A new Jurassic World Dominion image shows Laura Dern's Dr. Ellie Sattler with a baby dinosaur. As the third film in the Jurassic World trilogy and the sixth in the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Dominion will see the return of series regulars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, alongside the trio of Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum. This will be the first time they have appeared in a Jurassic Park film together since the 1993 original, and will be Dern and Neill's first reappearance since 2001's Jurassic Park 3.
Following directly on from the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the new film will take place in the Neo-Jurassic period, as coined by Goldblum's Dr. Malcolm. The period is marked by a coexistence of humans and dinosaurs after the creatures were released during the Lockwood Estate Incident, and the film will see humanity grapple with the concept of being replaced as Earth's apex predators. Directed by Colin Trevorrow and featuring a strong supporting cast that includes familiar faces like BD Wong and Omar Sy, Jurassic World Dominion looks to be ending the trilogy with a bang when it releases June 10.
Part of what makes the upcoming film so exciting can be seen in a newly released Jurassic World Dominion image of Dern's Dr. Sattler tending to a baby dinosaur. Published by Empire, the image contains a happy Ellie placing her hand lovingly on a young Nasutoceratops. In the background is Neill's Dr. Grant, confirming that the two characters will be sharing screen time. Check out the full image below:
The most interesting part, however, is that the dinosaur isn't computer-animated. As confirmed in the article, it is an example of the animatronics that will make up part of Jurassic World Dominion's creature design. This is a return to some of the techniques that made the original Jurassic Park such an instant classic upon release, and the combination of puppetry and CGI has helped the Steven Spielberg classic's effects age better than many from the same period.
While Jurassic World Dominion's trailer still shows off plenty of CGI dinosaurs, the fact that there are going to be some animatronics highlights that this film might adhere more closely to the essence of the original, which is promising. Combined with the return of fan-favorite characters such as Sattler, Grant, and Malcolm, it seems as if Dominion might be able to overcome the lukewarm critical reception that has plagued the Jurassic World trilogy until this point. One thing is for certain however. Considering the fact that the last two films have both smashed the $1 billion mark at the box office, Jurassic World Dominion should be looking at bumper sales when it releases in the summer.
Source: Empire
