The Jurassic Park Franchise Has Kept Dinosaurs Mainstream Since The 1990s

Scified EditorialsBy Chris May 4, 2022Comments

It’s going to be a big year for the science fiction community. Between the new Avatar movie and Jordan Peele’s film Nope, our favourite animal behaviourist Owen Grady is also returning to the big screen in June with the release of Jurassic World Dominion (2022). The upcoming science fiction adventure film is the sixth instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise and features an ensemble cast that includes Chris Pratt and Laura Dern. It is also the final film in the Jurassic World trilogy that began in 2015.

What Do We Know About The Movie?

Jurassic World Dominion takes place a few years after the Lockwood estate incident, the focus point in the movie’s predecessor, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Jurassic World Dominion will also feature several actors from earlier instalments in the Jurassic Park franchise, such as Sam Neill, who will reprise his role as Dr Alan Grant. Neill came to international fame through this role in Jurassic Park (1993) and Jurassic Park III (2001). Jeff Goldblum also returns to the franchise after starring as Dr Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).

Influence and Inspiration

Since the 1990s, the Jurassic Park franchise has produced some of the highest-grossing films ever and has thrust many actors into the global spotlight. The franchise has also allowed actors to expand their portfolios, such as Chris Pratt, who first rose to prominence for his comedic role in Parks and Recreation before transforming into a Hollywood leading man with roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World.

Jurassic Park has also had a significant impact on the science fiction genre. Based on Michael Crichton’s science fiction novel of the same name, Jurassic Park has inspired several other books and movies about dinosaurs, bringing them back into popular media. In fact, the same year that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was released, Hollywood also produced Jurassic Galaxy and Triassic World. While these two films didn’t do nearly as well as the Fallen Kingdom at the box office, they are further evidence of how there are still demographics out there that this genre attracts.

Outside of Hollywood, we can see the influence of the Jurassic Park franchise. For instance, in terms of clothing, popular brand Reebok launched its signature Jurassic Park-inspired trainers. There is also a Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios featuring various animatronic dinosaurs and several mobile and video games based on the franchise. Jurassic World Alive is a great example where players get to collect and train over 400 dinosaurs and compete with other players through real-time PvP battles.

There are even online casino games based on dinosaurs, such as Playtech’s dinosaur-themed slot game Jurassic Island II. Even though this online game doesn’t use the same characters as Jurassic Park, the inspiration behind it is evident. It’s not uncommon for casino games to take inspiration from popular movies, and some of the best UK online slots are known for this, such as the Book of Dead slot. This online casino game follows Rick Wilde, an adventurer who bears many similarities to Indiana Jones. You can also find casino games based on television shows like The Walking Dead and stories from Greek and Norse mythology, such as the Age of the Gods slots series. Greek and Norse mythology are two themes that are still present in Hollywood, as demonstrated by the recent success of The Northman (2022).

All movies inspire, but the Jurassic Park franchise is in its own category. Since the 1990s, fans of different generations have flocked to the theatres following new releases, and there isn’t a reason to believe Jurassic World Dominion won’t see a similar reaction. Humans are naturally curious about the Earth’s history, and that’s likely why dinosaur-themed movies, books, video games, and even casino games have continued to have such attraction and appeal.

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