Universal was pretty cool--the new "Terminator 2: 3D" was really awesome, but besides that, there wasn't much new. The "billion dollar expansion" I mentioned in the last update a week ago is in full swing, which they have decided to put where the old parking lots used to be. Fortunately, they have build a very nice parking garage with moving walkways to get you to the attractions. The expansion is just immense--it will probably triple the size of Universal. I took a picture of the construction area with my new camera and will try to get that scanned in next week (I have to get the film developed). Unfortunately, there wasn't much JP related stuff there, although there was this one vendor selling various Lost World merchandise. I bought a hat, but he was also selling t-shirts and key chains, as well as lots of JP stuff.

As you can probably imagine, I've got quite a few e-mails, so it's going to take awhile to respond to them all...if I respond to them all. Oh yeah, the mailing list doesn't seem to be working at the moment. Don't e-mail me about it--I know.

Well, enough banter...on to the JP2 news!!!!!

Let's start out with some merchendise news from Kyle, who forwarded me a press relesae from Topps Trading Card Company. Topps produced several high quality products for the first movie, including trading cards, comic books, and the official magazine, and will be doing the same for JP2. Here's the line-up:

• Jurassic Park Magazine: This summer's sure to be biggest blockbuster, Topps Publishing enters the arena with The Lost World: Jurassic Park Souvenir Magazine. Contains 8 new dinosaurs and will be full of all-new imagery of everyone's favorite prehistoric beasts.Contents of the magazine include: The Cast photos and bios of the stars of the film, Jeff Golblum interview, Escape from the Sanctuary: Story of the film, Living, breathing, scaring. How the great images of this movie are made - from models to computer generated effects, Dinosaur Close-ups: Up close and personal with the dinosaurs of this, Bringing the adventure home: What you'll find when you spin The Lost World CD-ROM on your computer, and much, much more!
• Comics: Topps Comics is proud to announce the official adaptation of the movie that is shaping up to potentially shatter box office records: The Lost World: Jurassic Park....Topps Comics hits the shelves with the first of four issues of the only official movie adaptation available.
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park Trading Cards: Topps is pleased to be a part of this extraordinary event with an all-new series of exclusive trading cards based on The Lost World: Jurassic Park The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a 72 card series printed on regular size cards with UV-coating. Card fronts feature all-new motion picture imagery from the Lost World. With 8 new dinosaurs. The Lost World will feature twice as backs are loaded with fun facts about dinosaurs and the movie making experience. Each and every pack also comes with one glorious sticker of a dinosaur from the movie! This product is specially priced at the consumer-oriented price point of SRP $0.99.

Also with the press release came a plot summary of the new movie, which is unlike anything that has been rumored so far. I'm pretty excited about this, because this comes from an official source (Topps), so it should be accurate. Once again, thanks to Kyle:

" In Gen Corporation stock has taken a tumble following the collapse of Jurassic Park and investors are planning to oust the man responsible - John Hammond! The head conspirator is none other John Hammond's own nephew, Peter Ludlow. As poor health threatens John Hammond he calls on the one person he can trust - Ian Malcolm! Hammond reveals the terrible secrets of Jurassic Park, that the island of Isla Nublar was just the park, the showroom for tourists, and that the real breeding ground for the dinosaurs was Isla Sorna, located eighty miles away from Isla Nublar! Unfortunately, the facility on Isla Sorna was destroyed and the island evacuated during Hurricane Clarisse. The dinosaurs were released from captivity and left to fend for themselves during the height of the hurricanes fury! To the surprise of everyone, the dinosaurs not only survived by are flourishing on Isla Sorna and John Hammond wants Ian Malcolm to lead an expedition to the island. Hammond has gathered a research team and feels that this is the opportunity of a lifetime - to study dinosaurs up close - to study them not behind fences in artificial environments, but rather in a ecological system of the island run and dictated by the dinosaurs that rule there! Remembering his last encounter on Jurassic Park, Ian intends to stop the research team from leaving and is horrified to learn that the research team has already been dispatched to Isla Sorna. Wanting nothing to do with the expedition, Ian is forced into a rescue mission when he learns that the paleontologist leading the team is none other than Sarah Harding, his girlfriend! Landing on Isla Sorna with his extraction team, Ian Malcolm runs into a herd of stegosaurs, and no sign of Sarah Harding - except for her abandoned backpack!"

Another related plot e-mail from Wiserman:

"Concerning the dinos running loose in San Diego: IT DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN. Instead, it's just a dream on the part of Ian Malcolm. You see, the prolonged opening sequence is really Ian's nightmarish vision of what it would be like if dinos made it to the mainland (he has this dream after hearing of a dead dinosaur washed up on Costa Rican shores). His vision includes a tyrannosaur jumping onto a bus, crushing it with its enormous weight and causing part of it to explode. He reaches down and starts pulling shrieking passengers out through the windows, eating them alive...Again, I can't be certain any of this is true, but if it is, this dream sequence will probably be pretty short - only 2 or 3 minutes, at most. And it is also said to be very violent, chaotic, and nightmarish, with nearly grotesque special effects and a very macabre feel."

Bob Jasper wanted to let me know that part of JP2 was indeed shot on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, on a "VERY remote beach accessible only by boat or helicopter" named Kipu Kai. "Speilberg did not take part in much of the filming but did celebrate his birthday here with a big party at the resort." Bob should know because he is the president of "Hawaii Movie Tours", a business that takes curious tourists on tours of Hawaiian locations where movies were filmed. If your ever in Hawaii, you could call 808-245-8999 and make a reservation to visit the location of the first JP movie!

At a recent screening of the movie Swingers, Vince Vaughn reportidly said that he was playing a character that is not in the Crichton book. This fits the rumor that he is playing a character named "Nick". (Thanks to Gatsby's Lost World Page)

Someone on Gatsby's Page mentions that the trailer before the movie Liar, Liar (opening March 21) will be 100 seconds long.

Another possible scene from Gatsby's Page. This was obtained from someone who knew someone who knew David Koepp.

These guys steal a T-rex egg and escape from the parents and as they are driving on the road, one of the T-rexes appears in front of them. They then put the car in reverse to escape from it. Then another T-rex appears BEHIND them, thus trapping them.

Well, the whole thing about JP2 getting an "R" Rating has been cleared up, thanks to an e-mail from someone who talked to Universal. According to them, JP2 will be rated PG-13. (Gatsby's Page)

Thanks to Joao Camilo-Brasil for letting me know that Jurassic Park won three Acadamy awards, not two. In the JP Section.

An anonymous tip from someone calling themselves "Dr. Levine" says that if Speilberg ops not to direct the third Jurassic Park installment, Robert Zemeckis may be next in line to take the job.

Along with Disney World, we'll be going to Universal Studios Florida, where the "multi-billion dollar expansion" will soon be taking place (supposedly the JP2 ride will be a water ride, similar to "Jurassic Park: The Ride" in Universal Studios Hollywood.) With my brand new Kodak Advantix camera, I'll try to do some reconnaissance work. (Hey--maybe they'll have some cool JP2 memorabilia!) Anyway, if you have some new JP2 info, don't hesitate to e-mail me--I'll catch up with the news when I get back.

All of the main pages are now up-to-date.

• First of all, several actors have been matched up with their characters.
  • Arliss Howard (as I figured) will be playing Doc Thorne.
  • Eddie will be played by Jerry O'Connel
  • There are reposedly two new characters, "Roland" (played by Pete Postelthwaite) and "Nick", played by Vince Vaughn.
  • According to his source, Arby was replaced by a girl. (which makes a total of two girls, Kelly and this other character)
• A scene from the middle of the movie was described that matches up pretty closely to one in the novel: "Harding, Malcolm, and Levine are in the trailer, [with] the two kids [in the High-Hide] with Thorne, Eddie, and [the] two new characters - Nick and Roland. The two T-Rexes attack the trailer, in search of their baby. After the attack, which all three people apparently survive, they head down towards the high hide to find the others, but see that the raptors are ambushing it. Eddie is killed; he falls from the hide and a raptor gets him. The girl who replaced Arby apparently escapes (not sure how), and Kelly and Sarah chase down a raptor with the 'cage key'. Then, the surviving troop heads down to the convenience store, where they are once again ambushed by carnotosaurs and...maiasaurs, who tear apart the jeep for their stolen egg."

According to Gatsby's Lost World Page, E! Entertainment Television's "News Daily" had a preview for JP2 which includes new scenes. The show will be repeated today at 6:30 PM EST--if anyone would like to take screen shots, it would be appreciated.

Here are two pictures from yesterday's CNN "Showbiz Today":

In the first picture we see several of the main JP2 characters, including (from left to right): Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlewaite (I think), Julianne Moore, and Jeff Goldblum.

The second is a picture one of the upcoming JP2 toys--this one is a "Slot Car" game. Notice the T-Rex that attacks the unlucky vehicles.

Robert Lasowski wanted to let me know that a longer, two minute trailer will start playing along with the new Universal film, "Liar, Liar" (starring Jim Carrey) on March 21, and not along with Return of the Jedi, as rumored yesterday.

Universal Studios Florida will soon undergo a "multi-billion-dollar expansion [which will include] Universal Studios Florida, an additional theme park named UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE, an entertainment complex, five themed hotels, expanded film and television production facilities, professional golf and tennis venues and more than 300,000 square feet of convention and meeting space." according to Vernon. "Universal's Islands of Adventure, the new theme park opening in 1999, will include a huge range of rides, shows and attractions featuring never-before-seen technology and will be divided into at least four fantastic thematic areas. [snip] [T]he most adventurous island of all will be Isla Nubar, home to Jurassic Park and its restless hoard of toothy beasts who can't wait to have you in for dinner." Vernon promises more info, including pictures, next week.

The Lost World will be released in Belgium on October 22, 1997. (thanks to Max Szoc)

• Pictured were several JP2 Toys, one of which was a slot-car game featuring a T-Rex that sporadically leans down and eats one of the passing cars.
• Also on hand at the expo was Jeff Goldblum, who, when asked to "pick up where your character left off in the last movie", responded, "..revealed that there's an island some 80 miles off of this *last* island...that was a 'factory' island...the other island was just a 'showroom' island" [.WAV file of interview] (143kb)

N64.com has a short article on the potential for a JP2 video game for the Nintendo 64. "Our speculation is based on sources close to the company and a recent press release regarding Universal Studios Consumer Products Group." The article also mentions that the Playstaion game is due in July. (Thanks to Nick Dakoulas)

Curtis Bateman has won the memorabilia contest, hands down! Here's a list of all his stuff, which beat my stuff by...well, alot. For winning, Curtin will receive an all-expenses paid trip to meet Steven Speilberg in Hollywood, California and see an exclusive advanced screening of The Lost World. Not! : )

Well, I've implemented the new format to the page..I hope everyone likes it. The reason I changed everything around is because I was receiving a few e-mails from people who complained that the page took too long to load, so I decided to do something I have been thinking about for awhile. Now the main areas (JP, JP2:Movie, JP3, Games, Links, JP2:Novel) are broken down into smaller pages which load when you click on the heading or subheading. Also, at the top and bottom of each section are links to the previous and next sections. One other thing: you can click on the icon to jump to the top of each page. If you have any comments/suggestions, don't hesitate to e-mail me.