The latest installment in the Jurassic franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth, is set to hit theaters on July 2, bringing with it a fresh batch of dinosaurs that promise to captivate audiences. Unlike its predecessors, this film introduces genetically engineered creatures that blur the line between animals and monsters. The film’s screenwriter, David Koepp, explains the shift in approach: “These things are monsters because someone made them,” he tells Entertainment Weekly.
Picking up five years after 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, the story follows Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett, a “situational security” expert, Jonathan Bailey’s Dr. Henry Loomis, a paleontologist, and Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid, captain of their boat. Their mission takes them to Ile Saint-Hubert to extract DNA from the three most colossal dinosaurs of land, sea, and sky, aiming to engineer a life-saving drug for a pharmaceutical company. However, they soon encounter the monstrous dinosaur experiments left behind by the long-abandoned research facility of the original Jurassic Park.
From Animals to Monsters: A New Era of Dinosaurs
In the original Jurassic Park films, dinosaurs were portrayed as animals, motivated by natural instincts. “Normally, we yell at each other if somebody says ‘monster’ instead of ‘animal,'” Koepp recalls. However, the new film departs from this philosophy. “You’re departing freely from the fossil record and just making stuff up,” Koepp admits, describing the process of creating new dinosaur hybrids.
Distortus rex: A Genetic Experiment Gone Awry
The Distortus rex, or D. rex, epitomizes the film’s monstrous theme. Standing at 26 feet tall and weighing approximately 20,000 pounds, this creature is a failed attempt by InGen to engineer a Tyrannosaurus rex. Director Gareth Edwards cites the Rancor from Star Wars and the Xenomorph from Alien as inspirations. “In my mind, it was basically a T. rex cranked up to 15, and it had gone wrong because of that,” Edwards explains.
“Clearly they should have stopped about 20 versions ago because it just got worse and worse and worse,” Koepp comments on the D. rex’s development.
The Winged Terror: Mutadon
The Mutadon is a terrifying blend of Velociraptor and winged pterosaur, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 550 pounds. Director Edwards faced challenges in designing this creature, spending nine months brainstorming before finalizing the concept. “We tried thousands of things, I think, in the end,” he recalls.
Despite the challenges, the Mutadon is expected to become a popular toy, though not in time for summer. “Christmas is more likely,” Edwards notes.
The Colossal Trio: Land, Sea, and Sky
The film’s protagonists aim to capture DNA from three massive dinosaurs: the Mosasaurus, Titanosaurus, and Quetzalcoatlus. Each represents a different domain—sea, land, and sky—adding to the film’s epic scale.
Mosasaurus: The Ocean’s Giant
Moving at the speed of a killer whale, the 100-feet-long, 40,000-pound Mosasaurus is the largest water-dwelling dinosaur in the film. Director Steven Spielberg’s Jaws served as a major inspiration for the ocean sequences. “There were moments at sea where [Spielberg would] say, ‘That’s too Jaws. Don’t do that,'” Koepp recalls.
Titanosaurus: The Land’s Gentle Giant
With legs the size of Redwood trees, the Titanosaurus is an herbivore that stands 50 feet tall and weighs 30 tons. “Essentially, it’s a Brachiosaurus on a massive scale,” Edwards describes, emphasizing its non-threatening nature despite its size.
Quetzalcoatlus: The Sky’s Behemoth
The Quetzalcoatlus boasts a 30-foot wingspan, making it the largest flying dinosaur in the film. “It’s about the size of a school bus,” Bailey’s character notes, highlighting the team’s decision to extract DNA from an egg rather than risk confronting the adult.
Returning Favorites and New Faces
The film also reintroduces the Spinosaurus, first seen in 2001’s Jurassic Park III. Now more evolved, these dinosaurs are capable of hunting by both land and sea, complementing the Mosasaurus. Additionally, the film introduces Dolores, an Aquilops that quickly becomes a fan favorite. The young Isabella Delgado, played by Audrina Miranda, names the candy-obsessed creature, which is already a hit at Universal Studios.
As Jurassic World Rebirth prepares for its theatrical release, audiences can look forward to a thrilling blend of science fiction and adventure, with new dinosaurs that push the boundaries of imagination. The film promises to be a visual spectacle, offering both nostalgia and innovation for fans of the franchise.
