Jurassic World Dominion director Colin Trevorrow reveals the advice Steven Spielberg gave him. Dominion hit theaters as the last installment in the Jurassic World trilogy, which kicked off a whole 14 years after Jurassic Park closed its doors. With new leads in Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt, taking center stage as Claire Dearing and Owen Grady, Trevorrow's original Jurassic World was met with rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
Its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, ended on a major cliffhanger, as the dinosaurs managed to escape from a U.S. mainland facility and began to roam freely throughout the world, setting the stage for Jurassic World: Dominion. However, the most anticipated aspect Dominion was the return of Spielberg's original legacy characters. In order to save the day, Claire and Owen must seek out Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), all of whom managed to survive the dinosaurs' first reign of terror in Spielberg's 1993 Jurassic Park.
In an interview with THR, Trevorrow discussed the importance of tying real-world issues into Dominion. The director also shared the advice that the franchise's previous head gave him. Trevorrow explained that Spielberg emphsazied the importance of staying true to the relatable, human side of Dominion, even when the action/adventure world feels far removed from reality. Spielberg also referenced a few of his own film's most iconic characters, and their ties to the normal, every day. Read Trevorrow's recollection below:
"Well, his advice often seems almost obvious, but then as you go through the film and remember what he said, you realize that he’s actually given you the key. And in this film, specifically, it was, “Remember the characters. Don’t forget that these are humans. These are real people, scientists, parents going through something spectacular, something fantastic.” So that’s what he’s so good at. Real people in the real world, such as E.T. Indiana Jones is a professor who makes mistakes and sometimes fails and gets hurt. He established a hero that was different from what had been done up to that point when he started introducing us to these real people in real worlds. So [Dominion] isn’t a superhero film, and however much I enjoy them, this is a movie about our world with one thing different."
Now that Dominion is in theaters, Trevorrow's embracement of Spielberg's advice has become clear. In the latest Jurassic World installment, Claire and Owen recognize their weaknesses and reach out for help when they need it. Dominion emphasizes Claire, Owen and the Jurassic Park legacy cast's status as normal people who have to use science and their own intelligence — rather than superpowers — to save the day. In addition, Dominion subtly references the state of the world since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting humanity's struggle to co-exist during stressful and uncertain times. As Spielberg suggested, Trevorrow's focus on his core characters aims to ground the new Jurassic World film through a wild and bizarre, dino-filled adventure.
Unfortunately, Dominion has not enjoyed a strong critical reception. The film was met with very poor reviews, and holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 30%. However, its audience score sits at a much more impressive 79%, with reviews from general audience members praising the film's action-packed plot, extreme nostalgia, and thoughtful treatment of its returning Jurassic Park legacy characters. It seems that audiences and critics are divided on just how successfully Jurassic World Dominion has managed to take Spielberg's advice onboard, but the trilogy's final chapter has certain seen incredible interest, becoming the highest-grossing non-superhero movie since 2019. Whether or not Trevorrow's approach convinces every viewer, it's clear that Spielberg's iconic characters (and advice) have stood the test of time.
Source: THR