‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Star Bryce Dallas Howard on Michael Crichton’s Philosophy and Sexy Ian Malcolm [Set Visit Interview]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Trailer Teaser

In June 2017, I traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to visit the set of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This week, we have been running a ton of coverage from this visit. It began with an interview with producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley, and continued with an interview with director J.A. Bayona. Today, we present our conversation with returning star Bryce Dallas Howard.

This roundtable interview was conducted alongside Eric Vespe from Rooster Teeth.

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I like that premise here because of what it means for your character. In the first movie, Claire goes from someone who is cold and disconnected to realizing the implications of what she’s been doing. J.A. told us you start this movie as a dinosaur rights activist, which means Claire gets to start the movie from a proactive position.

Bryce Dallas Howard: It is. And going back to speak to what you were saying about being glad that it’s back on the island, I feel the same way. Having shot so much of the movie in England… On the last movie we started in the jungle. We shot all in the jungle and then we went to New Orleans. For this one, we shot so much of it [in England] and then came here and Chris and I were like “Yeah, now it feels like Jurassic. Thank God!”

Without human beings entering into a space that is dinosaur turf, it doesn’t feel like the Jurassic experience. That’s a lot of what this movie is about. Up to this point the entertainment value of these films is that the most dangerous thing is the dinosaur where the truth is it’s really human beings that are the most dangerous species. Finally in this movie we’re having that clash. We’ve been on their turf and now they’re coming on ours and ours is becoming theirs and what does that mean? That’s the question.

What I’m talking about right now isn’t actually the plot. I’m not tricking you, but from a thematic standpoint, that’s the movie. The wish-fulfillment of Jurassic is the question “What if human beings and dinosaurs coexisted simultaneously? What would happen?” There are various permutations of what could occur. That’s what these stories are examining.

They told us this takes place 5 years after the last one. What has happened in your character’s life in those five years?

Bryce Dallas Howard: I keep thinking 3 [years], but anyway!

We were told it’s 5 years from the end of the first movie and three years from events of the prologue in this movie. Does that make any sense?

Bryce Dallas Howard: I’m gonna ask some questions! What I’m imagining is that it’s been roughly the same amount of time that audiences have been away from this story. It’s like everything has been occurring in real time, basically. When we watch this movie it’s as if it takes place in 2018.

To speak to what you were saying regarding Claire and the way she’s shifted, her internal self and her external self are starting to become one whereas in the last film, her behavior, her actions were really out of alignment with her values. That was the inner conflict with the character and by the end of it her power is being used for good; her righteousness is being used for good. The very thing that was leading her astray is the very thing that saved Chris Pratt and two cowering children surrounded by stuffed animals!

Where we are now, I think, is we’re seeing a woman who is definitely stepping into her power. She’s fighting for these dinosaurs. She’s taking responsibility and trying to basically present the argument that there’s lions in the world and there are dangerous species of snakes and sharks… there’s all these dangerous creatures and yet if those creatures are threatened with an extinction level event we protect them. So, guys, we have an endangered species here. They’re actually here. This is now reality.

It doesn’t matter that they were genetically created by man.

Bryce Dallas Howard: Yes. They’re afforded the same rights as any other endangered species. That’s her point of view of the situation and this is her cause.

We know there are some newcomers and you’ll be with Chris again onscreen, but tell me how Claire reacts to Ian Malcolm.

Bryce Dallas Howard: Oh my gosh. I have a real hard time separating my own personal reaction to Dr. Ian Malcolm from Claire’s reaction.

So you just keep seeing the shot of him with his shirt open from Jurassic Park?

Bryce Dallas Howard: Exactly! That glistening chest, black shirt and perfect golden tan. Totally bronzed. I know that shot vividly! I could probably guess the lens they were using, but anyway… [laughs] I met him a couple of years ago. I mean, I didn’t meet him, I saw him across a crowd. I saw him and he was his charming self, but I never met him because he was across the crowd, but we had a connection from the start. Then I met him in the UK. I think that Claire would absolutely have the utmost respect for his approach and his logic and his certainty and confidence. He’s also very tall and did I mention he’s tan and I happen to know he also sings and plays music…

And cooks!

Bryce Dallas Howard: And cooks food. But where does Jeff Goldblum end and Dr. Ian Malcolm begin, really? Wouldn’t it be so crazy if the twist of the movie is that Claire ended up with Dr. Ian Malcolm? Forget about the dinosaurs, people!

Well, we know he’s always on the lookout for the next ex-Mrs. Malcolm.

Bryce Dallas Howard: Yes! Yes! Yes!

And the ultimate arc of these films is seeing him get married and divorced over and over again.

Bryce Dallas Howard: Yeah, who he goes through. That’s the real journey. Oh my gosh, that would be really funny.

But from a character perspective, Claire in the first Jurassic World seemed to not have any nostalgia for the original park or the goings on there. I imagine she might have a different reaction to Malcolm then as she would now.

Bryce Dallas Howard: He’s a character who is the voice of reason. He’s Michael Crichton, in a way. He’s the philosopher. You’re right, at the beginning she was disconnected, but now it’s a different story. I’ve never actually thought about what Claire would think about him. That’s interesting because she would have known about him. Ugh! I didn’t do my homework!