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As of 2000, the Jurassic Park franchise had generated over $5 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. So since we're all waiting for its 2021 release, Jurassic World: Dominion, what better way to kill time than taking a look at some of the lesser-known facts about the franchise.

From malfunctioning T. Rexes to incredible attention to detail, here's a list of eye-opening Jurassic Park trivia that reveals the production in a whole new light. So unleash your inner geek, continue scrolling, and enjoy!

(h/t ranker)

#1

T. Rex Occasionally Malfunctioned, Due To The Rain

T. Rex Occasionally Malfunctioned, Due To The Rain

"The T. Rex went into the heebie-jeebies sometimes. Scared the crap out of us. We'd be, like, eating lunch, and all of a sudden a T. rex would come alive. At first, we didn't know what was happening, and then we realized it was the rain. You'd hear people start screaming."

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Dinosaurs have been stomping across our screens for decades, but they were often portrayed by stop-motion creatures that were so clearly artificial, they looked like cheap toys.

So when computer-generated dinosaurs came around, delivering something that was visually unprecedented, people were ready for it. Also, images of dinosaurs as slow, stupid, swamp-bound creatures still persisted into the early 1990s, and Jurassic Park eliminated these paleo-stereotypes and rapidly ushered in a fresh vision of dinosaurs that scientists knew well but that had not yet been fully embraced by others.

#2

Dennis Nedry From Jurassic Park Wearing Similar Outfits To Characters In The Goonies. Kathleen Kennedy Was The Producer On Both

Dennis Nedry From Jurassic Park Wearing Similar Outfits To Characters In The Goonies. Kathleen Kennedy Was The Producer On Both

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Some experts even think there may never be another dinosaur movie as important as Jurassic Park. Special effects, in their opinion, will continue to be fine-tuned, but the movies themselves aren't necessarily going to become something drastically different. If this is the case, good dinosaur movies will probably have to rely on solid storytelling.

#3

The Lost World Had An Intentional Godzilla Moment

The Lost World Had An Intentional Godzilla Moment

The Japanese tourists running from the rampaging T. rex in the San Diego scene (an obvious homage to Godzilla movies) are saying, in Japanese, "I left Japan to get away from this?!"

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Even scientists acknowledge its importance. "I think on balance Jurassic Park has been such a positive for paleontology. Of course, I could nitpick about the little inaccuracies but I think those are outweighed probably a million fold by the good that the movie has done," paleontologist Steve Brusatte told the BBC.

"I don't know if I would have a job now if Jurassic Park didn't exist."

#4

At The End Of Jurassic Park When The Remaining Crew Is About To Get Into The Heilcopter, The JP Logo Is Covered With Mud To Read "Your Ass Park". Condemning The Park In A Hilariously Brilliant Move

At The End Of Jurassic Park When The Remaining Crew Is About To Get Into The Heilcopter, The JP Logo Is Covered With Mud To Read "Your Ass Park". Condemning The Park In A Hilariously Brilliant Move

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#5

In Jurassic Park When The T. Rex Comes Through The Glass Roof Of The Van In The First Attack, The Glass Was Not Meant To Break. It's No Wonder Those Kids' Screams Sounded So Genuine

In Jurassic Park When The T. Rex Comes Through The Glass Roof Of The Van In The First Attack, The Glass Was Not Meant To Break. It's No Wonder Those Kids' Screams Sounded So Genuine

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#6

Ariana Richards Got The Part Of Lex In Jurassic Park Because Of Her Scream

Ariana Richards Got The Part Of Lex In Jurassic Park Because Of Her Scream

To cast Hammond's granddaughter, Lex, Spielberg auditioned a number of girls and asked them to record their screams. Ariana Richards recalled that she won the role because she was the only one whose taped scream was loud enough to awaken a sleeping Kate Capshaw (Spielberg's wife) and send her scurrying down the hall to see if her children were all right.

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#7

In “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”, The Random Citizen Who Gets Eaten By The T-Rex Is Named “Unlucky Bastard” In The Credits

In “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”, The Random Citizen Who Gets Eaten By The T-Rex Is Named “Unlucky Bastard” In The Credits

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Scagsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not only that but he's actually an uber-succesful screenwriter and general movie making legend. Go on, have a Google

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#8

The Establishing Wide Shot Of The Dig Site In Jurassic Park III Was Actual Footage Of Jack Horner's Excavation, Filmed In Early Summer 2001. The Site Contained Several Large Fossils Of Tyrannosaurs And Some Hadrosaurs

The Establishing Wide Shot Of The Dig Site In Jurassic Park III Was Actual Footage Of Jack Horner's Excavation, Filmed In Early Summer 2001. The Site Contained Several Large Fossils Of Tyrannosaurs And Some Hadrosaurs

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#9

All Of The Cast Members Were Given A Raptor Model Signed By Steven Spielberg As A Gift Once The Film Had Wrapped

All Of The Cast Members Were Given A Raptor Model Signed By Steven Spielberg As A Gift Once The Film Had Wrapped

It looked very frightening, and Ariana Richards has it in her house to shock anyone coming in. "It's pretty big, maybe five feet long, maybe two feet high in a glass case," she said.

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BeazleBug
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Other fun fact: Those models are closer to actual size of velociraptors. In the movies they are much larger than reality, explained away with "...they aren't real dinosaurs- they are genetically engineered theme park monsters..."

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#10

Jack Horner Was So Vital To The Lost World, They Based A Character Off Of Not Just Him But Also On His Rival

Jack Horner Was So Vital To The Lost World, They Based A Character Off Of Not Just Him But Also On His Rival

Alan Grant, from the original Jurassic Park, was based on paleontologist Jack Horner (pictured), who both Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg consulted about dinosaur behavior. For The Lost World, the character Robert Burke is based on rival paleontologist Robert Bakker, with whom Horner has a friendly feud.

Their major disagreement is over the behavior of Tyrannosaurus rex. Horner argues that T. Rex was a scavenger, while Bakker insists that T. Rex must have been a predator. Horner reportedly asked to have Burke eaten by the T. Rex in The Lost World. Bakker was apparently flattered, and wrote back to Horner, saying "I told you T. rex was a hunter!"

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#11

In Jurassic Park (1993), The Insect Trapped In Amber (Copal) Is An Elephant Mosquito, The Only Mosquito That Doesn't Suck Blood; Therefore, It Couldn't Contain Any Dino DNA

In Jurassic Park (1993), The Insect Trapped In Amber (Copal) Is An Elephant Mosquito, The Only Mosquito That Doesn't Suck Blood; Therefore, It Couldn't Contain Any Dino DNA

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Nupraptor
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I presume the elephant mosquito is a stand-in for a prehistoric mosquito.

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#12

The Crew Had To Have Safety Meetings About The T. Rex

The Crew Had To Have Safety Meetings About The T. Rex

The T.rex weighed 12,000 pounds and was extremely powerful. To alert the crew when the T. rex would come on, they used flashing lights because if someone stood next to it and the head went by at speed, it felt like a bus going by.

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#13

The T-Rex In Jurassic World Is The Same T-Rex From Jurassic Park

The T-Rex In Jurassic World Is The Same T-Rex From Jurassic Park

We can see this from its scars on its neck where the velociraptors attacked it in Jurassic Park

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#14

Steven Spielberg Wanted The Velociraptors To Be About 10 Feet Tall, Which Was Taller Than They Were Known To Be. However, During Filming, Paleontologists Uncovered 10-Foot-Tall Specimens Of Raptors Called Utahraptors

Steven Spielberg Wanted The Velociraptors To Be About 10 Feet Tall, Which Was Taller Than They Were Known To Be. However, During Filming, Paleontologists Uncovered 10-Foot-Tall Specimens Of Raptors Called Utahraptors

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#15

In Jurassic Park, You Can See Dr. Wu Erasing A Data Sheet In The Lab

In Jurassic Park, You Can See Dr. Wu Erasing A Data Sheet In The Lab

Erasing lab data is highly improper and unethical in scientific settings, hinting at Dr. Wu's corrupt nature in later films.

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BeazleBug
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact he is using a pencil alone is enough to red flag any "scientist". There is a reason we are supposed to only use ink.

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#16

In Jurassic Park III, Mr. Kirby Pees Upstream From Where Billy Is Drinking

In Jurassic Park III, Mr. Kirby Pees Upstream From Where Billy Is Drinking

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Mark
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While this obviously isn't good you could be drinking from a crystal clear stream that looks so pure yet who know what has peed or poohed in it upstream!

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#17

The Spinosaurus In 'Jurassic Park III' Was The Largest Animatronic Ever Built

The Spinosaurus In 'Jurassic Park III' Was The Largest Animatronic Ever Built

The Spinosaurus was the largest animatronic ever built. It weighed 12 tons and was operated by hydraulics, which allowed it to operate while completely submerged in water.

According to an interview with William H. Macy, the film's animatronic Spinosaurus had a 1,000-horsepower motor and could turn its head at twice the force of gravity, with the tip of its nose moving at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour.

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Jo Choto
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to see these up close. I bet I would be terrified to see one moving, even knowing it wasn't real.

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Randy Klefbeck
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is like Spielberg could not get over how awful his mechanical shark (named Bruce) looked and moved in the Jaws movies. He had to go full bore on these films to make up for that.

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Sam Cook
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still one of my top five creatures from the series. I would love to see it return.

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Nevits Yibble
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember the outrage this created with people who thought spinosaurus was a totally made up dinosaur by Spielberg, just for the movie. They refused to believe there was anything that could ever take down their beloved tyrannosaur.

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Gerry Higgins
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1976 life size animatronic of King Kong was pretty big, maybe bigger? Not as fast of course.

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ProductofNZ
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The animatronics were sooo bad in JP3! What really sold it in the first two movies was the lighting and atmosphere. Night + rain. In number 3 it was in broad daylight and it looked silly.

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#18

The Tyrannosaurus's Roars Were A Combination Of Dog, Penguin, Tiger, Alligator, And Elephant Sounds

The Tyrannosaurus's Roars Were A Combination Of Dog, Penguin, Tiger, Alligator, And Elephant Sounds

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Elli Rahim
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Alligators roar? I thought those hissed? More importantly, what did the Fox say?

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#19

In Jurassic Park, The Dinosaur Is Heard Through Roars And Most Memorably, A Plastic Cup Of Water, Which Vibrates As The Predator Stomps Along

In Jurassic Park, The Dinosaur Is Heard Through Roars And Most Memorably, A Plastic Cup Of Water, Which Vibrates As The Predator Stomps Along

To create the shot they fed a guitar string through the car, down to the ground, and then had a guy lay under the car and pluck the guitar string

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Scagsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They had to keep re-shooting the scene because he couldn't resist going into Stairway

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#20

In Jurassic World The Jeep Used To Escape Was The Same Jeep That Brought People In Jurassic Park

In Jurassic World The Jeep Used To Escape Was The Same Jeep That Brought People In Jurassic Park

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#21

In The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Ship That Brings The T-Rex To San Diego Is Called The S.s Venture, Which Is A Reference To King Kong, In Which A Ship Called The S.s Venture Brought King Kong To New York

In The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Ship That Brings The T-Rex To San Diego Is Called The S.s Venture, Which Is A Reference To King Kong, In Which A Ship Called The S.s Venture Brought King Kong To New York

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Paul K. Johnson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe that ship should be de-registered? Seems whoever owns it doesn't have enough sense to turn down stupidly dangerous cargo contracts.

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#22

Although The Scientists In Jurassic Park, 1993 Were Skilled Geneticists, They Misspelled Stegosaurus And Tyrannosaurus On The Cryogenic Storage Containers

Although The Scientists In Jurassic Park, 1993 Were Skilled Geneticists, They Misspelled Stegosaurus And Tyrannosaurus On The Cryogenic Storage Containers

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#23

Jeff Goldblum Is More Heroic Than Dr. Ian Malcolm

Jeff Goldblum Is More Heroic Than Dr. Ian Malcolm

In the shooting script, it was written that during the Tyrannosaur's escape, Dr. Ian Malcolm would simply get out of the car and run away, much as Donald Gennaro had done moments before. In fact, this is how Dr. Malcolm behaves in the scene as written in the book. When the time came to film the scene, it was Jeff Goldblum's idea to make his flight more heroic, by having him distract the Tyrannosaur so Dr. Grant could save the children.

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Lauren Caswell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I watched this with my son (10) a few months back. He hated that lawyer for ditching the kids, but liked the San Neil character, and the Jeff goldblum especially as we had just watched Thor ragnarok Lol!

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#24

At The Time Of Its Release, Jurassic Park Was Breaking All Of The Records

At The Time Of Its Release, Jurassic Park Was Breaking All Of The Records

The film opened on Friday, June 11, 1993, and broke box office records its first weekend, bringing in $47 million. It eventually went on to make more than $900 million worldwide.

Screenwriter David Koepp remembers the day it opened: "I was in New York and I walked to the Ziegfeld [Theatre] to see how it was doing. The guy comes out and announces to the big line, 'Ladies and gentlemen, the 7 o'clock show of Jurassic Park is sold out.' And people go, 'Oooh.' And he goes, 'Also the 10 o'clock show is sold out.' And they went, 'Ooooooh.' 'And also Saturday night's 7 and 10 o'clock shows are also sold out.' And I was like, 'I'm not an expert, but I think this is very good.'"

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#25

The Guests' Encounter With The Sick Triceratops Ends Without Any Clear Explanation As To Why The Animal Is Sick. Michael Crichton's Original Novel And The Screenplay, However, Includes An Explanation

The Guests' Encounter With The Sick Triceratops Ends Without Any Clear Explanation As To Why The Animal Is Sick. Michael Crichton's Original Novel And The Screenplay, However, Includes An Explanation

The Triceratops lacked suitable teeth for grinding food and so, like birds, would swallow rocks and use them as gizzard stones. In the digestive tract, these rocks would grind the food to aid in digestion. After six weeks, the rocks would become too smooth to be useful, and the animal would regurgitate them. When finding and eating new rocks to use, the animal would also swallow West Indian Lilac berries. The fact that the berries and stones are regurgitated explains why Dr. Ellie Sattler never finds traces of them in the animal's excrement.

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#26

In Jurassic World When Bryce Dallas Howard Rolls Up Her Sleeves And Ties Her Shirt At The Bottom To Say “I’m Ready”, She’s Wearing It The Same Way Laura Dern Did In Jurassic Park

In Jurassic World When Bryce Dallas Howard Rolls Up Her Sleeves And Ties Her Shirt At The Bottom To Say “I’m Ready”, She’s Wearing It The Same Way Laura Dern Did In Jurassic Park

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#27

Jurassic Park Became The Permenant Perception Of What Many Dinosaurs Looked Like

Jurassic Park Became The Permenant Perception Of What Many Dinosaurs Looked Like

The Dilophosaurus's venom-spitting and neck-frill became so iconic that almost every other appearance of the animal in popular media, as well as most of the Dilophosaurus children's toys advertise at least one or both of these aspects. Some even leave out the dinosaur's striking double-crests. In reality, however, the spitting ability was made up by Michael Crichton, while adding the frill was Spielberg's idea. Real Dilophosaurus possessed neither of these traits, with the twin crests and its thin jaws (the latter of which isn't very evident in the movie's design) being its real discerning features.

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#28

Films In The Franchise Reference Another Spielberg Film

Films In The Franchise Reference Another Spielberg Film

Jurassic Park: Shortly after Nedry makes his first appearance in the control room, during his argument with Hammond, one can clearly see Jaws playing in a small video window on one of Nedry's computer screens. That movie was, of course, also directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jurassic Park III: When the paleontologists enter the bar for dinner with the Kirbys, you can see a Jurassic Park (1993) pinball machine in the background.

Jurassic World: The great white shark being eaten in Jurassic World is a clear homage to Jaws.

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#29

In Jurassic Park, Hammond Says Multiple Times He "Spared No Expense", Dennis Nedry (Newman) Is The Only Part Of The Park That Was Underpaid And Was The Reason The Park Failed

In Jurassic Park, Hammond Says Multiple Times He "Spared No Expense", Dennis Nedry (Newman) Is The Only Part Of The Park That Was Underpaid And Was The Reason The Park Failed

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#30

Grant Fashioning A Functioning Seat-Belt With Only Two Latches And No Latch Plate Foreshadows A Later Scene Where The Dinosaurs Are Suddenly Able To Breed, Despite That They Were All Originally Female

Grant Fashioning A Functioning Seat-Belt With Only Two Latches And No Latch Plate Foreshadows A Later Scene Where The Dinosaurs Are Suddenly Able To Breed, Despite That They Were All Originally Female

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