Surviving an adventure in Jurassic World can do a lot to a person. For the cast of Camp Cretaceous, the children known as “The Nublar Six,” their extended battle for survival shaped them into young adults that appear to have an unshakable bond. However, when it came to jumping six years into the future with the Netflix’ 2024 TV scheduleoffering Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, executive producers Scott Kreamer and Aaron Hammersley had ideas on what maturity would bring to Darius, Ben, and the rest of the gang.
And believe it or not, a couple of decisions in particular ran into some interesting feedback from collaborators. One of which saw executive producer and Jurassic World Dominion director Colin Trevorrow questioning a pretty huge cornerstone to the new series’ plot.
Scott Kreamer And Aaron Hammersley’s Philosophy On Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’s Plot
As a massive fan of the Jurassic Universe, I was thrilled to speak with both Scott Kreamer and Aaron Hammersley, ahead of Chaos Theory’s debut. Returning to this corner of the franchise definitely felt comfortable, as right from the first episode, it felt like the Camp Fam had never left.
They may be six years older, but everyone on hand is still a version of their past selves. Which, as Scott and Aaron told CinemaBlend, didn’t inspire them to go easier on their creations at all. Here’s how they summed up the philosophy of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’s iteration of these characters:
Scott Kreamer: These are characters we really love from way back. And to see the kids all grown up, and for us to put them through even worse stuff than we did before, it is, it is. I’m glad you felt that way as well.
Aaron Hammersley: It was kind of like being almost like parents, you know, like watching your kids grow up. Of course we’re putting our kids through hell, but still.
Kreamer: And they don’t always do what you think they should do.
Hammersley: Much like your own children.
Kreamer: But we try to make them do things that are true to their character.
Similar to Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’ approach to on-screen violence, Chaos Theory walks the line between danger and safety without going above a TV-Y7 rating for “fear.” It’s an apt descriptor though, as the threats that Darius Bowman (Paul-Mikél Williams) and Ben Pincus (Sean Giambrone) face in the opening episode are both prehistoric beasts and their very human handlers.
There’s a conspiracy afoot, and it’s going to force the Nublar Six to grow up a bit more. And in terms of the physical changes to the characters, the Jurassic World: Chaos Theory masterminds ran into the first interesting piece of feedback. Which, surprisingly, came from how the character of Ben Pincus appears in this Universal/DreamWorks Animation produced sequel series.
Ben Pincus’ Jurassic ‘Glow Up,’ And Why It Made Sense
When we first met Ben Pincus in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, he was the typical high strung rule follower who didn’t want to get into trouble, or worse, excitable danger. Over the course of five seasons, and an interactive special, Ben eventually came out of his shell to defend his new chosen family; which included the ever popular Bumpy the Ankylosaurus.
As it came time to revisit his character in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, we see him and his crew gearing up for a mystery that takes place about two months before the events of Jurassic World: Dominion. Showing up on Darius’ doorstep, Pincus is in an obvious panic, but has also grown into a handsome and somewhat rugged man.
Which led to Scott Kreamer’s following remarks on why it made sense to give Ben that fate, and how it stayed true to his character:
That was always very important to us. They still needed to be recognizable. At first when we did Ben’s glow up, some folks said, ‘Well, Sean’s voice doesn’t sound like Ben now.’ And it’s like, ‘I totally disagree.’ I think it’s like Sean’s voice, and his heart and performance, grounds this good looking hunky guy … he is Ben. He’s the heart and soul of the thing.
Much like the rest of the Nublar Six, Ben’s journey into adulthood takes him away from the viewers and the rest of Chaos Theory’s returning cast. But at the same time, while he has definitely had that glow up, you can still remember the anxious kid who learned to not take himself too seriously.
Of course, if you’ve seen Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’s second trailer, there’s a character who’s encountered a much more severe fate. Which, in turn, drew some attention from Colin Trevorrow.
Colin Trevorrow Questioned Brooklynn’s Death, But Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Won Him Over
As revealed over the development of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’s marketing campaign, the central conspiracy at the heart of everything begins with a death. With the casualty being none other than Brooklynn, who has been recast with actor Kiersten Kelly in the role originated by Jenna Ortega, fans of Camp Cretaceous are pretty concerned.
It was at this point in our conversation that the Safety Not Guaranteed director, and franchise stalwart for the entire Jurassic World trilogy, entered the story. As Scott Kreamer recalled how Colin Trevorrow initially reacted to Brooklynn’s death, he also shared how his fellow executive producer’s feelings changed over time:
Colin maybe took a little convincing on the whole Brooklyn of it all. But in the end, he gave us our flowers and just said, ‘Y’all pulled it off.’ It’s fun just to have him in the writer’s room, as another voice and another creative. And then just to hear, you know, who knows more about this stuff than Frank [Marshall]? … Again, this was a big swing and at the end of the day they had our backs, and that’s all you can really ask for is them backing you. And they have. That’s all you can hope for.
Frankly, I got some major IT vibes while watching Jurassic World: Chaos Theory deal with the death of Brooklynn. Though she’s pronounced dead in Episode 1, “Aftershock,” her presence is felt throughout the entire first season. As everyone slowly comes to terms with her loss, the effects vary from person to person.
The common thread is, of course, the fact that the surviving Nublar Six members have to reunite to fight an evil they thought they were safe from. If you were a fan of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, you’re not going to have a problem blazing through the full clip of Chaos Theory’s first season.
At the same time, Scott Kreamer’s final thoughts on how everyone has grown should help young adults who may feel “too old” to keep up with the series stay the course. That’s because of the plot developments he and Aaron Hammersley ultimately passed muster through the Jurassic brass, inspired by two very important words:
There were definitely some surprises and stuff. Much like Camp Cretaceous, when we broke the season Colin’s in the virtual writer’s room with us. … We got a lot of thoughts from Colin and from Frank [Marshall], as well as other people up at Universal Franchise. I think they liked the idea of really of, like you said, the emotional maturity.
“Emotional maturity” meets genetically engineered dinosaurs that threaten humanity’s existence. That’s basically all you need to know to jump into Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, whether you’re a returning fan or just starting your journey.
In either case, all ten episodes of Season 1 will be streaming for those with a Netflix subscription, starting Friday, May 24th. And be sure to return to CinemaBlend once you’ve watched it all, as we’re going to have more spoiler heavy coverage of Scott Kreamer and Aaron Hammersley’s thoughts on Jurassic World: Chaos Theory in the days to come.