As classic movies go, Jurassic Park is always right there near the top of the list. Short of maybe Star Wars, it's one of the most definitive films of all time. The first film not only held the record as the highest grossing film of all time, but did so well that it nearly quadrupled interest in paleontology and paleontologists. You know and love this franchise, but what behind-the-scenes facts and interesting Jurassic Park trivia are still out there to learn? Read on to find out!
The first film (as is usually the case) was certainly the best, but despite being less critically acclaimed, Spielberg's sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park is nothing to scoff at either. It reinvigorated that insane passion for dinosaurs, advanced CG/animatronic hybrids, and further instilled a sense of wonder in an entire generation, getting them thinking about just what it would be like if dinosaurs were still around today. The third film is basically an amusement park ride on film, (which in some ways really fits the tone and the concept of these blockbuster Hollywood movies), for better or worse.
To celebrate one of the greatest film franchises of all time, we've decided to look back and unearth some trivia you may not know from all Jurassic Park movies. Vote up the most interesting Jurassic Park facts below!
The T. Rex Occasionally Turned Itself On, Terrifying the Crew
On set, the T. rex occasionally malfunctioned, due to the rain. Producer Kathleen Kennedy recalled, "The T. rex went into the heebie-jeebies sometimes. Scared the crap out of us. We'd be, like, eating lunch, and all of a sudden a T. rex would come alive. At first we didn't know what was happening, and then we realized it was the rain. You'd hear people start screaming."
The T. Rex Animatronic Was Incredibly Powerful in Real Life as Well as on Screen
The crew had to have safety meetings about the T. rex; it weighed 12,000 pounds and was extremely powerful. To alert the crew when the T. rex would come on, they used flashing lights because if someone stood next to it and the head went by at speed, it felt like a bus going by.
The T. Rex Coming Through the Glass in Jurassic Park Was an Accident
In Jurassic Park when the T. rex comes through the glass roof of the van in the first attack, the glass was not meant to break. It's no wonder those kids' screams sounded so genuine.
Ariana Richards Got the Part of Lex in Jurassic Park with a Blood Curdling Scream
To cast Hammond's granddaughter, Lex, Spielberg auditioned a number of girls and asked them to record their screams. Ariana Richards recalled that she won the role because she was the only one whose taped scream was loud enough to awaken a sleeping Kate Capshaw (Spielberg's wife) and send her scurrying down the hall to see if her children were all right.
The T. Rex Roar Was a Whole Medley of Animal Sounds
The Spinosaurus was the largest animatronic ever built. It weighed 12 tons and was operated by hydraulics, which allowed it to operate while completely submerged in water.
According to an interview with William H. Macy, the film's animatronic Spinosaurus had a 1,000-horsepower motor and could turn its head at twice the force of gravity, with the tip of its nose moving at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour.
