Battle at Big Rock

Lore & Background

The idea for Battle at Big Rock originated when Universal Studios asked Trevorrow if he would be interested in making a potential Jurassic World short film, and he accepted. Trevorrow wrote the short film with Emily Carmichael, who was already working with him to write Jurassic World Dominion (2022). The story remained the same throughout the project's history, as Trevorrow believed the next logical step for the franchise would be for campers to encounter dinosaurs following the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. To maintain secrecy, no auditions or casting calls were held; a casting director helped lead a secretive search for the child actors. The film marked Melody Hurd's acting debut. Trevorrow chose André Holland and Natalie Martinez as he admired their acting in other films.

Filming took place in Ireland in January 2019, including at Powerscourt Estate. Ireland was chosen because Douglas firs and other conifers outside Dublin resembled national parks in northern California. Filming took place with a small crew over five days. Larry Fong was the cinematographer. Much of the film was shot using a hand-held camera, as Trevorrow wanted to see if audiences would accept such a filmmaking style in a Jurassic Park film. Industrial Light & Magic created CGI dinosaurs and reference maquettes, while John Rosengrant of Legacy Effects created an animatronic Allosaurus. The film had a much smaller budget than the full films in the franchise. Originally intended to be shorter than eight minutes, Trevorrow later added end-credit scenes depicting dinosaurs by searching through YouTube videos, purchasing the rights, and adding dinosaurs into the videos.

Reader's Guide

Battle at Big Rock serves as a bridge between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World Dominion, exploring the immediate aftermath of dinosaurs being released into the continental United States. The short film focuses on a blended family from Oakland, California, camping at Big Rock National Park in Northern California, approximately 20 miles from where the dinosaurs were let loose. The plot centers on their encounter with a Nasutoceratops and its baby, an Allosaurus attack, and the family's survival. The film premiered on FX on September 15, 2019, and was subsequently released online through YouTube, JurassicWorld.com, and NBC's website. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with some calling it the best in the Jurassic World series. The short was included on the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Jurassic World Dominion in select regions. Its significance lies in demonstrating how dinosaurs integrate into the modern world and setting up the larger narrative of Jurassic World Dominion.

Did You Know?

• The film was shot in Ireland over five days in January 2019, using Douglas firs and other conifers outside Dublin to stand in for Northern California.
• No auditions or casting calls were held to maintain secrecy; a casting director led a secretive search for child actors.
• The end-credit scenes were created by adding dinosaurs to existing YouTube videos, for which the rights were purchased.
• The score was composed by Amie Doherty and recorded by an 80-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in May 2019.