Tyrant Lizard aka The Tyrannosaurus Rex is easily the most famous dinosaur to exist and not just in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films. There is a common love for the T-Rex, due to it being one of the largest carnivores to ever exist, spanning any dinosaur-related media over the years.
It remains the poster child of the Jurassic franchise, with the skeletal fossil of the Rex remaining as the logo after almost 30 years. With a T-Rex appearing in all five movies, there is a lot to learn about this recurring creature that helped reshape cinema back in 1993.
The Original Rex Has A Name
Technically, the Rex that breaks out of her paddock and is the subject of one of the most groundbreaking CGI scenes of the '90s has two names. One unofficial name given to the movie monster gave her the same name that Michael Crichton did in his novel: Rexy. It's a simple but effective name and even the official movie Wiki page labels her as such.
However, there was a production name for the Rex, specifically in the storyboards that were used during pre-production. According to ComicBook.com, Phil Tibbet named her Roberta but fans have become more accustomed to the name Rexy.
The Original Animatronic Was Not Rain-Friendly
This isn't the first time Steven Spielberg had issues with an animatronic creature. He had a disastrous time trying to film the shark animatronic in Jaws. Though not nearly as bad, Rexy proved to be a problem due to the rain causing the mechanisms and hydraulics to glitch, as reported by Cinemablography.
The rain had soaked through the latex skin, causing Rexy to vibrate uncontrollably. As a result, the Rexy animatronic had to be dried with towels and hairdryers between takes. Apparently, the animatronic would sometimes move on its own, adding a bit of fear during production.
Rexy Has Only Killed Two Humans In The Movies
So far, across the three movie appearances, Rexy herself has only killed two humans. The first was the cowardly and money-grubbing lawyer Gennaro in Jurassic Park. The other kill didn't happen until Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom when she killed the also cowardly and money-grubbing Eli Mills.
For as iconic for being one of the most famous dinosaur villains in the series, Rexy's body count is surprisingly low. However, her kills are some of the grisliest deaths in the Jurrasic Park franchise. Her cousins on Isla Sorna, on the other hand, have killed in the double digits.
Rexy Is Voiced By Stephen Spielberg
A lot of the scenes with Rexy are focused on how loud and booming she is. To help the actors react better, Stephen Spielberg would provide the vocals of the T-Rex. But that's not the only dinosaur that Spielberg helped bring to life, as reported by Looper.
Other sequences, such as the cow being devoured by the Raptor pack in the paddock, also featured the vocal assistance of the director. In documentaries about the making of Jurassic Park, there is even footage of Spielberg providing the animal noises.
Movement-Based Sight Is Very Wrong
It's no secret that the Jurassic movies get things scientifically wrong. Even the villainous Dr. Henry Wu mentions that if the dinosaurs were pure, they'd be very different. With that said, one of the defining traits of the Tyrannosaurs is their vision, which is based on movement.
This was a theory from long ago that has since been debunked. In actuality, it's been deduced that a T-Rex's vision was quite excellent due to the estimated massive size of their eyeballs, as stated by Inquisitr.
Rexy Had A Sibling
In the Michael Crichton novel, Rexy was not the only Tyrannosaur in her paddock. There was a juvenile Rex that was more akin to a wild dog that was playful but still quite dangerous. Even the most loyal fans might not know that this other Rex is canon to the film series. as well.
It never makes an on-screen appearance, but on an official Jurassic World website, there is information on the original T-Rex paddock. It states that it was designed to fit and display an adult Rex and a juvenile. It was never transferred from Isla Sorna due to Denis Nedry's treachery. This hints at the possibility that either the Buck or the Doe from The Lost World was that same juvenile all grown up.
The Infant Might Have Been In Jurassic Park III
Fans have been debating this one for a long time and it concerns the young T-Rex in Jurassic Park III. It is possible that it wasn't the first appearance of that Rex due to it featuring a vibrant green hide. In The Lost World, the Buck and its infant both sport a bright green hide.
As a result, many fans have theorized that the juvenile Rex in Jurassic Park III is the infant from The Lost World, all grown up, with one Quora thread as an example. It was several years later and the Rex was even portrayed by the same animatronic as the Buck. Though it has never been confirmed, it's still a plausible theory.
How The Iconic Roars Were Made
In Fallen Kingdom, Rexy breaking into a zoo and having a roar-off with a lion is more than a cute scene between animals. It is a reference to how the now-iconic movie sound effect of the Tyrannosaurus Rex is made.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex sound effect was a mixture of an alligator, lion, whale, and baby elephant. This was confirmed by sound designer Gary Rydstrom, whose commentary can be found on YouTube.
Old But Not Obsolete Rex
It's never explicitly stated but it is canon that the same Rex that is freed to help stop the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World is none other than Rexy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this was not only confirmed by Colin Trevorrow but there is evidence to this fact in both Jurassic World films.
In both films, the Rex features a more dull-colored skin, much like the original, whereas the Rexes in The Lost World were more vibrant. The biggest piece of evidence, however, is Rexy's scars, which she gained from battling the Raptors at the end of the first film.
Rexy Has A Missing Tooth
This is a detail that most casual and longtime fans will probably never notice for years. When Rexy's head comes crashing through the windowed roof of the car, there is a small goof that became an official detail about Rexy. In a very easy-to-miss moment, Rexy loses a tooth on the glass.
In a surprise twist, this goof would actually just end up being another scar for the character. In Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, and even Camp Cretaceous, Rexy has a gap where the missing tooth once was. It's a small detail but it shows the filmmakers' respect for the original film, paying that much attention to the little things.