Possible Carnosaur (Novel) references/Coincidences in Fallen Kingdom? · 3:10am May 10th, 2018
Spoilers as I reference pieces from numerous trailers and TV spots for the upcoming fifth Jurassic Park film.
Many Jurassic Park fans are also fans of other dinosaur movies. Maybe times this is the case of Ray Harryhausen and Wilis O'brien films that inspired both Crichton and Spielberg, like King Kong (1933) and Valley of Gwangi (1969). Other times the subject might be the films obviously riding off JP's trailblazing such as Carnosaur (1993-1996) and whenever the asylum is putting out that's not shark themed.
But there are other dinosaur themed works out there that ran parallel to Michael Crichton that did not influence him nor were they influenced by him when he made his novel in 1990. One such example is Carnosaur (1986) by John Brosnan under the pseudonym "Harry Adam Knight".
Now this might sound marginally confusing, but while the film version of Carnosaur was very much a cash in on Jurassic Park, the book version predates Crichton's novel by several years and Crichton was completely unaware of its existence. The rights to the novel were bought up by Roger Corman, who rushed production to make a very, very loose adaptation with a largely original script to get it out to theaters several weeks before Jurassic Park to hitch a free ride off the marketing. I emphasize that the movie is an extremely loose adaptation, sharing only really one scene with the novel in which a young couple in a car are killed by a Deinonychus who get inside with them....
... The novel version of the scene made sense as it took place at night with a fully grown Deinonychus ambushing the two people on the forest with a lot of cover. The movie version made absolutely no sense as the Deinonychus in question was a baby which should have the same size and legality of a schnauzer terrier attacking them in broad daylight in the middle of a open area..... Moving on-
John Brosnan intentionally made the novel for fun (Harry Adam Knight is literally and intentionally an acronym for "Hak [writer]"), however he did actually do a pretty good job at portraying the dinosaurs as very energetic, warm blooded, and intelligent creatures with the most up-to-date information he had available to him in the mid-1980s. No joke, the novel Deinonychus is almost a complete one-to-one comparison with the JP series' "Velociraptors" and numerous species are shared, such as a (non-venom spitting) Dilophosaurus and a Tarbosaurus/Tyrannosaurus bataar standing in for its close cousin Tyrannosaurus rex for the big Theropod on call.
Why do I bring this up? Because as far as I see, first act on Isla Nublar aside, Fallen Kingdom seems more faithful to Carnosaur the novel than Carnosaur the film was! This isn't me accusing anyone of plagiarism, I just find it extremely ironic if this is a huge coincidence. True, it's not a direct one to one comparison, but several bits of imagery seemed lifted directly from Brosnan's novel as they bear no counterpart in any of the Jurassic Park films or novels.
We got-
-The dinosaurs are housed in the estate of in aristocrat who has lackeys with very dubious moral intention. The dinosaurs either breakout or are let out of their confines, running amok across the manor and a zoo and chasing people down across them as well as escaping into the wild.
-A confrontation between a roaring lion and a Tyrannosaur (Tarbosaurus in Carnosaur, Roberta in Fallen Kingdom) after the Tyrannosaur breaks down the fences to access the big cat enclosure. In the novel, this leads to a partially on-screen, partially off-screen fight between the Tarbosaurus and a lion pride.
-A "raptor" (Deinonychus / Indoraptor) stalking people through a museum, hiding behind and crashing through glass to get at someone.
-A "raptor" (Deinonychus / Indoraptor again) enters a house through an opening a door or window and sneaks inside at night to attack the occupants.
-Said raptor blindsiding a soldier who is armed and dragging him off. Later it drags a dead body around a corner.
-The dinosaur roster including a Dromaeosaurid raptor, a Tyrannosaur, a genuine Carnosaur, a Megalosaurid, an Ankylosaur, a young Sauropod, a predatory non-dinosaurthat can go where the dinosaurs can't, and secret superpredator.
Carnosaur's line-up of said above roster was Deinonychus, Tarbosaurus, Altispinax, Megalosaurus, Scolosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Plesiosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus.
Fallen Kingdom's line up includes "Velociraptor" (Deinonychus), Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Pteranodon, and the Indoraptor; with additional Ceratopsians and an Abelisaur with Carnotaurus. Both stories also feature Dilophosaurus in some role.
We know Bayona and company have taken the time to reread both of the Crichton novels so, maybe shot in the dark and off the wall theory? What if they read Carnosaur as well and got some ideas? If so, we got creators of Jurassic Park taking ideas from a story that was made into a rip-off of Jurassic Park and is now inspiring Jurassic Park's legacy instead of its own legacy. Oh the ironic world in which we may live.
Heh. If that is the case, the irony of it is glorious.
I saw Carnosaurus years ago... It was not a very good movie, but it did amuse me with the level of absurdity it had. The sequels were naturally worse and not even entertaining.
Still, the coincidences are startling comparing the book with the upcoming movie.
Fallen Kingdom looks like another blockbuster, and it comes out right before I get back from a 3-week AT.
With all this talk of JP and Carnosaur, I still wonder if a Nublar Run of the JP RPG is still possible, Tarbo?
I watched Carnosaur all the time as a little kid. I'm really interested in the novel, would you recommend it?
4857143
We're still holding our breath here, Mr. Tem... Either he does a second run on Isla Nublar or he doesn't.
4857297
Very much so. There is a very random sex scene that can be skipped but otherwise it's a fun sci-fi horror read.
4857619
4857143
It is, I'm just seeing how to do it as well as free time to do so. Had a very busy schedule as of late.
4858164
Ahh, well I only have five words that I'm probably gonna regret saying for what I expect of the Nublar Run. Go wild, and surprise us.
4858173
Duly noted. Though there are options for the RPG beyond Nublar. Could do this version of the San Diego incident.
4858191
Perhaps, but I think we'll be content with Nublar this time. Besides, I remember you mentioning that the Sorna Run was a massive time drain on you so I wouldn't wish to burden you too much on the subject.
4858164
So will the Nublar run take place after the Sorna run?
4858662
No doubt, considering a possible expedition to Nublar was mentioned at the end of the Sorna Run. Though the question here is which scene you'd rather go for first, V. Nublar or the San Diego Incident?
4859065
Nublar most certainly, since Ian Malcom's team deserves some action in the backstory
4860128
Hmm, you know. We could play the Canon Team in the San Diego Incident, while our OCs are sideline support or perhaps simply weren't there.
4860130
Alright, here's an idea: We start the story as the canon team, then skip ahead a few years to our Mauve Shirts. Good plan?
4860133
Soo essentially combine both? Like the San Diego Incident will be a prologue "This Is What Happened In Between" Chapter with the Canon Team of Sarah(Me), Ian(You), and Nick(Dive). Then afterwards, we timeskip to Nublar with the Mauve Shirts and we go on from there? Is that right?
4860141
Yes, but with the added addition of an explanation of what happened between the San Diego incident and the Nublar run. It could go something like this: 'It has been five years since Isla Sorna became a wildlife reserve, and the world as a whole has respected the decision of the late Dr. Hammond. However, a splinter group of Masrani Corporate that is known as the Dinosaur Protection Group has decided to transplant every single dinosaur to Jurassic World, and it's up to the Mauve Shirts to put a stop to their haphazard and dangerous scheme for good.'
4860149
Wait, but... This is supposed to take place before JW, at least that's the impression I got when a possible Nublar Expedition was mentioned. I think the purpose of the Nublar Run is to explore and retake Nublar to build Jurassic World.
4860153
Oh... So the plot is to reclaim the Nublar island for redevelopment, correct?
4860162
That's what I think. It was hinted at the ending of the Sorna Run(Read it for yourself to see) that Masrani was considering a survey expedition to Nublar to determine the viability of constructing Jurassic World.
4860167
And could we still discover the DPG illegally shipping dinosaurs to Nublar?
4860179
I think the DPG became active after JW so I doubt it.
4860181
Why so?
4860184
Because judging from the trailers, the DPG is secretly the puppet group of a private business owner(Blackwood, was it?) Who is not associated with Masrani.
4860190
Well, the Amalgamverse doesn't need to follow canon to the letter... Let's just say the DPG has Blackwood as their private backer and that they were founded after Sorna was turned into a wildlife park. After all, I don't think I'd want a rehash of BioSyn stealing dinosaurs.
4860198
Apparently the actual name is Lockwood, but other than the name. What really is the difference between Lockwood and Penward? They're both wealthy business owners looking to make a profit off of stealing dinosaurs. This very blog we're talking on even shows the parallels between Fallen Kingdom and Carnosaur.
4860206
Fair point... Lockwood and Penwood could both be backing the DPG in 2002, or they're independent of the DPG and stealing the dinosaurs for their own use.
4860209
Or could be, I daresay, that Lockwood is an alias used by Penward as a cover?
4860210
We may need to make that a spoiler so nobody sees who the true antagonist is... Apart from that, it's quite a nice idea.
4860212
Alright, we spoiler tag every comment regarding the Nublar Run.
4860213
What could possibly happen in five years between 1997's incident and the Nublar Run?
4860218
Honestly, I wouldn't be entirely sure.