While theJurassic Parkfranchise brings prehistoric fun to the whole family, fans can’t help but wonder what the franchise would look like if someone let the dinosaurs loose in an R-rated film. During a special event in Malta to promote the extended edition ofJurassic World Dominion, Collider’s ownSteven Weintraubspoke with co-writer and directorColin Trevorrow, who pondered the possibility of bringing some R-rated dinosaur thrills to theJurassicuniverse.
EveryJurassic Parkmovie deals with a group of humans trying to survive the disastrous release of dinosaurs in a park, island, or city, a story that would fit perfectly in a tense horror flick. Even so, the franchise kept the PG-13 tradition, allowing children to see their favorite dino creatures come to life before their eyes. So, while theJurassic Parkmovies are filled with danger, they are primarily concerned with wonder. But what if they were not? How traumatic could an R-rate Jurassic film be? And would Universal Studios ever allow this movie to exist? When questioned about the subject, Trevorrow said:
“It’s hard to answer that question. I don’t know. I do know that if we made ‘A Quiet Place’, if we made a hard R really scary version, potentially very contained, I know I’d want to see that movie. If a parent took their kid to that movie and horrified them for life, I know that would be a problem. Look, I don’t want to put any cuffs on whoever has a vision for this in the future. All I know is that people love dinosaurs, people love movies with dinosaurs in them, and I know people love the world that [‘Jurassic Park’ author] Michael Crichton created. The reason why there are dinosaurs and humans in the same place, that sci-fi idea, it’s a brilliant idea. From there, I feel like someone else should come to us.”
RELATED:‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Extended Edition Review: Fan Service and Fun Make for a Dino-sized Good Time
Trevorrow seems excited about the idea of an R-ratedJurassic Parkmovie, but it’s unlikely that it will ever happen. Half of theJurassicfilms released until now have crossed the $1 billion mark at the international box office, with the others still hauling in hundreds of millions each. By allowing someone to make an R-ratedJurassicmovie, Universal would have to drastically reduce its box office expectations since the company wouldn’t be able to count on families going to theaters. Besides that, part of what makes the franchise so successful is the photorealistic dinosaurs we get to see on the screen, and that is only achieved with a huge budget directed to animatronics and CGI. Someone could come up with a small-budget R-ratedJurassic Parkidea, but the risk might be too big for Universal to take.
Jurassic World Dominionbrought an end to the franchise first created bySteven Spielbergand inspired by Michael Crichton’ssci-fi books. The last film in Trevorrow’s newJurassictrilogy also brought back beloved characters from the originalJurassic Parktrilogy, includingSam Neillas Alan Grant,Laura Dernas Ellie Sattler, andJeff Goldblumas Ian Malcolm. It’s no wonder thatthe movie was a major box office success, leading two generations of fans into theaters to enjoy one last exciting ride. The success led to the release of an extended edition ofJurassic World Dominion, which makes us all wonder about the franchise’s future.
After directingJurassic Worldand co-writing the new trilogy’s first two installments, Trevorrow was back to helmDominionand bring the franchise to an end. Trevorrow, already said that he’s done with theJurassicuniverse, and if Universal decides to take it somewhere new, another filmmaker should take his place. So, while improbable, we can still hope the next director will get to make an R-ratedJurassic Parkmovie. This crazy concept could shake up the franchise and bring some fresh ideas, and we would all be very curious to see the result of the weird experiment.
The extended edition ofJurassic World Dominionis now available on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray. Check out Steve’s original interview with director Colin Trevorrow for the film’s theatrical release below, and look for their new interview very soon.
