2014’s “Godzilla,” which kicked off the MonsterVerse as we know it. He then moved right into a galaxy far, far away with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which was a massive hit. So, making “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the seventh chapter in the long-running dino property, shouldn’t have been too intimidating. Except, this one carried the Steven Spielberg factor.
Spielberg directed the original “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” staying on to produce all of the other sequels. So, anyone who takes on one of these movies will be dealing directly with Spielberg, one of the most beloved filmmakers to ever do it. Fortunately, Edwards had a very good experience working with him on “Rebirth,” which has been a big hit in the early going. He even gave Edwards some crucial advice.
Speaking with Syfy Wire, the director revealed, “He said, ‘Making a film for the cinema, it’s like being a chef and making a meal. The only difference is that when you’re a chef for the cinema, the audience has to leave hungry. If they leave full, you’ve kind of failed.'” Edwards further explained that this was counterintuitive, but he took it to heart:
“It was an interesting thing, because it goes against your instincts. You’re trying to please the audience and make them happy. And the audience — especially in a test screening — they’ll tell you what they want to be happier. But it’s not about that. It’s about creating anticipation and surprise and, in a weird way, having them leave and want to go back and watch it again. Obviously, that’s where you have the big success like he has. And so I really took that to heart.”
“It was super interesting. And it’s that piece of advice where, the second you hear it, you go, ‘Oh, of course!'” Edwards concluded. “Retrospectively, it’s obvious. But I’d never really thought about it like that. And so yeah, that was super useful.”
