INTERVJU / INTERVIEW
What was it like shooting in Thailand?
talking about Jurassic.” And I said, “Ste- ven, I would die in the first five minutes. I want to be in this film so badly.” I told him it was my childhood dream. From there, we just kind of dove into talking about the project, and I left that meeting hoping something might come of it.”
spiral fast. I’d describe it like this: they start out as people running toward dino- saurs… and they end up running away from them.” What’s new about this Jurassic film? What sets it apart? “The Jurassic universe has gotten so huge over the years—it evolved from that orig- inal park into something massive. But Rebirth really goes back to basics. It has that survival-thriller energy of the first film. You’ve got a group of people on an island, and they’re trapped. What do you do? How do you survive? It’s intimate in that way. It strips everything back to what made the original so gripping: the tension, the awe, and the real danger of being face to face with these creatures.” How did your previous action experience shape your prep for this? “I’ve had a lot of training over the years—military-style training, weap- ons training, stunt work—just from be- ing in big action movies for a long time. I never thought as a young actor that this would be part of the job, but it real- ly comes in handy. That made prep easi- er and allowed me to focus on the phys- icality and character work. I also learned how to abseil for this movie, which was new for me. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but I got comfortable with the gear. We rehearsed a lot of it in Thailand, which helped—especially since the actual stunts were happening in the jungle or in mangroves, often waist-deep in water.”
“People would say, “Oh, you’re going to Bangkok,” and I’d say, “No—it’s Ju- rassic. We’re in the middle of the jun- gle.” And the jungle is not exactly a forgiving environment. We were run- ning power through mangroves, haul- ing equipment up muddy banks, and camping out on remote islands. Every day brought some new challenge— swamps, sharp grasses at head height, wetsuits in waist-deep water. But it looked amazing on camera. You just can’t fake that. The textures, the light, the grit—it all reads. That’s why Frank Marshall insisted on real locations. It gives this film something very differ- ent from what we’ve seen in the fran- chise before.” What can you tell us about the dinosaurs in this film? “The dinosaurs are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I’ve had so many people ask which ones we go up against, and I always say, “You’ll have to wait and see,” because I want it to be a surprise. They’re absolutely the ones of nightmares—in the best pos- sible way. The team pushed the bound- aries, not just in terms of how they look, but also how they move and how they react. There’s this eerie un- predictability to them. That tension builds the moment we land on the is- land – something feels off, and you don’t know what it is until it’s too late.” What surprised you the most about Jurassic World Rebirth? “I wasn’t expecting the film to feel so stripped back—in the best pos- sible way. It really does go back to the essence of the original. I don’t want to say “the basics”, but it has that survival thriller energy. Because the world has gotten so big over the years, I didn’t anticipate something this intimate and pared down. I read the whole thing with a big smile on my face. It was so well-plotted, im- aginative and beautifully written. At its core, Jurassic has to be fun. That lightness is a big part of what makes it work. There’s tension, yes—but it also has to have joy in it.”
What was your reaction when you read the script?
“The thing that struck me was how com- plex and compelling my character Zo- ra was. She’s not just along for the ride – she’s actively choosing this mission. She’s a fixer. A bit of a mercenary. She’s not just reacting to the adventure, she’s owning it. And that, for me, made her feel so dimen- sional and real.” What’s the core storyline? “It is about a group of people who come together for the purpose of collecting DNA samples—information and speci- mens. They’re part of this organised, pro- fessional operation. But, of course, they’re dealing with dinosaurs—and dinosaurs don’t exactly play by the rules. So, things If you’re also a fan of Spielberg’s dinosaurs, you’ll be able to see the new film in cinemas as of 2 nd July
30 | Film » Movie
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