Jurassic Park, later also referred to as Jurassic World,[1] is an American science fiction adventure media franchise. It focuses on the cloning of dinosaurs through ancient DNA, extracted from mosquitoes that have been fossilized in amber. The franchise explores the ethics of cloning and genetic engineering, and the morals behind de-extinction.
The franchise began in 1990, with the release of Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park. A film adaptation, also titled Jurassic Park, was directed by Steven Spielberg and was released in 1993. Crichton then wrote a sequel novel, The Lost World (1995), and Spielberg directed its film adaptation, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). Four additional films have been released, including Jurassic Park III in 2001, completing the original trilogy of films. The fourth installment, Jurassic World, was released in 2015, marking the beginning of a new trilogy. Its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, was released in 2018. The sixth film, Jurassic World Dominion, released in 2022, marks the conclusion of the second trilogy. Two Jurassic World short films have also been released: Battle at Big Rock (2019) and a Jurassic World Dominion prologue (2021).
Theropod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor have had major roles throughout the film series. Other species, including Brachiosaurus and Spinosaurus, have also played significant roles. The series has also featured other creatures such as Mosasaurus and members of the pterosaur group, both commonly misidentified by the public as dinosaurs.[2][3][4][5] The various creatures in the films were created through a combination of animatronics and computer-generated imagery (CGI). For the first three films, the animatronics were created by special-effects artist Stan Winston and his team,[6] while Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) handled the CGI for all the films. The first film garnered critical acclaim for its innovations in CGI technology and animatronics. Since Winston's death in 2008, the practical dinosaurs have been created by other artists, including Legacy Effects and Image Engine (Jurassic World), Neal Scanlan (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), and John Nolan (Jurassic World Dominion).
Paleontologist Jack Horner has served as the longtime scientific advisor on the films, and paleontologist Steve Brusatte was also consulted for Jurassic World Dominion. The original film was praised for its modern portrayal of dinosaurs. Horner said that it still contained many inaccuracies, but noted that it was not meant as a documentary. Later films in the series contain inaccuracies as well, for entertainment purposes. This includes the films' velociraptors, which are depicted as being larger than their real-life counterparts. In addition, the franchise's method for cloning dinosaurs has been deemed scientifically implausible, for a number of reasons.
- ^ Wakeman, Gregory (July 25, 2020). "Colin Trevorrow had to persuade Steven Spielberg to rename 'Jurassic Park' franchise 'Jurassic World'". Yahoo!.
- ^ Hill, Kyle (November 26, 2014). "The Best Dinosaur in the Jurassic World Trailer Isn't Actually a Dinosaur". Nerdist. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Phillips, Ian (June 12, 2015). "Here's how the 'Jurassic World' dinosaurs looked in real life". Business Insider. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Montanari, Shaena (June 12, 2015). "A Paleontologist Reviews 'Jurassic World'". Forbes. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ Barrett, Paul (June 18, 2015). "Jurassic World: What a noted dinosaur expert thinks". BBC. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Effron, Lauren; Gowen, Gwen (May 22, 2018). "'Jurassic Park' turns 25: Behind-the-scenes moments you may not have known about the iconic summer thriller". ABC. Retrieved September 28, 2020.