One of the most highly anticipated sequels of the next year is one that we still don't actually know much about. We know that J.A. Bayona's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will bring back Owen Grady, Claire Dearing, Ian Malcolm, and Dr. Henry Wu, but the exact cause of the dinosaur outbreak in the sequel has yet to be revealed. That said, some rumors have suggested that volcanoes could play a significant role in Fallen Kingdom's story, and newly revealed tie-in merchandise may potentially corroborate that rumor. Take a look at the items below.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, these images no longer are available.
This product reveal by Jurassic Outpost seems to line up with earlier rumors about volcanoes playing a role in the story of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Based on these reports, it has been suggested that unexpected volcanic activity on Isla Nublar will threaten the habitats of the dinosaurs on the Jurassic World island, forcing the humans to fly in and rescue them. Given the movie's subtitle, one could potentially venture a guess that the fallen kingdom in question is the park itself, as the dinosaurs will eventually find themselves transported to an entirely new locale -- which we have only seen once before in The Lost World when the T-Rex rampaged through San Diego.
If volcanoes ultimately threaten the habitats of the dinosaurs in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, then this possible change in habitat (and subsequent human intervention) could line up with the themes of the sequel. The concept of animal rights (and human violation of those rights) will play an integral part in the development of Jurassic World 2's story, and the forced removal of the dinosaurs from their homes could represent a perfect catalyst to explore that concept. Hoskins wanted the Raptors off of the island for experimentation and weaponization in Jurassic World, and the sequel could take a big step towards that thanks to some unfortunate intervention by the volcanoes. Life finds a way, I guess.
Of course, we cannot go any further without pointing out the irony that a major plot point of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may have been revealed by tie-in merchandise. The series has frequently parodied (while simultaneously embracing) the concept of dino-heavy merch, so the reveal of an important story detail on a box of chicken nuggets is as meta as meta can get. If true--and merch is not always as revealing as it seems--we have a feeling that John Hammond would be very proud.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will stampede its way into theaters next summer on June 22, 2018. Here is everything that we currently know about J.A. Bayona's upcoming dinosaur-themed sequel. Until then, check out CinemaBlend's 2017 movie premiere guide to get yourself up to date on all of the rest of this year's biggest releases.
