[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Jurassic World Rebirth.]
Even in Hollywood, where you can travel to the furthest reaches of space or experience a futuristic Earth, there must be so much wonder in finding yourself on the set of aJurassic Worldmovie. From its trailblazing beginnings inSteven Spielberg’sJurassic Parkto the expansive new trilogy, there’s nothing quite like seeing these remarkable prehistoric creatures come to life on the big screen.
WithGareth Edwards’Jurassic World Rebirthdominating theaters, Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, the in-houseJurassic Parkexpert, had an exciting opportunity to celebrate the latest chapter of the franchise with members of the cast in New York City. During a conversation withRupert FriendandManuel Garcia-Rulfo, who play Martin Krebs and Reuben Delgado, respectively, the trio discuss the movie magic of stepping on set and realizing they’ve become a part of the decades-spanningJurassiclegacy.
In the movie, both Friend and Garcia-Rulfo’s characters find themselves in dire situations on Ile Saint-Hubert, an island that’s home to an abandoned InGen research facility where mutated dinosaurs reign supreme. In addition to the two of them, Delgado is stranded with his daughters, played byLuna Blaise,Audrina Miranda, andDavid Iacono, while Krebs is there on business, along with Zora Bennett’s (Scarlett Johansson) team of experts, includingMahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid andJonathan Bailey’s Dr. Henry Loomis.
Not unlike his companions, Garcia-Rulfo’s character is being put through the wringer inRebirth. As he tells Nemiroff,the raft sequence,which required intricate wire work and an indoor river used by Olympic athletes, trying to act while simultaneously fighting a powerful current, was “really intense,” and far more challenging than he’d anticipated. “I thought it was going to be so easy,” he admits. Still, even a near-drowning experience pales in comparison to the fate that awaited Krebs on Ile Saint-Hubert.
This ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Death Was a D-Rex Dish for the Eyes and Ears
Friend shares what it was like to see his own death sequence in the final cut.
Perhaps it’s a little twisted, but a major element of aJurassicmovie is, without a doubt, the death scenes. You have one in your head right now — a scene so disturbing, yet so fascinating, that it’s stuck with you all these years. (R.I.P. Eddie.) InJurassic World Rebirth, one such dino demise belonged to Friend’s doomed pharmaceutical rep, Martin Krebs. The Krebs Krunch has now joined the annals of the franchise, and Nemiroff couldn’t wait to take a bite out of those behind-the-scenes.
It’s a tough pill to swallow when your character gets killed off, but Friend is in good spirits about it. In fact, he’s honored. In the movie, we see Krebs snatched up by theDistortus Rex, lovingly dubbed the “D-Rex.”Since the trailer dropped, fans were itching to see the damage this dinosaur could do, and who better to make a meal of than one of the gentlemen looking to exploit your DNA?
When asked about the movie magic behind aJurassic Worldkill, Friend explains that the sound mix was a standout moment for him:
“I thought they just did such an incredible job. The choices that are even used in the sound mix of what kind of scream or what kind of death rattle there are, and the idea that there’s this quite sort of plaintive noise, and then just nothing but the sound of crunching bones. It was very well done.”
Crunching bones in crystal-clear surround sound is pretty gnarly, but the visuals really drive it home, and directorEdwards is no stranger to monster movie mayhem. When it comes to Krebs’ death sequence, heads … Sorry,hatsoff to the crew. Though he was there on set, suspended by wires, Friend describes the unbelievable moment of seeing his character’s final moments in delicious detail on screen:
“I feel very honored to have been allowed to do one of those. It’s crazy because it’s so specific when you see it. He treats me like a popsicle or a corn dog or something, but in the end, it’s just me hanging on a bit of wire, and the rest of it they put in. It’s pretty grim when the head comes off.”
Grim, yes, but not only did Friend join theJurassicworld in a delightfully memorable way as a victim of the fan-favorite D-Rex, he also had a massive on-set surprise.
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’s New Dinosaur Hybrid Is Finally Making the Sci-Fri Franchise Scary Again – And I Couldn’t Be Happier
Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali are ushering in a new era.
More Like ‘Jurassic WorldBirth’
The cast and crew celebrated a special surprise on set.
In addition to chatting with cast members in NYC, Perri Nemiroff also moderated an exclusive Q&A conversation with Edwards and producerFrank Marshallafter anearly screeningofJurassic World Rebirth. While discussing the making of the movie, Nemiroff asked the duo about filming on 35mm versus digital filmmaking, and was regaled with a heartwarming tale from set.
As it turns out, Friend and his partner were expecting throughout the production process, and the birth of his child was “scheduled,” according to Marshall, to take place after the actor wrapped. However, as Mother Nature is wont to do, things didn’t go quite as planned. During the Q&A, Edwards said:
“Rupert was hanging from a wire, and it was the shot where the D-Rex has grabbed him and is about to eat him, and he’s going, ‘Ahh!’ He got the phone call on his mobile phone in his pocket that his wife was giving birth.”
Being so unserious after the fact, Edwards teased theRebirthstar, “At that point, then, basically, your life ended in two different ways, didn’t it?” Still, despite being a brand-new father, the show must go on, and Friend returned to work on ADR with his new baby girl in tow. Edwards tells us:
“He came in and did a session, and he had his cute little kid with him, this little baby girl. She was in the ADR session with him, and he was having to do the screams of his death moment, and every time he did it, I was like, ‘Go harder. Make itreallyharrowing, like the most horrific, painful, pleading for your life.’ And he kept doing more, and we were going, ‘This girl’s going to need therapy for the rest of her life.’ Just watching, like, ‘Who is this man? He’s just crying like a baby. He’s worse than me!’”
Honestly, we can’t think of a better story to tell, years from now.
And What Did We Learn About Playing With Deadly Dinosaurs?
Nothing. Have you not been watching the movies?
Known to manifest goals with guests on herColliders Ladies Nightseries, Nemiroff wrapped up their conversation by asking Friend and Garcia-Rulfo if they’d ever visit a real Jurassic World park. The answer is, surprisingly, a resounding yes. Despite the shipwreck and despite the D-Rex mauling, both stars would jump at the chance to experience the prehistoric creatures firsthand, but there’s a little hesitation. Friend says:
“I want to be the guy that’s like, ‘No. On ethical and moral grounds, I would absolutely boycott.’ But the truth is, I would be first in line. Because just the thought that we would get to see a dinosaur for real is too beautiful to pass up. I think it’s what you said. It’s the moment of awe and wonder. Everyone might think, “Oh, the T-Rex,’ but I don’t know. I think I’d rather feel just the pure experience of sharing space with another beast that was that incredible.”
(Un)fortunately,Jurassic World does not yet exist, but you may revisit this fatally beautiful world over and over again withJurassic World Rebirthin theaters now. For the full conversation, check out the video at the top of the article, and keep an eye out for more from the cast.
