Last night, after days of buzz and hype surrounded its existence, Battle At Big Rock finally debuted for all Jurassic World fans to finally enjoy. While it wasn’t attached for a theatrical release as initially planned, the fact that director Colin Trevorrow and writer Emily Carmichael’s teaser for their work on the upcoming Jurassic World 3 was still a sight to see. And it has me even more excited to see where the 2021 release is going to take the series.
With just an eight minute story, Battle At Big Rock shows a lot of promise for what’s going to happen next in the world where dinosaurs and humans collide. And I’d like to go over some of the reasons why this mini-movie has me so hyped for Jurassic World 3. But if you haven’t seen the short just yet, feel free to check it out for yourself, as it’s included for your viewing below:
Alright, now let's get to why I'm more excited for Jurassic World 3 because of this short film.
This Short Sets Up Jurassic World 3 As The Greatest Nightmare Of Jurassic Park History
All throughout the Jurassic Park/World franchise, the worst case scenario has been the same: what happens if these genetically-created dinosaurs escape captivity and start to eat the tourists? However, by the time Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom rolled around, the stakes became even higher, as a new question was put into play: what if the dinosaurs escape captivity in more densely populated areas?
With Battle At Big Rock, we’re starting to see the greatest nightmare of Jurassic franchise history realized, and it looks pretty chilling. This time, we saw dinosaurs having a fight in at a state park. But migration is going to change things pretty quickly, with both herbivore and carnivore headed to the big city. Nature no longer has an island or an enclosure to stop these creatures from doing their thing, and the possibilities for Jurassic World 3 are endless.
The Lost World Is Definitely Going To Be An Inspiration For Jurassic World 3
All throughout Battle At Big Rock, the influence of director Steven Spielberg’s sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, was felt in the DNA of this new short. The end credits really lean into those hallmarks, with a Compsognathus attack involving a little girl feeling just like the opening to the 1997 follow-up to Jurassic Park, and John Williams' main theme for the film playing into the soundtrack. But the greatest giveaway was the harrowing sequence in the family’s camper, where a vicious Allosaurus overturns the trailer and smashes its way inside.
Colin Trevorrow is certainly a fan of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, as he and composer Michael Giacchino referenced its theme previously when they worked together on Jurassic World. With the references growing stronger this time out, Trevorrow’s next turn at bat may see teams of humans trying to recover the dinosaurs in the wild, with hopes of sheltering them or making a profit, depending on which side you follow. And if we’re lucky, this will mean at the very least a lot more Jeff Goldblum, if not the entire cast of the classic Jurassic Park roster, being involved in the process.
Jurassic World 3 Now Has The Best Excuse To Bring Back The Classic Cast
It’s always a question when it comes to a franchise that introduces a legacyquel like Jurassic World: when, if at all, is the original cast going to make an appearance? It’s certainly not out of the question, as members like Laura Dern and Sam Neill have expressed interest in reprising their Jurassic Park roles of Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant, respectively. Jeff Goldblum already opened the door a crack on the whole thing by bringing Dr. Malcolm back in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Between their various fields of expertise, as well as their experiences on Isla Nublar in Jurassic Park, Battle At Big Rock has now given Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael the best excuse they could ever need in order to bring Sam Neill and Laura Dern to the table, right alongside Goldblum. Cue the quippy dialogue, and a reunion with one very familiar Tyrannosaurus, and you have a Jurassic World 3 that could potentially win over the most diehard fans in one fell swoop.
The Family From Battle At Big Rock Are Fantastic New Protagonists
As delightful as it would be to see cast members from Jurassic Park getting into dino trouble with Chris Pratt’s Owen and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire, there’s also a family of new characters that Battle At Big Rock introduces us to that have quite a story of their own. As we open on this new short, we find out that André Holland and Natalie Martinez’s young family is still adjusting to being together – even after two years of being joined together.
So, of course, in the time honored tradition of Jurassic quests before it, Battle At Big Rock uses dinosaur peril to bond a family together better than any therapy session ever could. In eight minutes, we’re given the lowdown on the family, and the we see them observe and fight their way through a dinosaur encounter. These characters are so good, they could totally carry a movie of their own; and it’s a sincere hope that this family will be at the heart of Jurassic World 3. Especially since their daughter, Grace, played by Melody Hurd, is already proficient with handing herself around dinosaurs, with just a crossbow for defense.
Jurassic World 3 Could Be A Great Finale To The Jurassic Series Of Films
The conflict of humanity versus dinosaurs is something Jurassic World 3 can’t avoid. With the twists and turns the story has taken in this particular franchise, it always felt like everything was either returning to an island, or just barely evading disaster with a limited quantity of dinosaurs released on the mainland. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom changed all of that by releasing the dinosaurs of the park into the custody of various bidders, as well as into the wilds of North America.
There’s no turning back from this point, but it also feels like there’s not many other places to go when it comes to Jurassic World’s story. Battle At Big Rock is setting up a world that’s going to be dangerously exciting to explore, but it also feels like an endgame. It’s one last gigantic adventure where humanity has to either step up or step back in the face of the dinopocalypse. Maybe there’ll be some sort of plot twist that keeps things fresh and open for more Jurassic World stories. But if all involved want to play it smart, as a true celebration of the franchise, then Jurassic World 3 should be the final entry, unless a really good idea presents itself.
There’s plenty of time for the third, and possibly final, adventure in the Jurassic World saga to take shape, as it’s not due in theaters until June 11, 2021. In the meantime, keep it tuned here to CinemaBlend, as we’ll be breaking all the latest Jurassic World news as it develops.
