Universal Pictures dropped a new still from the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion, which not only teases the return of Sam Neill and Laura Dern as Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler, respectively, but features a nod to one of the franchise's earliest iconic moments.
The still, released through Empire, sees Sattler and Grant in a holding facility for dinosaurs, with herbivores all around them, fenced off from one another. The paleontologist and paleobotanist are occupied by an adorable baby triceratops, in what appears to be a nod to Sattler's original encounter with a smiliar beast in 1993's Jurassic Park.
One of the first major dinosaur appearances in Jurassic Park was the triceratops that appeared in the film's second act. Dr. Sattler tended to the sick creature and identified the cause of its ailment as West Indian lilac, which the dinosaur had confused for the plant of its natural diet. Sattler raised the issue during the team's argument with Jurassic Park owner John Hammond, warning him against filling the park with plants chosen because of their appearance rather than any environmental or dietary benefits to the dinosaurs.
But it wasn't the exploration of an ethical issue that made the scene iconic, but rather than lifelike mechanics and practical effects that brought the triceratops to life. While the film did use computer-generated graphics in certain scenes, the triceratops and a variety of other dinosaurs were filmed using puppetry and animatronics-- one of many reasons why Jurassic Park remains a landmark in filmmaking and VFX.
It's a facet of the franchise that Jurassic World Dominion director Colin Trevorrow has kept in mind. While the more recent instalments in the saga have leaned on CGI significantly more, Trevorrow previously confirmed that the upcoming film will implement more practical effects than its predecessors, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Jurassic Park's three iconic heroes will return for Dominion, featuring heavily in the film's most recent trailers and photos. More than that, Trevorrow assured audiences that they had substantial roles in the film and wouldn't be relegated to simple cameo appearances. "They’re not together the entire time, but we are following both of their stories equally, and you have a sense that they’re going to collide at a certain point," the director said.
But as much as Dominion will offer a look back at the franchise, it also has plenty of new and exciting characters and dinosaurs to offer. Trevorrow recently touched on the giganotosaurus and compared the new and terrifying therapod to the Joker.
Jurassic World: Dominion releases in theaters June 10, 2022.
Source: Empire
