More Info From Stan Winston Studios?
I'm still trying to verify this stuff, but Paul Lamont sent in some additional news from his friend's friend who works at Stan Winston Studios about the JP3 dinosaurs they're working on:

"The baby ankylosaurus will be used in a scene similar to that of the Stegosaur scene in The Lost World. The adults will be added into the scene by Industrial Light & Magic. The juvenile Spinosaur isn't as small as the baby tyrannosaur from The Lost World but about half the size of the adult Spinosaurus. The older female tyrannosaur is the original tyrannosaur from Jurassic Park. We only added new skin, which made her look older, and like she had been in many fights, like the male tyrannosaur in The Lost World. Joe Johnston told us there would be raptors in the film, but he would only need 2 animatronics, because most of the scenes with raptors will have computer graphic raptors. We will be giving the original raptors from Jurassic Park and The Lost World a new skin."

September 23, 2000

"For the past year, we've been doing research on the dinosaurs Joe Johnston wants us to create. He requested a male Spinosaurus, female and male Pteranodons, an old female Tyrannosaur, a fully grown male Dilophosaurus, a baby female Ankylosaurus and a juvenile female Spinosaurus. We're also working on other various props, as well as some cars but I can't say what company supplied them to us.

We have finished all of the animatronics exept for the baby Ankylosaurus, which was only requested in July. The baby Ankylosaurus was supposed to be used in Hawaii filming this week, but because filming has been delayed until January we were given extra time. Joe wanted to have the juvenile Spinosaurus like the baby T-rex from The Lost World. So you could practically carry it around. The adult Spinosaurus is frighteningly realistic. It's huge sail is an impressive feature. We're working with Industrial Light and Magic on the production, who scanned the dinosaurs into their computers last month."

September 22, 2000

News From Hawaii: Paragliders, Accidents, and a Goodbye
With filming wrapping (for now) on Hawaii, Bob from Hawaii Movie Tours updated his site with some final comments. First off, the parachute accident that Bob told us about a few weeks ago was actually a paraglider accident: "It was being launched by a boat, the boat did not get up enough speed and it ended up in the water, with the pilot strapped under it. Divers had to get him released." As we know now, this paragliding scene (where a character reportedly gets attacked by Pteradactyls), is rumored to open the film. As for the accident where a lighting barge tipped over into the river, Bob says, "Witnesses tell me it was like something out of the Three Stooges, watching everybody jumping off to avoid being hit by lighting equipment. Value of the equipment on board was $150,000, with $100,000 of it ruined for good." Finally, he adds that the scenes that were supposed to be shot at the arboretum (and were canceled) were filmed at the reservoir instead. More, including Bob meets a famous paleontologist, here. Since JP3 production is wrapping up in Bob's neck of the woods, he also adds that this will probably be his last update for awhile (at least, until production returns in January). Bob's dedication to providing us news these past few weeks was really amazing, and I'm sure we're all thankful that he eluded all those security guards for our benefit. Aloha!

See the JP DVD in N.Carolina
If you happen to live near the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, mark your calendar for October 6th at 5 p.m., as the museum will host a free showing of the brand-new JP DVD on their 22-foot HDTV screen. In addition, "Dale Russell, the museum's senior paleontologist, will be giving a presentation about Willo, the dinosaur with a fossilized heart," according to Karen Swain. The presentation and film will kick off the arrival of TLW's traveling exhibit at the museum, "The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park: The Lost World", which will run though January 2001. For more info, check out the NC Museum of Natural Sciences webpage (which also has news on an upcoming talk by Michael Crichton).

More on that IMDB Report
Kevin reports that he heard pretty much the same strange IMDB report (story) on his local radio station (Hot107.9 in Syracuse, NY) yesterday morning, except that they had a quote from someone who said the "mechanical dinosaurs" were frightning the tourists, and not the dinosaurs themselves.

September 21, 2000

Konami to Develop JP3 Game for X-Box
Word comes from the X-Box area of the vast IGN Network that Japanese game developer Konami will soon exercise their recently-acquired license to produce JP3 games (reported here awhile back): According to IGN, a Japanese financial site claims that Konami will partner with Microsoft on a JP3 game for the upcoming X-Box system. Update: The X-Box game will apparently be called "Jurassic Park X", according to this Konami press release. Another press release says that, "the [JP3] action adventure game will be developed for console, PC and handheld platforms." The agreement also alows for future Konami JP games, including, "extensions to online and wireless platforms."

Trailer MPG Available
Digital Bayou has posted the JP3 trailer (on the upcoming JP and TLW DVD's) as a 2.0 mb MPG file, if you're having trouble downloading the other version.

September 20, 2000

"The new dino "lead" is going to be a Spinosaurus (sp?). A little bigger than a T-Rex, a sleeker looking with a mean head and a huge fin down his back. It looks cooler than described, believe me. The Spinosaurus will be introduced "picking at the plane crash victims". He also showed some of the flying dinos. As for scene details he described a raptor chase (again?) where Alan Grant and his crew are chased through the jungle and have to climb trees to avoid the raptors. Of course, the raptors aren't going anywhere so Grant and his crew must venture through the jungle canopy to escape the dinos. And the coolest scene mentioned: a tremendous battle between the T-Rex and the Spinosaurus."

September 19, 2000

"A friend stopped by the office yesterday to pass on some interesting news. He lives near the reservoir and says they have been filming at night. The reservoir is about two miles from the main highway, towards the mountains. He mentioned it is a very eerie view at night as their lights light up the entire mountain. The lights have been on till the early AM hours.

A million things have changed in this film ... In the beginning, I was told that originally, kids were supposed to be killed, but that was changed because it was too un-JP like."

Plot Details: Parasailing Scene, Possible Intro
More possible plot information today from Dark Horizons regarding this strange parasailing scene we've been hearing about (this informant says it won't be at the beginning of the film): Again, until all this stuff is confirmed, you might want to take some salt with this:

"There is a para-gliding scene, not a parasail and it's not the opening sequence. It's the major action set piece of the movie and involves a rescue operation of Sam Neill's estranged wife and son who are stranded on the Island after going there as part of a TV Magazine Documentary.

The opening involves Sam Neill who has become a cheap lecture tour monkey who drinks too much. He is on his way to see his kids who are in the custody of his estranged wife. There is a cool nightmare sequence a la Aliens 3 where Neill is back in the thick of it on the island with way worse results."

Access Hollywood Confusion
There's been some confusion over the Access Hollywood that was supposed to mention JP3. If you go to their site, you can view a promo that does mention the film, but the episode on this morning (at 4:30am) near me didn't have anything -- unfortunatly, 15 minutes of the show was cut out due to the Olympics. Anyway, if you see an Access Hollywood with JP3 news, please let me know. :)

Jumanji on FOX
JP3 director Joe Johnston's most JP-like movie, Jumanji will be on FOX tonight at 8 p.m. eastern if anyone's interested.

September 18, 2000

"This one will be much darker in tone including Neill's character (Alan Grant) and the violence that will be seen. There is a major action scene involving a Paraglider rescue and some US mercenaries. The flying dinosaurs play with their prey 'like killer whales' before they chomp them.

They have been shooting a nightmare sequence (possibly the opening) recently in Maui and Molokai. A down on his luck Neill is back on the island, the host of a unauthorized documentary, everyone around him is ripped apart but Neill is strangely left alone. Still in his nightmare he watches the bloody show on his tv from his home. "

JP3 on Access Hollywood
According to 'JurassicRaptor', tonight's Access Hollywood will feature the "first information on Jurassic Park 3". Becasuse of the Olympics on NBC, the show may be pushed around a lot this week (it's on at 4:10am for me), so be sure to check your local listings.

September 17, 2000

JP3 Winamp Skin
Cool! 'Dilophosaurus' created this WinAmp skin in the JP3 logo style -- click here to download it. If you have a JP-related WinAmp skin, send it in! I'll make a special section for them if I get enough.

Poster in Theaters?
Yesterday was the day that theater managers were apparently instructed to put up their JP3 promotional materials, though I didn't see anything when I was at my local cinema last night... Did anyone see the JP3 poster?

September 16, 2000

Mystery Dino in JP3 Trailer?
I personally can't see it myself, but a few people think that there may be a mysterious dinosaur lurking in the woods in the JP3 Teaser Trailer (which appears on the JP+TLW DVD's). Look at the end of the Blair Witch-like sequence in the trailer, says Glen from Las Cinco Muertes, and you might see this..uh.. thing.

September 15, 2000

"Kid hires "Dino Soar" parasailing owner who takes him to get a closer look at the Island. They get towed from a boat but the rope breaks sending them perilously close to the jungle canopy, where you guessed it, Chomp, Chomp, Pteradactyl Tidbits. "Welcome to Jurassic Park" .The sequence was filmed with three cameras; Gyro on a helicopter, Nearby Boat and Pov of Parasail with Panasonic Hi 8."

Australian DVD Site
Aussie Paul Lamont noticed that JurassicParkOnDVD.com is the Australian site advertising the JP + Lost World on DVD (they will be released there on Oct. 10th as well). Oh, and Mr. Lamont would also like to remind us -- the Olympics start today.

TLW DVD Review
The Digital Bits has followed up their JP DVD review from last week, posting their look at The Lost World on DVD. The reviewer is a little disappointed with the extras on this disc, but overall gave the DVD a very high rating. Heck, he even liked the movie: "This isn't a flick meant to be pored over and studied - just enjoyed and thrown away like a bag of extra large, extra buttered popcorn." Amen, brother!

Interview with a Velociraptor
Toungue placed firmly in cheek, Bob from Hawaii Movie Tours brings us "An Interview with A Velociraptor", a conversation with a raptor named "Ernie".

September 14, 2000

Helen Hunt Working on JP3 Script?
The weird rumor of the week award goes to Dave, who sends word that none other than Helen Hunt was mentioned on the New Zealand TV show "Good Morning" as having a "small part re-writing the [JP3] script". You'll remember that Hunt has been rumored as a possible JP3 cast member for some time.

News From Hawaii
Our intrepid set-snooper Bob (who may soon be featured in Entertainment Weekly, btw), did some more of what he's famous for yesterday, talking to a "relay" -- a guy with a walky-talky two miles down the river from where filming was taking place, who's job it is to communicate with the crew and send requested equipment down the river. Interestingly enough, Bob overheard that the crew requested "two large wetsuits," and was having trouble locating the "camera box". Greeeatt..

Universal DVD Press Release
The Universal Studios PR machine has started up (watch out!), issuing this press release which announces that Universal has partnered with AOL to promote the upcoming JP+TLW DVD's, as well as host the online chats with the cast of JP3, accessible from the DVD-ROM portion of the two DVD's. The press release also clarifies some crew info (mainly that Spielberg will be Executive Producer), and I have updated the cast + crew page accordingly.

Happy B-Day Dr. Grant
Tim Glover reminded me that today is Sam Neill's birthday (He's 53). Mr. Neill will most likely spend today on the set of JP3 re-writing some script pages... And another happy birthday to my girlfriend Julia, who turned 19 yesterday.