JURASSIC PARK

Writing the Novel

Michael Crichton began working on a screenplay about a graduate student who recreates a dinosaur in 1983. He couldn't make the story work and set it aside for years. The breakthrough came when he reimagined it as a theme park story, inspired by his fascination with DNA technology and chaos theory.

Published in November 1990, the novel became an immediate bestseller. Crichton drew on real science - the discovery that insects preserved in amber could contain ancient DNA - and extrapolated a terrifying "what if" scenario.

The Bidding War

Before the novel was even published, studios were already fighting for the film rights. Warner Bros., Columbia, Fox, and Universal all entered a bidding war. Steven Spielberg convinced Universal to acquire the rights for $1.5 million, with Spielberg attached to direct.

Crichton was paid an additional $500,000 to adapt his novel into a screenplay. David Koepp later did rewrites, streamlining the story and making Hammond a more sympathetic character (in the novel, he's eaten by Compys).

From Page to Screen

Spielberg read the novel in 1989, before it was published. He immediately knew it was his next project. "I was really just looking for something that I could do that I knew nothing about and had never seen before," he said.

He approached the film as a monster movie with heart, drawing on his love of creature features while grounding the science in believability. His direction emphasized awe before terror - the Brachiosaurus reveal comes before any dinosaur attack.

Shooting Two Films at Once

Incredibly, Spielberg was editing Schindler's List via satellite link while doing post-production on Jurassic Park. He would work on dinosaurs during the day and watch footage of the Holocaust at night.

"It was the most difficult experience of my career," Spielberg recalled. He would later win the Academy Award for Best Director for Schindler's List - not for the record-breaking blockbuster.

The CGI Breakthrough

Initially, Spielberg planned to use stop-motion animation by Phil Tippett. Then Dennis Muren and the ILM team showed him a test of a T. Rex walking - fully computer generated. Spielberg was stunned: "You're out of a job," he told Tippett, who famously replied, "Don't you mean extinct?"

The film contains only 6 minutes of CGI dinosaurs and 9 minutes of Stan Winston's animatronics. The rest was clever cinematography and audience imagination. This restraint made the dinosaurs feel real.

Stan Winston's Animatronics

Stan Winston Studio built life-size animatronic dinosaurs, including a T. Rex that stood 20 feet tall and weighed 13,000 pounds. It took 12 puppeteers to operate and was so powerful it could lift a car.

During filming, the T. Rex animatronic became problematic when wet. The foam rubber skin absorbed water like a sponge, making the robot shudder and move unexpectedly. "The T. Rex went from weighing 9,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds," Winston recalled.

The Raptor Suits

The Velociraptors were brought to life by a combination of animatronics and performers in suits. John Rosengrant wore an upper-body raptor suit, walking bent over for hours. The suit was so realistic that crew members would instinctively back away.

For the kitchen sequence, raptor puppets, cable-controlled legs, and full animatronics were combined seamlessly. This scene took three weeks to film.

Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant

Neill wasn't the first choice - William Hurt and Harrison Ford were considered. Neill's grounded, everyman quality made him perfect for the audience surrogate. He based his performance on real paleontologist Jack Horner, who consulted on the film.

Neill has said the role changed his life but also typecast him. He returned for Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm

Malcolm was a minor character in early drafts. Goldblum's improvisational style and charisma expanded the role significantly. His famous laugh during the "life finds a way" scene was improvised.

Goldblum's portrayal made Malcolm the breakout character. He became the lead in The Lost World (1997) and returned for the Jurassic World films.

Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler

Dern was cast after Robin Wright turned down the role. Spielberg wanted Ellie to be strong and independent - not just a love interest. The "Women inherit the earth" line became an iconic feminist moment.

Dern advocated for equal pay during the original production and returned for Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion.

Richard Attenborough as John Hammond

Attenborough came out of a 14-year acting hiatus for the role. In the novel, Hammond is a greedy villain who gets killed. Spielberg reimagined him as a misguided dreamer - "Walt Disney with dinosaurs."

Attenborough's grandfatherly warmth made Hammond's failure more tragic than villainous.

Scientific Accuracy vs. Drama

The Velociraptors in the film are actually sized like Deinonychus - real Velociraptors were turkey-sized. Crichton knew this but used the name "Velociraptor" because it sounded better.

The Dilophosaurus frill and venom were entirely invented for the film - there's no evidence real Dilophosaurus had either. The T. Rex vision being based on movement is also not supported by paleontology.

Kauai, Hawaii

The Na Pali Coast and Manawaiopuna Falls (now called "Jurassic Falls") served as Isla Nublar's exterior. Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai on September 11, 1992, while the crew was there, forcing evacuations and destroying sets.

Spielberg and the crew sheltered in a hotel ballroom. Ironically, the hurricane added to the film's atmosphere when they resumed shooting. You can visit these locations today on "Jurassic Park" tours.

Universal Studios

Interior scenes, including the kitchen raptor attack, were filmed on soundstages. The Visitor Center was a set built on Stage 24, though exterior shots used the Valley House Plantation in Kauai.

Creating the Theme

Williams composed the score in just 4 months, his 17th collaboration with Spielberg. The main theme uses French horns to evoke majesty and wonder - it's essentially a love theme for dinosaurs.

The theme first plays during the Brachiosaurus reveal, one of cinema's most emotional moments. Williams wanted to capture "the awe of seeing something that hasn't existed for 65 million years."

The Shaking Water Glass

The iconic shot of water rippling in a glass as the T. Rex approaches was achieved by having a crew member pluck a guitar string attached to the dashboard beneath the glass. It took hours to get right.

Spielberg was inspired by the vibrations he felt listening to Earth, Wind & Fire with his car speakers turned up.

The Kitchen Scene Took Three Weeks

The raptor kitchen sequence - just 5 minutes of screen time - required three weeks of filming. The children's terrified reactions were often genuine, as the animatronic raptors were unpredictable.

Joseph Mazzello (Tim) was actually scratched by one of the raptor puppets, and his cry of pain was left in the film.

Hurricane Iniki

The Category 4 hurricane hit during filming in Kauai. The cast and crew spent the storm in a hotel ballroom. Richard Attenborough reportedly slept through most of it.

Some of the storm footage was incorporated into the film's storm sequences. The production finished just one day behind schedule.

Inspiring a Generation of Scientists

Paleontology programs saw enrollment increases of up to 50% after the film's release. Many working paleontologists today cite Jurassic Park as their childhood inspiration.

The film also popularized DNA science, chaos theory, and debates about genetic engineering ethics - themes more relevant today than ever.

Theme Park Attractions

Universal Studios opened "Jurassic Park: The Ride" in 1996, one of their most popular attractions. It was updated to "Jurassic World: The Ride" in 2019 with new animatronics and a Mosasaurus finale.

Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando features an entire Jurassic Park-themed land with multiple attractions.

Franchise Total

Combined, the six Jurassic films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, making it one of the most successful franchises in cinema history. The original film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2018.