While we had no idea how Colin Trevorrow was able to film ‘Battle at Big Rock‘ without anyone noticing, the director is now opening up with that fun little detail and a bit more! I’m sure it partially helps that it didn’t feature any of the actors from the actual ‘Jurassic World’ films so far. The eight-minute short is dropping this Sunday on FX, and we have a few fun new details about it to share with you.
Now, you might be curious as to how they were able to film anything related to ‘Jurassic World’ without the media and fans finding out too far ahead of time. We were too! Thankfully Trevorrow shared:
“We shot it in Ireland last winter. They have a grove of redwood trees outside Dublin that look exactly like the national parks in Northern California. I honestly never thought we’d make it this far without getting found out. The Irish can keep a secret.”
As to how tight they were timewise on putting it together, the director let on that there were no extra scenes shot because:
“It was very carefully planned. We did it in 5 days with a small crew. We had two child actors, a giant animatronic dinosaur and a baby. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did.”
Even when it came to getting the cast Trevorrow had to do things a bit different:
“I’ve been a fan of Andre Holland since I saw him in Selma. And Natalie was incredible in End of Watch. We didn’t audition or put out a casting call, I just reached out quietly to those two actors and begged them to come do this with me. I know a casting director in New York who helped us keep the search quiet for the kids. Pierson Salvador promised me he wouldn’t tell his friends at school until it came out. Melody Hurd had never acted on camera, now she’s co-starring with Kevin Hart in his next film. It doesn’t take long for real stars to break out.”
When it came to casting the children, the diversity of the character was important to the director because:
“It matters that kids see themselves up on screen, and it’s important to create all kinds of heroes. This family is from Oakland, which is a hugely diverse community, it felt natural. The baby even wears an Oaklandish shirt, which I’m sure people from the Town will spot. I love these characters, I’d watch a whole movie with them.”
I love that they were able to craft this from the initial pitch through production to marketing without anyone spilling the beans in advance.
Are you shocked and impressed that a ‘Jurassic World’ short was able to be created without any leaks? Will you be sure to watch ‘Battle at Big Rock’ this weekend? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
‘Battle at Big Rock’ will air on FX this Sunday night. ‘Jurassic World III’ is scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 11, 2021.
Source: Collider
