The third film in the Jurassic World series, Jurassic World: Dominion, will make use of practical effects to create its dinosaurs. Dominion will be the third film in the Jurassic World franchise inspired by the Jurassic Park series. The film is currently set to release in 2021 and was among the first to resume production after the coronavirus shutdowns.
Though Jurassic World previously relied on computer-generated animation and visual effects to create its dinosaurs, the original Jurassic Park films were known for their stunning animatronic work combined with CGI that still holds up almost 30 years later. The new movies initially moved away from this method of dinosaur creation, but now, it appears that robot dinosaurs might be making a comeback.
In a Comic-Con@Home panel called “Directors on Directing,” currently available on Comic-Con International's YouTube channel , Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow revealed the filmmakers will be making a return to form for the new sequel. According to Trevorrow, Dominion will feature more practical animatronic effects than either of the two previous movies. The director explained this has been a conscious decision for the past few films, saying, “We’ve actually gone more practical with every Jurassic movie we’ve made since the first one, and we’ve made more animatronics in this one than we have in the previous two.”
Not only that, but Trevorrow also shared how Jurassic World: Dominion will blend animatronic effects and CG animation together to create the film’s dinosaurs. He notes that this is a relatively new workflow that he personally finds exciting:
We finally reached a point where it’s possible to… digital extensions on animatronics will be able to match the texture and the level of fidelity that, on film, an animatronic is going to be able to bring. And you didn’t use to be able to really mix them. You could really see the seams. And so that part of it is very exciting for me.
The physical dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Dominion promise to be thoroughly engaging and lifelike, as Trevorrow mentions. His recent comments come after he tweeted a sneak peak of one of the robotic creatures back in December, sparking excitement and anticipation for the new film. However, it's now clear the movie will take animatronics even further than some anticipated.
Since the first Jurassic World film was criticized by some fans for having sub-par dinosaurs, this distinct effort to get the dinos right could be a direct response to this audience reaction. Though the art of CG is impressive and essential for an action film like Jurassic World, the move to more mechanical dinosaurs could be a good one for the franchise. Other recent creations like The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda have found unprecedented success with a combination puppetry and CG, and the new Jurassic World could succeed in the same way if it effectively uses a combination of the two. It may be awhile until audiences get to see the new dinosaurs of Jurassic World: Dominion in all their glory, but it seems like it will be well worth the wait.
Source: Comic-Con International/YouTube
