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Did Jurassic World II Start Filming?

As the kids say, “This is real life.”

#truestory.

There’s a video that’s gone viral of a giant alligator casually strolling on a Palmetto, Florida golf course. Keep in mind that Florida is no stranger to large alligators. These sightings are relatively normal. What’s fascinating is that the Floridians who witnessed this spectacle of nature in the original video were in complete awe and amazement at the size of this beast (~14-15 feet long) that’s technically classified as a reptile. This is one of the largest/longest alligators you may ever see.

To most of us, though, the giant alligator looks like…

Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant: You’re on.

The Jurassic Park angle is brilliant and the edits are wonderfully playful. Forget any local news or national newscast, YouTube user “Pim Roes” wins the day.

He found a way to best tell this story.

Bringing a Tsunami of Chaos to the World

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(Jurassic Park, Facebook)

Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg collaborated to make Jurassic Park a real tourist destination (at least theatrically) in Jurassic World.

Can the director of The Impossible make us believe in a world with dinosaurs, sans fences and elaborate glass bird cages?

J.A. Bayona was given the reins of the prized Jurassic Park franchise to direct Jurassic World 2 (title still TBD), scheduled for June 22, 2018. Unsurprisingly, there is already tremendous buzz about this sequel. Why? First, Jurassic World earned a record-breaking $1.6 billion. Second…it’s the second film in the trilogy.

The plot of the first film in this new trilogy revealed there’s a good likelihood of dinosaurs (specifically Velociraptors) being militarized. Will this work? Is this the best idea for rebooting the franchise? Surely, Steven Spielberg has thought long and hard about this and, after many meetings and debates, has determined this is the natural path forward for genetically engineered dinosaurs.

The Impossible is a gritty, emotional movie with beautiful (though devastating) cinematography. Mr. Bayona knows how to film in the elements, especially when nature collides with a tsunami and the chaos that follows.

If Dr. Ian Malcolm were a real person, he’d give his real endorsement of J.A. Bayona as director with a Favorite or Retweet.

Even though there are some scenes in The Impossible that are difficult to watch, Mr. Bayona always scaled the setting and the story perfectly.

What do I mean?

The devastation from the monstrous tsunami was widespread, literally as far as the eye could see, and then some. When the audience needed to see the full landscape, he showed it using every inch of the silver screen. When we needed to see and connect to the characters and experience their highly-emotional struggles, he framed these moments with heart-wrenching precision. And those small, slow burning sparks of hope were there to keep us believing like the desperate families in the film.

The Impossible was both grand and intimate through the intricate collaboration of real-life and CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery).

J.A. Bayona: Welcome to Jurassic World.

P.S. Colin Trevorrow (39) had one notable hit before being hired for Jurassic World. J.A. Bayona (40) has a similar portfolio in preparing for Jurassic World 2. And yet, Steven Spielberg was already a legendary filmmaker when he took on Jurassic Park. Today, it’s regarded as one of the best movies ever made.

Should Spielberg have chosen more experienced and acclaimed directors for continuing his directorial legacy in the dinosaur franchise?

Just an observation to ponder.

Where Am I?

The sun is shining, with gorgeous views,
the water glistens and sparkles, with a hue so blue
Then all of a sudden, a torrential storm will pop-up,
raining enough to fill more than one shaking cup
Detached from the daily grind it is, an envious trait,
be sure to apply sunscreen and bring along some bait
But beware of the sharks, as well as this dangerous park,
their footprints leave terrifying, scream-worthy marks
Don’t think so literally, let your imagination sway,
now take a deep breath and enjoy your playful lay by the bay!

I am in…

Kaua’i!

Used for filming the 1993 cinematic masterpiece Jurassic Park and scenes in the 2015 box office champion Jurassic World, Kaua’i is a breathtakingly beautiful destination, with or without genetically-engineered dinosaurs. As one of the Hawaiian islands, it’s a spectacular place to vacation. Allowing the sights and sounds to overwhelm you is a well worth the price of the airline ticket and journey to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

(Kauai Landmark Realty)

(Kauai Landmark Realty)

(Courtyard Kaua'i at Coconut Beach)

(Courtyard Kaua’i at Coconut Beach)

Aside from Jurassic Park, Kaua’i is also where my family and I met Pierce Brosnan waiting in line at a local lunch spot! And yes, he was 007-level cool. Hawaii is a special place for me, and this island in particular. It’s been a wonderful destination and the halfway point in flying to Australia. Just simply incredible.

And Kaua’i is where I am so often when daydreaming…

The Artistic Engineering of Class

First, the second viewing of Jurassic World in 3D was a seamless sight for audiences. Similar to Jurassic Park in 3D, this franchise and its cinematography is a perfect fit for this evolving technology.

The build-up for Jurassic World last week and its indominous weekend was validation that this summer blockbuster for the ages delivered as the best follow-up to its untouchable original. Furthermore, in a gracious display of congratulations by the team at Avengers for Jurassic World surpassing its standing as the highest grossing movie over an opening weekend, Marvel made the following picture with a personalized congratulations to Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow, Chris Pratt and others.

(Kevin Feige, Twitter)

(Kevin Feige, Twitter)

By the hammer of a T-Rex that’s cool!

What’s nice is that this creative gesture is a bit of a tradition between box office rivals in Hollywood. Here’s what Steven Spielberg wrote to George Lucas a few decades ago in an issue of Variety magazine.

(Letters of Note)

(Letters of Note)

Those are two killer movie hybrids.