Director Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World is, inarguably, one of the most financially-successful "reboots" in Hollywood history. Picking up with the Jurassic franchise years after the original film and its subsequent installments, Jurassic World was not only one of the most lucrative films of 2015, but one of the most successful movie (again, at the box office) in cinema history, currently sitting at #4 in the highest grossing movies of all time. Some of the biggest reasons that the film worked and was well-received upon its release too, was the charisma of its lead stars, including Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire.
While fans and critics were quick to point out the ridiculousness of Claire keeping on her tall high heels throughout the entirety of Jurassic World, they were also just as quick to point out the merits of Howard's as the character as well. It was no surprise then, that the news that she and Chris Pratt's Owen would be returning for Jurassic World 2 was met with general enthusiasm from both fans and critics alike.
In a recent interview with JoBlo, Howard talked briefly about preparing to return as Claire in Jurassic World 2 (not the official title) and also teased why she was so "surprised" by the direction of the sequel's story compared to its predecessor:
"That's part of the story, that's part of the journey. She definitely went through a lot and is permanently changed because of that. But she is also who she is. Chris [Pratt] and I are already having a lot of fun with that. We're in that stage right now of figuring out the backstory and talking through all those beats, like everything that happened in between. That's always such a fun time. You're like, 'No, she did that?! No way, he couldn't have!' It's really, really fun, and then you step into the present moment and it becomes alive.
"I think what is tricky about doing the fifth movie of a franchise is how will you bring in new stuff and still pay tribute to what we all know and the legacy of the film. So, it’s the balance between the new stuff and the old stuff. I think Colin [Trevorrow] did a great job in the first one finding the balance between what people are expecting and what people are being again. I was kind of surprised when he pitched me the story because it leads the story to a place that we’ve never seen before and it brings some of the most important elements from the other films and makes something with them. I thought that was very interesting. It’s the second chapter of a trilogy so it gets the story to a place that wants you leaving more and more."
Despite not directing the sequel, Trevorrow and his writing partner, Derek Connolly, will be penning the screenplay for Jurassic World 2, while A Monster Calls and The Impossible director J.A. Bayona will be at the helm of the sequel. With Jurassic World ending with the dinosaurs seemingly reclaiming Isla Nublar as their own, the idea of the sequel having a radically different story and feel than its predecessor isn't necessarily surprising; especially considering the very different approach to filmmaking that Bayona and Trevorrow have demonstrated with their past films. Not much is really known about the sequel yet either, though the thought of it incorporating story elements from all four previous Jurassic films certainly adds another layer of mystery to the whole project.
Already, J.A. Bayona seems to be excited about the sequel; and after working on more moderately-budgeted fare for much of his career to date, this will hopefully be the perfect vessel for him to make his blockbuster debut with. Having already teased more models and practical effects being used in the sequel too, Bayona looks to add a more naturalistic feel and tone to the sequel, which should come as welcome news to fans who were disappointed in Trevorrow's somewhat CGI-heavy approach on Jurassic World.
It's also been revealed that Howard's Claire will not be saddled with the same pesky heels in the Jurassic World sequel. Hopefully, that won't be the only criticism of that movie that Trevorrow, Bayona and Connolly take to heart while bringing the world of the Jurassic franchise to the big screen, for a fifth round.
Source: JoBlo
