wrong? Based on the information currently available, this seems like a viable theory. It also seems to align with “Rebirth”‘s exploration of Alan Grant’s (Sam Neill) line from “Jurassic Park III” – “This is how you play God.”
Without venturing too much into the realm of wild speculation, it’s worth noting that John Sayles’ abandoned “Jurassic Park 4” script included human-dinosaur hybrids. Some of the concept sketches for the film surfaced online years ago, and it’s possible – albeit unlikely – that this concept has been resurrected by Edwards and writer David Koepp for “Rebirth.” There is far less evidence to support this theory, but it does show that Universal has considered taking the franchise in an unusual direction in the past. We’ll have to wait and see what they’ve concocted in that lab this summer.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” will be released in cinemas on July 2, 2025.
FAQs
Q: Who is the director of “Jurassic World Rebirth?”
A: Gareth Edwards, known for his work on “Godzilla” (2014) and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” is the director of “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
Q: What is different about the dinosaurs in “Jurassic World Rebirth?”
A: The dinosaurs in “Jurassic World Rebirth” are mutations and are presented as more dangerous than the ones we’ve seen in the franchise so far.
Q: When is “Jurassic World Rebirth” set to be released?
A: “Jurassic World Rebirth” is set to hit the theaters on July 2, 2025.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
