20 Interesting Facts You Might Have Missed In The Jurassic Park Movies

Many of us fondly remember Steven Spielberg’s classic 1993 movie Jurassic Park and all the sequels that followed. These were the movies that inspired us to decorate our rooms with dinosaur toys and posters, and dig through history books looking for more information about these giant lizards. And even though you’ve probably seen the movies countless times, there’s always something new to find in each one.

#1 The Lost World Had An Intentional Godzilla Moment

Image source: Universal Pictures

The Japanese tourists running from the rampaging T. rex in the San Diego scene (an obvious homage to Godzilla movies) are saying, in Japanese, “I left Japan to get away from this?!”

#2 T. Rex Occasionally Malfunctioned, Due To The Rain

Image source: Universal Pictures

“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.”

#3 Ariana Richards Got The Part Of Lex In Jurassic Park Because Of Her Scream

Image source: Universal Pictures

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.

#4 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

Image source: Universal Pictures

#5 In “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”, The Random Citizen Who Gets Eaten By The T-Rex Is Named “Unlucky Bastard” In The Credits

Image source: reddit.com

#6 Dennis Nedry From Jurassic Park Wearing Similar Outfits To Characters In The Goonies. Kathleen Kennedy Was The Producer On Both

Image source: reddit.com

#7 Jack Horner Was So Vital To The Lost World, They Based A Character Off Of Not Just Him But Also On His Rival

Image source: Universal Pictures

Alan Grant, from the original Jurassic Park, was based on paleontologist Jack Horner (pictured), who both Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg consulted about dinosaur behavior. For The Lost World, the character Robert Burke is based on rival paleontologist Robert Bakker, with whom Horner has a friendly feud.

Their major disagreement is over the behavior of Tyrannosaurus rex. Horner argues that T. Rex was a scavenger, while Bakker insists that T. Rex must have been a predator. Horner reportedly asked to have Burke eaten by the T. Rex in The Lost World. Bakker was apparently flattered, and wrote back to Horner, saying “I told you T. rex was a hunter!”

#8 The Establishing Wide Shot Of The Dig Site In Jurassic Park III Was Actual Footage Of Jack Horner’s Excavation, Filmed In Early Summer 2001. The Site Contained Several Large Fossils Of Tyrannosaurs And Some Hadrosaurs

Image source: Universal Pictures

#9 At The End Of Jurassic Park When The Remaining Crew Is About To Get Into The Heilcopter, The JP Logo Is Covered With Mud To Read “Your Ass Park”. Condemning The Park In A Hilariously Brilliant Move

Image source: reddit.com

#10 All Of The Cast Members Were Given A Raptor Model Signed By Steven Spielberg As A Gift Once The Film Had Wrapped

Image source: Universal Pictures

It looked very frightening, and Ariana Richards has it in her house to shock anyone coming in. “It’s pretty big, maybe five feet long, maybe two feet high in a glass case,” she said.

#11 In Jurassic Park (1993), The Insect Trapped In Amber (Copal) Is An Elephant Mosquito, The Only Mosquito That Doesn’t Suck Blood; Therefore, It Couldn’t Contain Any Dino DNA

Image source: reddit.com

#12 The Crew Had To Have Safety Meetings About The T. Rex

Image source: Universal Pictures

The T.rex 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.

#13 The Tyrannosaurus’s Roars Were A Combination Of Dog, Penguin, Tiger, Alligator, And Elephant Sounds

Image source: Universal Pictures

#14 Steven Spielberg Wanted The Velociraptors To Be About 10 Feet Tall, Which Was Taller Than They Were Known To Be. However, During Filming, Paleontologists Uncovered 10-Foot-Tall Specimens Of Raptors Called Utahraptors

Image source: Universal Pictures

#15 The T-Rex In Jurassic World Is The Same T-Rex From Jurassic Park

Image source: reddit.com

We can see this from its scars on its neck where the velociraptors attacked it in Jurassic Park

#16 Films In The Franchise Reference Another Spielberg Film

Image source: Universal Pictures

Jurassic Park: Shortly after Nedry makes his first appearance in the control room, during his argument with Hammond, one can clearly see Jaws playing in a small video window on one of Nedry’s computer screens. That movie was, of course, also directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jurassic Park III: When the paleontologists enter the bar for dinner with the Kirbys, you can see a Jurassic Park (1993) pinball machine in the background.

Jurassic World: The great white shark being eaten in Jurassic World is a clear homage to Jaws.

#17 In Jurassic Park III, Mr. Kirby Pees Upstream From Where Billy Is Drinking

Image source: reddit.com

#18 The Spinosaurus In ‘Jurassic Park III’ Was The Largest Animatronic Ever Built

Image source: Universal Pictures

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.

#19 In Jurassic Park, The Dinosaur Is Heard Through Roars And Most Memorably, A Plastic Cup Of Water, Which Vibrates As The Predator Stomps Along

Image source: 2 years ago

To create the shot they fed a guitar string through the car, down to the ground, and then had a guy lay under the car and pluck the guitar string

#20 Although The Scientists In Jurassic Park, 1993 Were Skilled Geneticists, They Misspelled Stegosaurus And Tyrannosaurus On The Cryogenic Storage Containers

Image source: reddit.com