Jurassic World Rebirth Director Gareth Edwards Had One ‘Secret Weapon’ Throughout Filming [Exclusive]

For a film that got here collectively as rapidly as “Jurassic World Rebirth,” it helps to have an ace up your sleeve to assist hold issues on the tracks. In some ways, Gareth Edwards is the proper form of director to herald on a blockbuster like this, one which’s heavy on visible results, requires a dizzying sense of scale and awe, and takes direct inspiration from style giants like Steven Spielberg. For the man who helped put his stamp on franchises like “Godzilla” and “Star Wars” in recent times, properly, taking the plunge into the “Jurassic” sandbox felt just like the pure subsequent step. Fortunately, he did not need to go it alone. In actual fact, he had the good thing about arguably the most important artistic pressure within the franchise exterior of Spielberg himself.

The ultimate outcomes of “Rebirth” might not have lived as much as the pre-release hype, as I wrote in my overview for /Movie right here, however you possibly can’t say that Common Photos spared any expense. The studio introduced again unique screenwriter David Koepp to type the spine of the story this time round, and his direct involvement — versus his uncredited work on lots of the sequels — actually paid dividends. Edwards defined as a lot throughout a current interview with /Movie, the total and expanded model of which can be debuting on the positioning within the days forward. It isn’t at all times a given {that a} screenwriter will truly be current and accounted for on set through the shoot, however Koepp was a significant exception. But even on the times when he wasn’t bodily there, Edwards discovered a manner (to make use of a “Jurassic Park”-ism) to take full benefit of the “Kimi,” “Warfare of the Worlds,” and “Spider-Man” author’s skills.

In keeping with Edwards, he stored Koepp on pace dial all through manufacturing and ended up soliciting all kinds of punch-ups … even minutes earlier than filming varied scenes.

What a world it would be if extra filmmakers had been blessed with the power to contact the author of 1993’s “Jurassic Park” at will and request last-minute additions whereas on the set of the newest “Jurassic World” sequel. Because it so occurs, that is precisely the form of dynamic “Rebirth” director Gareth Edwards cast with David Koepp after becoming a member of the manufacturing. Whereas sitting down for an in depth interview, the filmmaker advised /Movie that he was lucky sufficient to hit it off with the screenwriter proper from the beginning of manufacturing. Humorously, although, Edwards wasn’t totally certain what to anticipate from the acclaimed author getting in. As he defined:

“What was additionally tremendous fascinating was David Koepp. Folks had been — you learn a script and also you go, ‘Okay, I might love to do the next issues,’ and so they’re a bit like, ‘Good luck getting that previous David.’ And so I believed, ‘Oh no.’ So my first assembly with him was on Zoom and as quickly because the Zoom appeared, behind him was a poster of ‘King Kong,’ the unique. I used to be like, ‘Oh, you want ‘King Kong?’ We simply began speaking about ‘King Kong.’ After which speaking about monster films.

I do not understand how [much time] glided by — half an hour, an hour — and simply realized we had precisely the identical style in movies. I feel that was so useful within the quick time we had, as a result of everybody desires to make an incredible movie. That is all anybody desires to do. The one battle ever is, what is a superb movie? And so in case you can agree on that, you’re midway there.”

A compelling, fully-formed script is at all times a boon for a director becoming a member of a venture, and doubly so when a fast-tracked film like “Jurassic World Rebirth” got here with so little time for prep. As a lot as Edwards clearly appreciated Koepp’s work, nonetheless, there’s at all times room for enhancements and touch-ups — significantly when issues come up on the day of filming. Fortunately, Koepp was solely ever a fast message away.

So far as having a “secret weapon” goes, Gareth Edwards’ skill to textual content the author of 1993’s “Jurassic Park” at any time when he wished just about ranks on the high of the record. The “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” director is actually well-versed within the challenges of a blockbuster shoot on a deadline, however his newest movie got here with a built-in safety blanket that he by no means had beforehand. And Koepp’s abilities had been required even after taking pictures commenced on the latest “Jurassic World” film. When requested concerning the author’s contributions to the movie even after his screenplay was locked, Edwards actually pulled out his cellphone as an example simply how integral Koepp was to the movie:

“David Koepp is my secret weapon in that, on my cellphone, I can textual content him any time of the day. And I might ask him questions, or I might ask him to invent some totally different dialogue or one thing. It was like having this uber ChatGPT app. There’d be these little moments the place you’d go, ‘I simply must fill this — after they stroll from right here to right here, they should say this factor.’ And I might sort my dangerous model, simply as a framework, after which I might hit ship considering, ‘If he does not write again, we’re about to shoot it, if he did not write again in half an hour, we simply need to go together with my dangerous model.’ Then all of the sudden my cellphone, like a minute later, would go [text sound] after which I might look.

And it was actually miserable as a result of it will be so well-written. And it would be the proper stability of a bit arc, it was thematic, had a joke in it or one thing. And I am like, ‘How do you try this?’ He is actually good on the issues I wrestle with. It is like getting blood out of a stone with me, issues like that, so I actually had fun with him. I feel it was nice.”

In case anybody’s nonetheless questioning why films or exhibits filmed through the author’s strike appeared a bit off, this is a case research on the significance of writers rewriting and reshaping issues on the fly. Keep tuned for the total interview to come back, however within the meantime, catch “Jurassic World Rebirth” in theaters July 2, 2025.