Four years after the original film,John Hammond (Attenborough) loses control of his companyInGen to his nephew, Peter Ludlow (Howard). On the verge of bankruptcy, Ludlow intends to exploit dinosaurs from InGen's second island,Isla Sorna, with plans for a new dinosaur theme park inSan Diego. Hammond sends a team, led by the eccentricchaos theorist and mathematicianIan Malcolm (Goldblum), to the island to document the dinosaurs and encourage non-interference, although the two groups eventually come into conflict.
After theoriginal novel's release and the first film's success, fans pressured Crichton for a sequel. Following the book's publication in 1995, production began on a film sequel. Filming took place from September to December 1996, primarily in California, with a shoot inKauai, Hawaii, where the first film was shot.The Lost World's plot and imagery is substantially darker thanJurassic Park. It makes more extensive use ofCGI to depict the dinosaurs, along with life-sizedanimatronics.
Among the most anticipated films of the year,The Lost World was accompanied by a $250 million marketing campaign, which includedvideo games, comic books, and toys. Released on May 23, 1997, byUniversal Pictures, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the visual effects but criticized the character development. Spielberg also expressed disappointment with the film, stating he had become increasingly disenchanted with it during production. It grossed $618.6 million worldwide, becoming thesecond-highest-grossing film of 1997. It was nominated for numerous awards, including anAcademy Award nomination forBest Visual Effects. A sequel,Jurassic Park III, was released in 2001. Goldblum later reprised his role as Malcolm inJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) andJurassic World Dominion (2022).
Four years after the events onIsla Nublar,[a] a British family anchors theiryacht off a beach onIsla Sorna and comes ashore, unaware of thegenetically engineered dinosaurs on the island. Their daughter, Cathy Bowman, wanders off and is attacked by a group ofCompsognathus.
Peter Ludlow, nephew ofDr. John Hammond, uses the incident to oust Hammond and gain control ofInGen. The company's second facility, "Site B" on Isla Sorna, was where the dinosaurs were cloned, but the island was abandoned during a hurricane several years earlier. Ludlow plans to exploit Isla Sorna's dinosaurs to save InGen, prompting Hammond to requestDr. Ian Malcolm's help in documenting the creatures to promote a non-interference policy. Ian's girlfriend,paleontologistDr. Sarah Harding, is already on Isla Sorna, leading Ian to reluctantly agree to go, but only to retrieve her. Ian travels to Isla Sorna with equipment specialist and engineerEddie Carr and video documentarian and activistNick Van Owen. They find Sarah and discover that Ian's daughter Kelly has stowed away in their research trailer. Ludlow and a mercenary team arrive on the island to capture dinosaurs, with help frombig-game hunters Roland Tembo andAjay Sidhu.
Ian's group realizes that Ludlow intends to ship the captured specimens toSan Diego for a new Jurassic Park, using a nearly finished amphitheater that Hammond abandoned in favor of the Isla Nublar site. Nick and Sarah free the captured dinosaurs, and the animals wreak havoc on the InGen team's camp. On the way back to the trailer, Nick rescues an injuredTyrannosaurus rex infant that Roland used as bait to hunt its father. Knowing this will bring the baby's parents to them, Ian takes Kelly to safety and returns to the trailer to warn Sarah and Nick. They successfully treat the infant, but the parents arrive, having tracked the infant's scent. The adultTyrannosaurs reclaim their infant and destroy the trailer by overturning and pushing it partially over the cliff before leaving the area. Eddie arrives with a rope to rescue them and attempts to pull the trailer back up with hisSUV, but the engine noise attracts the attention of bothTyrannosaur adults again, where they tear Eddie's SUV apart, and devour him.
Ian, Sarah, and Nick are rescued by Ludlow's team and forced to work together since both groups lost all their communication equipment in separate attacks. They decide to travel to an abandoned InGen base to call for help. After the team sets up a camp, they are ambushed by theTyrannosaurus adults. The party flees into a field of long grass where a pack ofVelociraptors ambush them, killing Ajay and most of the team. Ian's group reaches the InGen base, fights off theVelociraptors, and successfully radios for helicopter extraction. Nick reveals that he stole Roland's bullets to prevent him from killing his trophy. However, Roland has sedated the maleTyrannosaurus with tranquilizers. As InGen personnel arrive to secure the male and infant, Roland declines Ludlow's job offer at the San Diego park, reflecting on Ajay's death and the morality of Ludlow's scheme.
At thePort of San Diego, Ian and Sarah attempt to convince Ludlow to abandon his plans, but the ship carrying the maleTyrannosaurus suddenly crashes into the docks. The crew is found dead, and the adult is accidentally released and rampages throughout the city. Ian and Sarah locate the infant at the planned park and use it to lure the adult back into the cargo hold of the ship that brought him. Ludlow tries to retrieve the infant but the male incapacitates him and gives him to the infant to be its first kill. Sarah uses a tranquilizer gun to sedate the male and Ian closes the hold's doors.
In the aftermath, the dinosaurs are shipped back to Isla Sorna accompanied by theU.S. Navy. Ian, Sarah, and Kelly watch Hammond in a televised interview announcing that the American and Costa Rican governments have declared the island anature reserve. The Rex family is seen reunited, with the parents grazing with their infant in an open field.
Richard Attenborough asDr. John Hammond: The former CEO of InGen who takes steps to redeem himself after the Isla Nublar incident by preserving Isla Sorna.
Steven Spielberg, seen in 1999, directed the original film and returned for the sequel
After the release of the novelJurassic Park in 1990, authorMichael Crichton was pressured by fans for a sequel. Having never written one, he initially refused.[6] While shooting the novel's1993 film adaptation, directorSteven Spielberg believed that if a sequel film were made, it would involve the retrieval of a canister that contained dinosaur DNA lost during the events of the first film.[7][b] Talk of a sequel began after the release of the first film, which was a financial success. Spielberg held discussions withDavid Koepp and Crichton, who both wrote the previous film, to talk about possible ideas for a sequel.[9] The production schedule for a secondJurassic Park film was dependent on whether Crichton would write a sequel to the first novel.[9]
In March 1994, Crichton said he had a story idea for another book, which would then be adapted into a film. At the time, Spielberg had not committed to directing the new novel's film adaptation, as he planned to take a year off from directing.[10] In March 1995, Crichton was nearly finished writing the second novel, scheduled for release later that year. Spielberg had signed on to produce the film adaptation, with filming to begin in 1996 for release the following year. Spielberg was busy with his newDreamWorks studio and had not decided if he would direct the film, saying, "I'd love to direct it, but I just have to see. My life is changing".[11]
A production team was assembled by mid-1995, as Crichton was finishing the second novel, titledThe Lost World; simultaneously, Spielberg and Koepp were developing their own ideas for the screenplay.[12] Crichton's novel was published that September, and Spielberg was announced as director two months later.[13] Spielberg and Crichton agreed to forego upfront fees for a share of the back-end. Koepp's deal was said to be the most lucrative for an adaptation at the time, with a fee in the region of $1.5 to $2 million.[14]Joe Johnston had offered to direct the film, and eventually helmed the 2001 sequelJurassic Park III.[15]
Thestoryboarding process had begun in June 1995. Like with previous Spielberg films, storyboards were heavily utilized early on to help develop sequences as well as the overall plot.[16]: 1–2 As the year went on, Spielberg continued to brainstorm ideas and made rough sketches to help illustrate his vision.[16]: 7 The Lost World: Jurassic Park had nearly 1,500 storyboards, which aided in the precise planning needed to shoot scenes involving action, dinosaurs, and special effects.[17] Thepre-production process began in January 1996.[16]: 51 Within three months, the scenes represented in storyboards were numerous enough to create a four-hour film, necessitating the need for cuts.[16]: 57 The InGen village on Isla Sorna was among elements of the film that underwent many design changes early on.[16]: 7–8
After the film adaptation ofThe Lost World was announced, Koepp received letters of advice from interested children. According to Koepp, one letter read: "As long as you have theT. rex and theVelociraptor, everything else is fine. But, whatever you do, don't have a long boring part at the beginning that has nothing to do with the island". Koepp retained the letter as "sort of a reminder".[18][19] He also took a suggestion from the letter to addStegosaurus into the script.[20][21] Koepp began writing the screenplay in September 1995, after wrappingprincipal photography on his directorial debut, the 1996 filmThe Trigger Effect. He proceeded to work inpost-production on that film while simultaneously writingThe Lost World,[16]: 17 completing the first draft in January 1996.[16]: 39
Koepp noted that the firstJurassic Park film was philosophical about bringing dinosaurs back to life and how they would impact humanity: "We had thoroughly explored those questions in the first movie, so I didn't want to return to them.The Lost World is less philosophical and more about basic survival".[16]: 18–19 During an early meeting with Koepp, Spielberg noted that the original film provided a contrast between herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs. Spielberg determined that the new sequel should additionally focus on humans who are "gatherers" (observers of the dinosaurs) and "hunters" (who capture the dinosaurs for a zoo).[22] Koepp said the plot of the 1962 filmHatari! – about African animals being captured for zoos – had "a big influence" onThe Lost World's script.[23]
The character of Robert Burke is based on paleontologistRobert Bakker, who believes thatT. rex was a predator. Rival paleontologistJack Horner, the film's technical advisor, viewed the dinosaur as being protective and not inherently aggressive. Horner requested that the character of Burke be eaten by theT. rex, although Bakker enjoyed the scene and believed that it vindicated his theory thatT. rex was a predator.[24]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park features several previously un-filmed scenes from the first novel.[16]: 19 The death ofDieter Stark toCompsognathus was inspired byJohn Hammond's death in the novel, whereProcompsognathus kill him.[25][26] The film's opening scene came from an early chapter, in which aProcompsognathus bites a girl on a beach.[26][27] The first novel also included a scene where characters hide behind a waterfall from aT. rex; this was re-used inThe Lost World: Jurassic Park, for the scene in which aT. rex eats Burke.[26][28]
Michael Crichton, seen in 2002, wrote the novel on which the film is based
At nearly 400 pages, the novel's story needed to be condensed to fit the typical two-hour length of a film.[16]: 18 Aside from discarding many elements of the book,[29] Spielberg and Koepp also added their own ideas.[18] As a result,The Lost World: Jurassic Park is only a loose adaptation of Crichton's novel.[16]: 18 After the book was finished, Crichton was not consulted about the film adaptation, and it was not until he declined to approve certain merchandising rights that he received a copy of the script. Executive producerKathleen Kennedy, who also produced the first film, said: "In the same way Michael doesn't see writing as a collaboration, Steven went off and did his own movie. When Michael turned the book over to Steven, he knew his work was finished".[30]
By the time Crichton had finished his novel, Spielberg and Koepp had already been discussing ideas for the film for more than a year. Koepp attempted to combine these ideas with some from the novel.[18] He had a year to write the script before the start of filming.[16]: 18 To prepare, Spielberg was more insistent that Koepp watch the 1925 film,The Lost World, than he was on having him read Crichton's novel.[22] Koepp read the book four times, in each instance taking note of aspects he liked.[16]: 18 Spielberg said that its middle portion was lacking in story narrative, but that Crichton's "set-up was excellent, and he certainly put us on the right road."[20]
Spielberg and Koepp devised a new story while including two ideas from the book that the director liked: a second island populated with dinosaurs, and a scene where half of a two-part trailer dangles from a cliff after being attacked by T. rexes.[30] Also retained was the idea of parenting and nurturing behavior among dinosaurs, as well as a babyT. rex and a child who stows away in the trailer.[18] Another concept retained from the novel is the high hide, an enclosure used by Malcolm's team that rises into the treetops for dinosaur observation.[31] Spielberg regretted the removal of a scene from the script that would have depicted characters on motorcycles attempting to flee raptors, similar to a sequence in the novel. An alternate version of the scene was later added to the 2015 filmJurassic World.[32][33]
Crichton's novel revolves around Malcolm's team and a rival team led by InGen's corporate rival,Biosyn, which was written out of the film adaptation in favor of two competing InGen teams.[25] Several novel characters also had to be removed,[16]: 18 includingLewis Dodgson, the leader of the Biosyn team,[34] and field equipment engineerDoc Thorne, whose characteristics were partially implemented in the film's version of Eddie.[25] Two new characters not featured in the novel are Roland and Nick;[27] Koepp chose the surnames Tembo and Van Owen as a reference to one of his favorite songs, "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner", byWarren Zevon. Koepp said "since Roland is a mercenary in the song, that seemed like a good name for the hunter-for-hire in our movie. While I was at it, I thought it would be fun to make his nemesis' last name Van Owen, like in the song".[35]
While Crichton's novel featured two child characters, Kelly and Arby, Koepp combined them into a single character also named Kelly. Arby is a black character, and black actressVanessa Lee Chester was chosen to play Kelly in the film. Initially, Kelly was to be a student ofIan Malcolm's, but Koepp had difficulty making this idea work, saying that Malcolm "would never teach grade school, so I thought maybe he was tutoring her.Why? Maybe he got a drunk driving ticket, and he had to do community service, so he's tutoring at this inner-city high school". Koepp scrapped this idea because of its similarity to the 1995 filmDangerous Minds.[18]
Because the film would deal with dinosaur nurturing, Koepp realized that the parenting element should also extend to the human characters. Spielberg approved Koepp's idea to have Kelly as Malcolm's daughter, but they initially were unsure about a black actress playing the child of a white parent. Spielberg has two adopted black children, and he and Koepp soon decided to retain the idea. Koepp wanted to write an explanation into the script about the discrepancy in skin color, but he dropped this idea as he could not think of a simple way to address it.[18]
Koepp wrote nine drafts for the film.[16]: 39 [22] A sequence in the early scripts would involve Malcolm and his group escaping raptors by hang-gliding off a cliff, only to encounterPteranodons.[28] The original ending involved a larger InGen village and a longer raptor chase there,[16]: 71–75 followed by an aerial battle wherePteranodons attack the helicopter trying to escape Isla Sorna.[36][28] As part of the ending, Spielberg also considered having thePteranodons swoop down and carry off humans and animals in their large beaks, an idea that was rejected by Horner.[16]: 26
For more than a year, Spielberg and Koepp were unsure whether to include a sequence involving a dinosaur rampaging in a city.[18] Koepp considered it a "logical extension" of the story told in the first film, and believed it was the top sequence that viewers would expect to see, but noted that he and Spielberg had gone "back and forth" on whether to include it: "The main reasonnot to do it had been that if it wasn't done just right, we'd suddenly be remakingGodzilla.[16]: 73 Koepp felt the sequence would only work for a short period of time before becoming unbelievable.[18]
Two months before the start of filming, Spielberg decided to change the ending to feature the often-discussed city rampage, eventually settling on aT. rex in San Diego.[16]: 71–74 He was interested in seeing dinosaurs attacking the mainland,[36] and believed that audiences would enjoy the San Diego rampage.[28] Initially, Spielberg wanted to save the idea for a thirdJurassic Park film, but changed his mind upon realizing he would probably not direct another installment.[30] For the rampage sequence, Spielberg referenced monster films such asThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms andGorgo.[28] The sequence is similar to a scene in the 1925 version ofThe Lost World, in which aBrontosaurus wreaks havoc in London.[28][37] Various scenarios were considered for the San Diego rampage, including one scrapped idea in which theT. rex would face off againstNavy SEALs from the nearby island ofCoronado.[16]: 74
Koepp liked the idea of a dinosaur rampage, but acknowledged that rewriting the script so close to filming was "pretty hectic," especially because it coincided with his wife giving birth. His first draft with the new ending was completed a week after Spielberg's decision, although it would continue to go through revisions.[16]: 73–74 Construction of the InGen village had already been underway, and the size of the set was reduced by 75 percent as a result of the new ending.[16]: 75 ProducersColin Wilson andGerald Molen wanted thePteranodons to remain in the story; they received only a small appearance in the film's ending shot.[28][16]: 73 A funeral scene for Hammond was also cut from the final script.[31]
In November 1994,Richard Attenborough said he would reprise his role as Hammond from the first film.[38]Jeff Goldblum was also signed early on to return as Malcolm.[16]: 54 Early casting efforts for the new characters began in February 1996, and fully took off a month later.[16]: 53 In April 1996,Julianne Moore was in discussions to star alongside Goldblum,[39] taking the role of Sarah Harding, one of the characters from the novel. Spielberg had admired Moore's performance in the 1993 filmThe Fugitive,[24] and met with her shortly thereafter about appearing in one of his future films. He encouraged Koepp to write Sarah with Moore in mind for the role.[16]: 55
Spielberg had metVanessa Lee Chester at the 1995 premiere ofA Little Princess, in which she appeared. Chester later recalled: "As I was signing an autograph for him, he told me one day he'd put me in a film". Spielberg met with Chester the following year to discussThe Lost World: Jurassic Park, eventually casting her as Malcolm's daughter, Kelly.[40]Pete Postlethwaite was cast after Spielberg saw his performance in the 1993 filmIn the Name of the Father.[41] In June 1996,Peter Stormare was in final negotiations to join the project,[42] after Spielberg saw him in the filmFargo, released earlier that year.[16]: 159
Vince Vaughn would also join the cast.[43] Spielberg was impressed with Vaughn's performance in the 1996 filmSwingers, which he saw after the filmmakers asked his permission to usemusic from his earlier film,Jaws.[44][45] After meeting with Spielberg, Vaughn was cast without having to do ascreen test.[46]Art Malik turned down a role in the film.[47] Indian actorM. R. Gopakumar was initially cast as Ajay Sidhu in August 1996, but was unable to participate in the project because of trouble acquiring awork visa in time for filming. He was one of six people considered for the role,[48][49] which ultimately went to actorHarvey Jason.[16]: 56
Richard Schiff had initially auditioned forHigh Incident, a television series that was executive-produced by Spielberg. After viewing his audition tape, Spielberg decided to cast him inThe Lost World. While filming, Spielberg came to like the character so much, he considered keeping him alive for the film. However, Schiff convinced Spielberg to go forward with the death scene: "I went, 'Well, no, I think it's better to kill me off, because then all bets are off. If you like my character, then Jeff Goldblum might be next. You never know'".[50]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park was shot on a budget of $73–75 million.[3][4] Spielberg did not allow for cast rehearsals: "You want to capture the actors when they taste the words for the first time, when they look at each other for the first time – that's the sort of magic you can only get on a first or second take".[51] Koepp tried to be available on-set for script revisions.[16]: 123 He also served as the film'ssecond unit director, having volunteered for the position in hopes of gaining more directorial experience.[18] Second unit work includedestablishing shots, such as people marching across Isla Sorna, and helicopter shots,[16]: 124 in addition to a scene featuring Malcolm on a subway.[52]
Many crew members from the first film returned for the sequel.[16]: 6, 63 Spielberg wantedDean Cundey, his long-timecinematographer, to return as well, but he was busy preparing to directHoney, We Shrunk Ourselves.[17] Spielberg instead choseJanusz Kamiński, who worked with him on the 1993 filmSchindler's List. Kamiński gaveThe Lost World a darker, more artistic look over its predecessor, leading to a "more elegant and rich" approach focused on contrast and shadow.[53] Much of the film takes place at night, and Kamiński looked at the filmsAlien andBlade Runner for visual reference.[17]
Although the first film was partially shot inKauai, Hawaii, the filmmakers wanted to shoot the sequel in a different location with new scenery.[54] Production designerRick Carter had initiallyscouted Hawaii, then Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and Australia, as possible filming locations. Although the film is set near Costa Rica, the country was never considered because filming would have occurred during the rainy season.[16]: 19 However, the film did use tropical sound effects recorded there.[55]
By February 1996, northern New Zealand had been chosen as a filming location.[54] The country was believed to better represent a real dinosaur environment,[56] and was to be used for the film's opening beach sequence, the dinosaur roundup led by the InGen hunters, and establishing shots.[16]: 33–35 New Zealand was eventually deemed too costly;[57] filming there was drastically scaled back in August 1996, in favor ofHumboldt County, California,[16]: 33–35 [58] which offered financialincentives that would keep production costs low.[57][22] Oregon had also been considered as an alternative to New Zealand.[57]
Filming began on September 4, 1996,[16]: 77 atFern Canyon, part ofPrairie Creek Redwoods State Park.[12][59] Dieter's death was among the scenes shot there.[16]: 82–83 Production continued in Humboldt County for two weeks at locations such asPatrick's Point State Park, and private property inFieldbrook, both used for the dinosaur roundup.[12][59][60] Other filming sites included the redwood forests ofEureka.[12] This location was picked because research indicated dinosaurs did not live in tropical habitats, but forests like the ones in Eureka.[53]
Sound stages at Universal Studios were among the filming locations
Dinosaur cage and InGenUnimog used during filming, seen here as part of the Studio Tour
After work concluded in Humboldt County, filming moved tosound stages at theUniversal Studios Lot, located in the Los Angeles area.[59] The studio complex had previously been used as a location for the first film.[31] Because of limited stage space in Hollywood, the production crew had to alternate between the different Universal stages, which were redecorated when not in use to prepare for future filming.[12] The InGen village was also constructed at Universal Studios, behind thePsycho house,[16]: 143 and was left intact after filming to become part of theStudio Tour attraction.[12]
At one point during the Universal shoot, Spielberg was unavailable for filming because of a family commitment in New York. Koepp took over the first unit for eight days, and Spielberg monitored the filming process through satellite video during this time.[18][41] Some of the high hide scenes had been filmed on location at Prairie Creek, while a dialogue-heavy portion was shot against ablue screen at Universal,[16]: 95–96, 141 the latter scene monitored by Spielberg during his week off.[31]
The film features more than 20 customized vehicles, including those used by the InGen hunters.[16]: 65 The group's base camp was largely filmed on Stage 12. An exception is when the captured dinosaurs are released and wreak havoc on the camp; this was shot at theLos Angeles County Arboretum.[16]: 109 A largeravine was constructed on Stage 23 for the scene in which aT. rex chases characters into a small cave hidden behind a waterfall. Special-effects expertMichael Lantieri constructed the artificial waterfall, and the scene was filmed using aSteadicam. Spielberg estimated that nearly half of the film was shot with Steadicam, as it was useful for the abundance of chase scenes.[17]
Koepp had read through hunting literature and learned of jaguars in South Africa who stalk their prey through long grass.[16]: 19 This inspired the scene in which raptors attack the InGen team in a field of long grass. It was filmed in early November 1996. Lantieri and a team started growing real grass months in advance, on eight acres located inNewhall, California. The size of the property allowed for potential reshoots, as any grass that was flattened during filming would not come back up.[16]: 113
Among the final scenes to be shot were those set at Hammond's residence; these were filmed on December 6, 1996,[16]: 123 atMayfield Senior School inPasadena, California.[61][24] A scene where Vaughn's character emerges from a lake was also filmed in Pasadena.[46]
The final filming location was Kauai, where the opening beach scene was shot.[16]: 122 Originally, this was to be filmed at New Zealand'sFiordland National Park,[62][63] over a five-day period in December 1996.[64][65] However, plans to shoot there were abruptly canceled early in the month,[62][63] as a time- and cost-saving measure. A location closer to the United States was favored,[16]: 123 with Kauai's Kipu Kai beach ultimately chosen.[66] Filming took place there later in the month.[62][63]
Another scene in Kauai was handled by Koepp and the second unit.[31][52] The scene, in which Malcolm's group approaches Isla Sorna, had to be improvised when the boat became stuck on asandbar. Koepp contacted Spielberg on how to proceed, and was told to rewrite and shoot the scene the best he could. In the finished film, the boat's captain stops because he fears coming any closer to the island, having heard stories about fishermen who never returned.[67] Principal photography wrapped on December 20, 1996.[16]: 125
The research trailer used by Malcolm's team is a modified 1997Fleetwood Southwind Storm RV,[68][69][70] several of which were made for the filming of various scenes.[12][17][36] One scene depicts the group after their arrival on Isla Sorna; this was filmed at Patrick's Point, in a visitor parking lot that was covered in dirt and vegetation for the shoot.[16]: 84–85
The trailer attack sequence was filmed at Universal Studios over the course of nearly a month,[12] wrapping in October 1996.[16]: 100, 107 For shots in which half of the trailer dangles from a cliff, a whole mountainside was built over a Universal parking garage, with the trailer dangled against it using a 95-ton crane.[12][17][53] Some of the dangling trailer shots were also filmed on Stage 27, where a hole in the roof had to be made to accommodate the crane.[17] Before being shoved off the cliff, theT. rex adults attack the trailer by slamming their heads into it. This scene usedanimatronic dinosaurs, which caused authentic damage to the trailer rather than through the use of computer effects.[71] Shots involving the animatronicT. rexes and the trailer together were filmed on Stage 24.[12][17][16]: 99 An 80-foot (24 m) track was built into the stage floor, allowing theT. rexes to be moved backward and forward.[71]
A portion of the sequence was filmed in a continuous take using a 26-foot (7.9 m) crane arm. The camera would track actorRichard Schiff as his character Eddie travels through part of the trailer to throw rope down to the other characters, who are stuck in the rear half of the trailer as it dangles over the side of the cliff. This shot required precise timing to get right, and adolly track also had to be built into the stage. While filming inside the trailer, the camera would lose focus because of interference from some piece of the electronic equipment in the vehicle. After 15 failed takes, the film crew was close to giving up on the shot, until a remote-focus mechanism was mounted onto the camera. Another issue resulted from the scene taking place during a storm, as the artificial rain fogged the camera lens, and the camera's rain deflectors failed. Ultimately, the crew managed to get three good takes during the nine-hour shoot.[17]
In another portion of the sequence, the characters played by Moore, Goldblum and Vaughn must climb the rope in an attempt to escape the dangling trailer. Moore considered this to be the most difficult scene of the film: "We were hanging upside down in harnesses, and they had the rain going onstage, soaking us. It was freezing onstage too." Temperatures had to be kept low to prevent condensation on the camera lens.[16]: 100
Animatronics were primarily used for the scene in which theT. rexes return and kill Eddie. The exception to this were twocomputer-generated shots: when the animals emerge from the forest, and when they tear Eddie's body in half. Otherwise, animatronics were used for shots in which the animals tear the vehicle apart to get to Eddie. Filming the scene with animatronics required close collaboration with a stunt coordinator.[28]
Downtown San Diego's nighttime skyline, seen here in 2011, accounts for the only footage shot in the city
Although theT. rex rampage is set in San Diego, the filmmakers eventually decided against shooting there, deeming the city too far from Los Angeles and seeking a closer location for convenience. This decision came just 16 days before the sequence was scheduled to begin shooting. The crew soon settled onBurbank, California for portions of the rampage.[16]: 115–116 Nighttime shots ofdowntown San Diego's skyline make up the only footage filmed in the city, including a brief shot of an InGen helicopter flying over the wharf and banking toward high-rises.[16]: 116 [36] San Diego'sGaslamp Quarter had been scouted as a possible location prior to Burbank being selected.[16]: 116
The San Diego sequence was filmed in November 1996, near theMedia City Center mall.[16]: 115–117 The crew took over five city blocks for the shoot, with one block on each end accommodating trailers and equipment.[16]: 117 Barricades were installed to maintain secrecy among curious bystanders; Spielberg noted that "it looked like road-repair work was going on".[30] One scene has theT. rex ramming into a driving bus which then crashes into aBlockbuster Video, built as a set. The bus ramming required the use ofpneumatics, cables,breakaway glass, and charges.[16]: 117, 119
Another Burbank scene features dozens of people fleeing theT. rex, and includes aGodzilla reference added by Spielberg and Koepp: a Japanese businessman, screaming in his native language, that he "left Tokyo to get away from this!"[16]: 119 Members of the crew are featured among those fleeing theT. rex,[36] and Koepp also wrote a cameo scene for himself as one of these individuals. He is credited as "Unlucky Bastard" and is eaten by the dinosaur. According to Koepp, "When I was writing this scene, I decided that if people were going to get eaten by the T-rex, I wanted to be one of them. I asked Steven if I could do it, and he said: "Kill you on film? No problem!'" TheT. rex, in this instance, was added in later throughcomputer-generated imagery (CGI), and Koepp found it more difficult than expected to act with a non-existent dinosaur.[16]: 120
Other portions of the rampage were shot in the Los Angeles neighborhood ofGranada Hills, where locations included aUnion 76 gas station and the exterior of a family's house. Stage 24 was utilized as home interiors, for a scene in which the family realizes theT. rex is in their backyard.[16]: 121
Most of the San Diego dock scenes were filmed atSan Pedro Bay over six days. Exterior sets were built there depicting the dock before and after the impact of the ship carrying theT. rex.[16]: 122–123 Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which worked on the CGI dinosaurs, also created an eighth-scale dock and miniature ship. These were used for the impact scene itself, which was filmed by ILM in March 1997.[16]: 127–129, 140 [72] In addition, ILM created a miniature model depicting the amphitheater stadium for Jurassic Park San Diego.[16]: 141
WhileJurassic Park featured mostly theanimatronic dinosaurs built byStan Winston's team,The Lost World relied more on thecomputer-generated imagery (CGI) ofIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM). This meant the film featured larger shots that offered plenty of space for the digital artists to add the dinosaurs.[53]Film editing began on the first day of principal photography, and both processes continued simultaneously. This allowed ILM to get an early start on the CGI animals.[16]: 95, 129, 147 The film features 75 computer-generated shots.[20] A scene in which the hunters round up a group of dinosaurs was made almost entirely with computer-generated creatures. An exception was a handful ofPachycephalosaurus shots.[16]: 88
Spielberg followed Horner's advice to help keep the dinosaurs scientifically accurate, with some exceptions. The Winston design team closely modelled the dinosaurs based on paleontological facts, or theories in certain cases where facts were not definitively known. In addition to animatronics, Winston's team also painted maquettes of dinosaurs that would subsequently be created through CGI.[16]: 25 ILM animators went toMarine World/Africa USA to videotape elephants, reptiles, and rhinos, to determine how to make the dinosaurs appear more like living animals.[20] Although technology had not progressed much since the release of the first film, Spielberg noted that "the artistry of the creative computer people" had advanced: "There's better detail, much better lighting, better muscle tone and movement in the animals. When a dinosaur transfers weight from his left side to his right, the whole movement of fat andsinew is smoother, more physiologically correct".[30] All of the dinosaurs used servo control for facial movements.[16]: 49
While the first film showed that dinosaurs could be adequately recreated through special effects, the sequel raised the question of what could be done with the dinosaurs.[9][18] Winston said: "I wanted to show the world what they didn't see inJurassic Park: more dinosaurs and more dinosaur action. 'More, bigger, better' was our motto".[73] Some of the animatronics cost $1 million and weighed nine and a half tons.[30] Lantieri, the special effects supervisor, said: "The big T. rex robot can pull two Gs of force when it's moving from right to left. If you hit someone with that, you'd kill them. So, in a sense, we did treat the dinosaurs as living, dangerous creatures".[73]
Winston's team had only a year to design and build the animatronic dinosaurs, one year less than with the original film. The animatronics in both films usedfoam latex, which deteriorates quickly. Animatronics of theT. rex and raptors were reused from the first film, with new skin made from molds that had been kept from the previous installment.[16]: 28, 47
Compsognathus,[12] nicknamed "Compies", are a small carnivoroustheropod which attacks in packs. Visual effects supervisorDennis Muren considered them the most complex digital dinosaur. Their small size meant the Compys had their whole body visible and thus needed a higher sense of gravity and weight. A simple puppetCompsognathus is featured in the opening scene, and the part where Dieter is killed by the pack involved Stormare wearing a jacket onto which various rubber Compies were attached.[53] In the film, Burke identifies the dinosaur asCompsognathus triassicus, which in reality is a non-existent species. The name is a combination ofCompsognathus longipes andProcompsognathus triassicus.[28]
Gallimimus is shown fleeing from the InGen hunters.[16]: 30
Mamenchisaurus is shown on the game trail scene. TheBrachiosaurus model from the first film was altered to portray theMamenchisaurus, which was fully computer-generated.[16]: 58
Pachycephalosaurus, a dinosaur standing five feet tall and measuring eight feet long. Three versions of the creature were created for filming: a full hydraulic puppet, a head, and a head-butter. The latter was built to withstand high impact for a scene in which the dinosaur head-butts one of the hunter vehicles. ThePachycephalosaurus puppet, one of the most complex, was used for a scene in which the dinosaur is captured. The legs of the puppet were controlled throughpneumatics.[16]: 49
Parasaurolophus is shown being hunted down by the InGen hunters. Winston's team was to create a puppet version of the animal for this scene, but ILM ultimately created the animal through CGI instead, basing the design off of a miniature sculpture that Winston's team had created. In addition, an earlier opening scene that was scrapped would have featured a Japanesefishing trawler acquiring a partially decomposedParasaurolophus in its net, which would break from the weight, allowing the body to sink back into the ocean. Winston's team created a practicalParasaurolophus for the scene before it was scrapped, although the carcass was still used for a scene set in aT. rex nest.[74]
Stegosaurus was, according to Spielberg, included "by popular demand". Winston's team built full-sized versions of both the infant and adultStegosaurus, but Spielberg eventually opted to employ a digital version for the adults so they could be more mobile.[53] The babyStegosaurus was 8 feet (2.4 m) long and weighed 400 pounds (180 kg). It was shipped to the redwood forest for on-site filming. The adult stegosaurs were 26 feet (7.9 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) tall. Although they were also brought to the forest for filming, they ultimately were not used because of mobility issues and safety concerns. A full-sizedStegosaurus is only shown in a brief shot, in which the animal is caged.[28]
Triceratops is shown being hunted down by the InGen hunters. A babyTriceratops was also created by Winston's team, for a shot depicting the animal in a cage. A babyTriceratops had previously been planned for the first film, before being scrapped.[28]
Tyrannosaurus is featured as a family, with two adults and an infant.[53] In addition to theT. rex animatronic from the first film, Winston and his team also built a second adultT. rex for the sequel.[12] Featuring two practicalT. rexes required double the work and puppeteers.[53] The adultT. rex animatronics were built from head to mid-body, while full body shots were created through CGI.[71] The animatronics weighed nine tons each and cost $1 million apiece.[17][19] Because the animatronics were heavy and difficult to move, the decision was made to install them on Stage 24 for the duration of the shoot, building new sets around them as filming progressed.[16]: 100 In addition to Eddie's death, an animatronicT. rex was also used in scenes depicting the deaths of Burke and Ludlow.[28]
The babyT. rex had two different practical versions, a "fully contained" remote controlled version the actors could carry, and a hybrid operated by both hydraulics and cables which lay on the operating table, and had the added complexity of moving as Vaughn held its head.[53]
Velociraptor had a mechanical version which depicted the upper half of its body, and a digital full-motion computer raptor.[36] A "super-raptor" had also been considered for the film, but Spielberg rejected it, saying it was "a little too much out of a horror movie. I didn't want to create an alien".[20]
For the sequel, composerJohn Williams avoided using most ofthe previous film's main themes, writing a more action-oriented score.[75] Thesoundtrack was released on May 20, 1997. It, along with the soundtrack to the first film, was remastered and re-released on November 29, 2016.[76]
Other promotional items included a toy line of action figures byKenner and remote-controlled vehicles byTyco,[78][89][90] as well as a board game byMilton Bradley Company.[91] Also produced wereHershey's chocolate bars that featured holographic dinosaur patterns.[92][89] Universal hoped for promotional profits to exceed $1 billion.[78]
On December 13, 1996, a special version of the film's teaser trailer debuted at 42 theaters in the United States and Canada, at a cost of $14,000 for each theater; the trailer used synchronizedstrobe lights that mimicked lightning during a rain scene.[93] The film's first trailer was aired on January 26, 1997, duringSuper Bowl XXXI.[94][95] Atravelling exhibition,The Lost World: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs, went on tour in May 1997, coinciding with the film's release. The exhibit was produced in connection with the film, and its centerpiece was a 70-foot-long recreation of aMamenchisaurus.[96][97][98]
A detailed website for the film was also created, and providedbackstory for characters and events not referenced in the film.[99][100][101] Shortly after the film's release, hackers broke into the website and briefly changed the film's logo to feature a duck instead of aT. rex. The film's title in the logo was also temporarily changed toThe Duck World: Jurassic Pond.[102][103] Universal denied that the hacking was a publicity stunt to promote the film, stating that it was traced to a "16-year-old hacker kid from back East".[104][105] The website was still online as of 2017.[101][103]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park premiered on May 19, 1997,[106] at theCineplex Odeon theater inUniversal City, California.[107][108] TheLos Angeles Times called the premiere "low-key".[108] The film opened on May 23, 1997,[3] with previews commencing at 10 p.m. the night before.[109] It received the widest release for a film to date, opening in 3,281 theaters,[110] surpassing the record held by the 1996 filmMission: Impossible.[111] The film expanded to 3,565 theaters in its fourth weekend.[110][3] It was the first film to use the 1997-2012 Universal Pictures logo, accompanied by its fanfare byJerry Goldsmith.[112]
It was the first US film to be widely distributed in India, being released in 155 cinemas on September 5, 1997.[113]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park made its home video debut onTHX certifiedVHS andLaserDisc releases on November 4, 1997, accompanied by a $50 million promotional campaign.[114][115][116]
Fox paid $80 million for the broadcasting rights ofThe Lost World: Jurassic Park, which debuted on November 1, 1998.[117] The television version was expanded with deleted scenes, including Hammond'souster by InGen executives.[118]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released on a Collector's EditionDVD on October 10, 2000, in bothWidescreen (1.85:1) andFull Screen (1.33:1) versions, in abox set with its predecessorJurassic Park.[119] The films were also featured in a deluxelimited edition box set featuring both DVDs, soundtrack albums, twolenticulars, stills from both films, and a certificate of authenticity signed by the set's producers, inside a collector case.[120] After the release of sequelJurassic Park III, box sets including all three movies were also made available, asJurassic Park Trilogy on December 11, 2001,[121] and as theJurassic Park Adventure Pack on November 29, 2005.[122]The Lost World was first made available onBlu-ray on October 25, 2011, as part of a trilogy release.[123] The entireJurassic Park film series was released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on May 22, 2018.[124]
The Lost World took in $72.1 million on its opening weekend ($92.7 million for the four-dayMemorial Day holiday, including $2.6 million from Thursday night previews)[109][125] in the U.S.,[126] which was the biggest opening weekend up to that point, beatingBatman Forever. This made it the first film to reach the $70 million mark during an opening weekend.[127][128] For four and a half years, the film held that record until the release ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in November 2001.[129]
The film also had the biggest May andMemorial Day opening weekends respectively, surpassing the previous records held byMission: Impossible.[127] It would hold the May opening weekend record until 2002 whenSpider-Man replaced it.[130] As for the Memorial Day weekend record, it would be beaten byShrek 2 in 2004,[131] although the opening weekend record was given toX-Men: The Last Stand two years later in 2006.[132] Furthermore, the film had the highest opening weekend for a Spielberg film, and retained this record for a decade before being dethroned byIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008.[133] A year later,Fast & Furious surpassedThe Lost World to have the largest opening weekend for anyUniversal film.[134]
The Lost World broke several other box office records as well.[135] The film made $21.6 million on its Friday opening and $24.4 million on its second day, making it the highest Friday and Saturday grosses respectively.[127] While the Friday record was taken byToy Story 2 in 1999,[136] the film continued to hold the Saturday record for two more years untilThe Mummy Returns surpassed it.[137] It also took the record for highest single-day box office take of $26.1 million on May 25,[138] a record held until the release ofStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999.[139] During its opening weekend, the film reached the number one spot at the box office, toppingThe Fifth Element andAddicted to Love.[140] It became the fastest film to pass the $100 million mark, achieving the feat in just six days and beating outIndependence Day.[141][142] This was also Spielberg's fastest film to cross this mark, holding that record untilWar of the Worlds overtook it in 2005, taking five days to do so.[143]
Despite these records, its total box office gross fell below the total of the original film.[144] Ticket sales dropped 62% by its second weekend.[145] The film made $34.1 million during its second weekend, making it thefourth-highest-grossing second weekend of all time, after its predecessorJurassic Park,Twister andIndependence Day.[146] Over the next few weeks,The Lost World went on to compete against other blockbuster films released during that summer such asHercules,Face/Off,Men in Black,Con Air,George of the Jungle,Batman & Robin andSpeed 2: Cruise Control.[147] InThailand,The Lost World became the country's highest-grossing film of all time.[148] It ultimately grossed $229.1 million in the U.S. and $389.5 million internationally, for a total of $618.6 million worldwide,[3] becoming the second highest-grossing film of 1997 behindTitanic. The film sold an estimated 49,910,000 tickets in North America.[149]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released to mixed reviews. On review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 152 reviews and an average rating of 5.70/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Lost World demonstrates how far CG effects have come in the four years sinceJurassic Park; unfortunately, it also proves how difficult it can be to put together a truly compelling sequel."[150] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average rating of 59 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[151] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[152]
Roger Ebert, who gave the first film three stars, gaveThe Lost World only two, writing: "It can be said that the creatures in this film transcend any visible signs of special effects and seem to walk the earth, but the same realism isn't brought to the human characters, who are bound by plot conventions and action formulas".[153]Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune also gave the film two stars and said: "I was disappointed as much as I was thrilled because 'The Lost World' lacks a staple of Steven Spielberg's adventure films: exciting characters. [...] Even in the original 'Jurassic Park', the dinosaurs – not to mention the human beings – had more distinct personalities than they have here. Save for superior special effects, 'The Lost World' comes off as recycled material".[154]
Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times saw improved character development over the original: "It seemed such a mistake inJurassic Park to sideline early on its most interesting character, the brilliant, free-thinking and outspoken theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) with a broken leg, but in its most inspired stroke,The Lost World brings back Malcolm and places him front and center", calling it "a pleasure to watch such wily pros as Goldblum and Attenborough spar with each other with wit and assurance".[155]Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times wrote, "The Lost World, unlikeJurassic Park, humanizes its monsters in a way thatE.T. would understand".[156]Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film a B grade; he remarked, "Mr. T-Rex was cool in the first Spielberg flick, sure, but it wasn't until [it was in] San Diego that things got crazy-cool. It's the old 'tree falling in the woods' conundrum: Unless your giant monster is causing massive property damage, can you really call it a giant monster?"[157]
Spielberg said that during production he became increasingly disenchanted with the film:
I beat myself up... growing more and more impatient with myself... It made me wistful about doing a talking picture, because sometimes I got the feeling I was just making this big silent-roar movie... I found myself saying, 'Is that all there is? It's not enough for me'.[158]
Spielberg regretted that the film characters are aware they are going to an island of dinosaurs, unlike the previous film.[159] In 2016, he said:
My sequels aren't as good as my originals because I go onto every sequel I've made and I'm too confident. This movie made a ka-zillion dollars, which justifies the sequel, so I come in like it's going to be a slam dunk and I wind up making an inferior movie to the one before. I'm talking aboutThe Lost World andJurassic Park.[160]
Spielberg would again reaffirm his displeasure with the film in 2021:
Fear is my fuel and confidence is my enemy. If I'm on my heels, I get better ideas than, let's say, coming in to do the sequel toJurassic Park. It's a lot better for menot to make the sequel toJurassic Park.[161]
However, Spielberg has praised the work of composer John Williams on the film with Speiberg on record as declaring Williams' score forThe Lost World: Jurassic Park as superior to the score of the first film due to it being "musically more complicated" than its' predecessor.[162]
Later reviews have also been mixed. Critic Tim Brayton, in 2013, described it as "readily the worst thing Steven Spielberg has ever made."[163] In 2015, Matt Goldberg ofCollider wrote that the film feels "like the work of a Spielberg protégé. All the beats are in place, but it's an imitation". He considered the film inferior to its predecessor.[164] In 2018, Brian Silliman ofSyfy Wire cited the film as a rare example of a film adaptation that is better than its novel counterpart. In particular, he praised the addition of Postlethwaite and his character.[27] However, Syfy Wire's Stephanie Williams considered the novel superior, finding it more action-packed and thrilling while also taking its time "to breathe with these majestic creatures", whereas the film has "way more running and screaming".[165]
Bilge Ebiri ofVulture reviewed the film in 2020, praising the horror elements and writing that it "might be Spielberg's nastiest film – a truly demented series of mostly wordless action and horror set pieces whose technical proficiency is matched only by their cruelty".[166] In contrast, Jacob Hall of/Film negatively compared it to Spielberg's 1984 filmIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, writing thatThe Lost World transforms "intelligent characters into bumbling idiots", increases "the volume and the chaos while dialing back the mystery and the awe", and replaces "excitement with violence and cruelty".[167] In 2024,Rolling Stone ranked it 48th on its list of 50 Most Disappointing Movie Sequels of All Time, writing, "It all feels very humdrum and lacks any sense of wonder found in the original."[168] In 2025,Far Out Magazine andUSA Today rankedThe Lost World: Jurassic Park as Spielberg's worst film as a director.[169][170]
^abPuig, Claudia (August 26, 1997)."You and a Guest Are Not Invited".Los Angeles Times.Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. RetrievedMay 19, 2017.In May, the premiere for "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" was held in similar low-key style at Universal City's Cineplex Odeon theaters. Lots of stars turned out anyway, and the film made a record-breaking $90.2 million on its opening four-day weekend and went on to become one of the year's biggest hits to date.
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