Two days ago, the first Jurassic World trailer burst out of its paddock, sparking fevered analysis of its every shot and line of dialogue. Questions abound. Is the idea of a man-made dinosaur a stroke of genius or B-movie schlock? How is Chris Pratt’s character, Owen, riding a motorcycle alongside velociraptors without having his guts clawed out? And what’s the deal with that natty leather waistcoat?
Colin Trevorrow took time out of his post-production schedule to talk exclusively to Empire. For his full guided tour through the trailer, click here. But if you can’t wait, here are some of his juiciest quotes.
Answering fans questioning why Jurassic World is introducing a brand-new, lab-designed dinosaur (which unconfirmed rumours suggest is called the “D-Rex”), Trevorrow says, “There is no shortage of awesome [real] dinosaurs. We could have populated this entire story with new species that haven’t been in any of these movies. But this new creation is what gave me a reason to tell another Jurassic Park story. We have the most awe-inspiring creatures to ever walk the Earth right in front of us, but for some reason that’s not enough. We’re always hungry for the next thing, and those who profit from it are always looking to feed that hunger. The focus groups want something bigger than a T-Rex. And that’s what they get.”
There will, of course, be more than one dinosaur threatening Jurassic World’s guests. Like the mosasaurus, a previously unseen aquatic beast. “The idea came out in one of our first meetings,” says Trevorrow. “I didn’t know if Steven [Spielberg] and Frank [Marshall] had considered an underwater reptile, so I pitched the mosasaurus and went off on the idea.”
And yes, that is a Great White shark the carnivore is enjoying as a light snack. “I thought it would be cool if we had this massive animal and the park used one of our most fearsome modern predators as food. There could be a whole other facility where they used shark DNA to mass-produce them to feed the bigger beast. It’s a bonkers idea, but I’m comfortable going to Crazytown, because I used to live there when I was a kid.”
The trailer’s final shots suggest the original movie’s primary threat – the raptors - have been tamed and trained, working alongside Owen as allies. Is this a T-800-in-Terminator-2 deal? It’s not so clear-cut, says Trevorrow. “Owen’s relationship with the raptors is complicated. They aren't friends. These animals are nasty and dangerous and they'll bite your head off if you make the wrong move. But there are men and women out there today who have forged tenuous connections with dangerous predators. That's interesting territory to me."
And finally, what of the T-Rex, arguably the franchise’s most iconic beast? Will we see one in Jurassic World? Says Trevorrow: "You bet your ass you will."
Jurassic World is out on June 12.