{{Short description|Jurassic Park character}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{For|the band|Rexy (music group)}} {{Infobox character | name = '''Rexy''' | image = Rexy- the Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus rex.png | caption = | series = Jurassic Park | first = ''Jurassic Park'' (book; 1990)<br>''Jurassic Park'' (film; 1993) | last = ''Jurassic World: Chaos Theory'' (2025) | creator = Michael Crichton <br> Steven Spielberg | designer = Stan Winston (animatronic)<br >Steve Williams (CGI) | species = ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' | home = {{Plainlist| * Isla Sorna * Isla Nublar * Biosyn sanctuary }} }}
'''Rexy''' is the colloquial nickname for a fictional ''Tyrannosaurus'' that appears throughout the ''Jurassic Park'' franchise. She first appeared in Michael Crichton's 1990 novel ''Jurassic Park'', and made her onscreen debut in the 1993 film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg. She returns in the 2015 film ''Jurassic World'' and its sequels, ''Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' (2018) and ''Jurassic World Dominion'' (2022).
For the original film, special-effects artist Stan Winston created an animatronic ''T. rex'' measuring 20 feet high and 40 feet long, while Steve Williams of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created a CGI version for a majority of the scenes. Colin Trevorrow served as the primary writer and director of the ''Jurassic World'' trilogy. Although other T. rexes appeared in the preceding ''Jurassic Park'' sequels, Trevorrow sought to bring back the same individual from the first film. ILM again worked on the animal for each of the ''Jurassic World'' films. Effects artist Neal Scanlan also created an animatronic for ''Fallen Kingdom''.
The films do not specify a name for the animal. "Rexy" came into common usage among fans after the release of ''Jurassic World'', although the name had also been used previously in Crichton's novel. It has since been used in other licensed media. The name "'''Roberta'''" was also used by visual-effects artist Phil Tippett in his storyboards for the original film.
==Appearances== In the ''Jurassic Park'' novel and its film adaptation, the ''Tyrannosaurus'' is among many genetically engineered dinosaurs on the fictional Isla Nublar, the site of a planned theme park and zoo. She eventually escapes her enclosure and goes on to terrorize characters throughout the story. In the film version, she also kills Donald Gennaro. At the film's end, ''Velociraptors'' corner Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Lex and Tim. However, the ''Tyrannosaurus'' unexpectedly arrives and battles the raptors, inadvertently saving the humans.
In ''Jurassic World'', the island is home to a dinosaur theme park that has operated for years, with the ''Tyrannosaurus'' as a prime attraction. The animal has a reduced role compared with the original film, appearing primarily at the end to battle the escaped ''Indominus rex''; she succeeds with help from a ''Mosasaurus'' and a ''Velociraptor'' named Blue. Isla Nublar is abandoned by the end of the film, leaving the ''Tyrannosaurus'' and other dinosaurs to reclaim the island as their own, once again.
In the ''Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous'' television series, which is set during and after the events of ''Jurassic World'', the same ''Tyrannosaurus'' appears several times in the first three seasons, terrorizing a group of teenage campers who were left stranded on Isla Nublar.
The ''Tyrannosaurus'' makes several appearances throughout ''Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'', which sees the dinosaurs being relocated to California for a black market auction, before eventually killing Eli Mills and escaping into the wilderness.
In the ''Jurassic World: Chaos Theory'' television series, the ''Tyrannosaurus'' appears in the fourth and final season while captured in Biosyn Valley. The events of the season take place concurrently with ''Jurassic World Dominion'' and shows the dinosaur both before and after its appearances in the film.
In ''Jurassic World Dominion'', the ''Tyrannosaurus'' has been pursued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for years before being captured and sent to live at Biosyn's sanctuary in the Dolomites. There, she battles a ''Giganotosaurus'' for superiority, eventually killing the latter with the help of a Therizinosaurus.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bui |first=Hoai-Tran |title='Jurassic World: Dominion' Will Complete the Original T-Rex's Franchise-Long Journey |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-dominion-t-rex-arc/ |website=/Film |access-date=June 10, 2021 |date=June 10, 2021}}</ref> A deleted scene takes place during the Cretaceous and shows the same animals in battle during that time period, though with the ''Giganotosaurus'' prevailing; a mosquito then lands on the deceased ''Tyrannosaurus'' and sucks its blood, which would eventually be used to clone the animal in the present day. The scene is included in the film's extended edition and as part of a five-minute prologue.<ref name=Armstrong/><ref>{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Tara |title=The big change in the 'Jurassic World Dominion' Extended Cut? T. rex gets a bigger story |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/jurassic-world-dominion-extended-cut-changes-t-rex-story |website=Syfy |access-date=January 8, 2023 |date=September 2, 2022}}</ref>
==Production background== ===''Jurassic Park''=== [[File:Museo Cinema Torino - Jurassic Park step motion diorama.jpg|thumb|Pre-production stop-motion model of Rexy displayed at the National Museum of Cinema of Turin, Italy.]] [[File:T-Rex maquette from Jurassic Park (5418588087).jpg|thumb|A model that was used as reference for the animatronic Rexy in ''Jurassic Park'', kept at Industrial Light & Magic's headquarters in San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Celestino |first=Mike |date=2016-12-08 |title=PHOTOS: A visit to legendary visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic at Lucasfilm's campus in San Francisco |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2016/12/photos-a-visit-to-legendary-visual-effects-house-industrial-light-and-magic-at-lucasfilms-campus-in-san-francisco/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Inside the Magic |language=en-US}}</ref>]] Special-effects artist Stan Winston worked on the dinosaurs for the first film. The initial plan for the ''T. rex'' was to build separate moving full-size body parts, such as the head, tail, and feet, in addition to a miniature puppet for when the ''T. rex'' needed to be fully on-screen, and a sleeping ''T. rex'' body, which would not have to move. This was done for budgetary purposes, as it was believed that a full moving ''T. rex'' animatronic would be too expensive to build. However, Winston felt that only having disconnected full-size parts would be difficult to shoot, and Spielberg agreed. He decided to cut the scene that would have required the sleeping ''T. rex'', so that the money that would have been spent on building it could instead go towards making a full animatronic.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |page=72 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref>
The animatronic ''T. rex'' that Winston's team created stood {{convert|20|ft|m}}, weighed {{convert|9,000|lb|kg}}, and was {{convert|40|ft|m}} long.<ref name="magic">{{cite magazine |author=Corliss, Richard |title=Behind the Magic of Jurassic Park |magazine=Time |date=April 26, 1993 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,978307-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614202046/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,978307-2,00.html |archive-date=June 14, 2008}}</ref> At the time, it was the largest sculpture ever made by Stan Winston Studio.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/jurassic-park-t-rex-sculpting-a-full-size-dinosaur |title=Jurassic Park's T-Rex – Sculpting a Full-Size Dinosaur |date=December 15, 2012 |website=Stan Winston School of Character Arts |access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref> Winston had to purchase a second studio building, which then had to have its roof lifted to allow room for the construction of the animatronic.<ref name="ABC">{{cite news |last1=Effron |first1=Lauren |last2=Gowen |first2=Gwen |title='Jurassic Park' turns 25: Behind-the-scenes moments you may not have known about the iconic summer thriller |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/jurassic-park-turns-25-scenes-moments-iconic-summer/story?id=55332468 |access-date=September 28, 2020 |work=ABC |date=May 22, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=165}}</ref> To build the framework of the full animatronic, segments of the full framework were built of plywood and then connected together, with all the additional material being added on top afterwards.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=167}}</ref> There were a total of 25 segments; nine segmenting the head-to-tail portion, six for each leg, and two for each arm.<ref name=":2" /> The full-size animatronic was made of fiberglass, foam latex, and clay, with the head, torso, and tail connected to a modified flight simulator, custom-made by McFadden Systems. The flight simulator allowed for large movements, but it also produced enormous amounts of torque, to such a degree that the system would crack the walls and floor of the stage if improperly secured. Special effects supervisor Michael Lantieri prevented this by mounting it to a tower with air bearings that was drilled several feet into the bedrock below the stage, and secured with poured concrete. The tower was difficult to move, so filming was arranged in order to minimize the number of times the animatronic had to move; it was only moved four times in the course of shooting.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-06-11 |title=How Jurassic Park Became The Biggest Movie Of All Time |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/making-jurassic-park/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=Empire |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |pages=75–76 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref>
Eight sculptors worked on the ''T. rex'' over the course of sixteen weeks, and ensured that the work was consistent amongst them by all using identical tools. Scaffolding was built around the animatronic so that sculptors could reach high areas, and most of the work was done with one sculptor standing on the scaffolding while another guided them from below.<ref>Duncan, Jody (August 1993). "The Beauty in the Beasts". ''Cinefex''. No. 55. p. 51. ISSN [https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0198-1056 0198-1056].</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |page=60 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref> It was painted using airbrushes, and in muted colors to ensure that it looked realistic. The head was painted a darker color in order to contrast the eyes and teeth, making them seem brighter and more prominent.<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |page=73 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref> The animatronic's large body movements were programmed through the flight simulator, while other movements, with the exception of the radio-controlled eyes, were controlled by hydraulics. Because Winston's crew were inexperienced with hydraulics, they brought in several hydraulics engineers to assist them with the design.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=170}}</ref> In total, the hydraulics in the animatronic required over 200 horsepower to run.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |page=75 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref> The animatronic was so large that standard fiberglass and silicone molds were too small, so Winston's team made larger molds out of epoxy from the aerospace industry.<ref name=":1" /> Jack Horner, the film's paleontological consultant, called the animatronic "the closest I've ever been to a live dinosaur".<ref name="magic" />
A fifth-scale version of the animatronic, referred to as a "Waldo", was puppeteered by four puppeteers, and a computer logged the movements, which was then copied by the full-size animatronic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Behind the Scenes |url=http://www.lost-world.com/Lost_World02/Jurassic_Park.Site/Behind.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702004438/http://www.lost-world.com/Lost_World02/Jurassic_Park.Site/Behind.html |archive-date=2008-07-02 |access-date=2025-09-08 |website=www.lost-world.com}}</ref> A total of twelve operators were required to operate the animatronic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notes |url=http://www.lost-world.com/Lost_World02/Jurassic_Park.Site/Jurassic_Park.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970401110926/http://www.lost-world.com/Lost_World02/Jurassic_Park.Site/Jurassic_Park.html |archive-date=1997-04-01 |access-date=2025-09-08 |website=www.lost-world.com}}</ref> The motions were mostly puppeteered on the Waldo live during filming, except when the animatronic had to interact directly with humans, in which case the movement was pre-programmed for safety purposes.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |page=76 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref> The animatronic had a tendency to shake and wobble after completing a motion because of the torque, which the team solved by putting in accelerometers, which would play the reverse of any movement detected and cancel out the wobble.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=171}}</ref> When powered down, the ''T. rex'' would revert to its powered-down position, and all of the hydraulics and metal sheets inside would move. The studio had a blackout while a crew member was inside of the animatronic, causing all of the metal internal parts to shift and putting the crew member in grave danger. Fortunately for him, he narrowly avoided serious injury, and the crew was able to pry open the jaws of the ''T. rex'' and retrieve him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=179}}</ref> In addition to the main animatronic, Winston's team built another two. One of them was made for leg shots and included the underbelly, legs, and tail of the ''T. rex.'' It had been designed to be able to walk, but the designers had failed to account for the rain-drenched set being muddy. As a result, the legs were unable to gain any traction in the mud and slipped, rendering the walking ability unusable. The other was only a head, but had additional detailing and a wider range of facial motion, to be used for close-up shots. It was controlled by a crane and had an extendable tongue, as well as eyes that would contract automatically when exposed to light.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duncan |first=Jody |date=August 1993 |title=The Beauty in the Beasts |magazine=Cinefex |pages=76–79 |issue=55 |issn=0198-1056}}</ref>
The animatronic was used in a scene set during a storm, depicting the ''T. rex'' as she breaks free from her enclosure. Shooting the scene was difficult because the foam rubber skin of the animatronic would absorb water, causing the dinosaur to shake from the extra weight. In between takes, Winston's team had to dry off the dinosaur in order to proceed with filming.<ref name="ABC" />{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=110–1}} Winston stated that his worst moment on ''Jurassic Park'' was when the jaw of the animatronic broke in the middle of the night between shoots, necessitating his crew to work through the night and into the morning to repair it. The jaw was fixed so quickly that filming was only delayed half a day.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=Jody |title=The Winston effect: the art and history of Stan Winston Studio |date=2006 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-84576-150-9 |location=London |pages=182}}</ref> Winston's team initially created a miniature sculpture of the ''T. rex'', serving as a reference for the construction of the full-sized animatronic. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) also scanned the miniature sculpture to create CGI shots of the animal.<ref name="CNET">{{cite web |last=MacManus |first=Christopher |title=Making the dinosaurs of 'Jurassic Park' |url=https://www.cnet.com/pictures/making-the-dinosaurs-of-jurassic-park-pictures/ |website=CNET |access-date=September 29, 2020 |date=April 10, 2013}}</ref> One particular challenge was on the sequence of the ''T. rex'' chasing the Jeep, which used the CGI model. The animators found that making the ''T. rex'' too fast would make it feel lightweight and small, while slowing it down made it feel bigger but drained the chase of intensity. They solved this by cheating the motion; the ''T. rex'' would move slowly, but take implausibly enormous steps, so that it covered ground quickly while still feeling large.<ref>Magid, Ron (December 1993). "ILM's Digital Dinosaurs Tear Up Effects Jungle". ''American Cinematographer''. Vol. 74, no. 12. p. 52. ISSN [https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2573-5004 2573-5004].</ref> The ''T. rex'' roar was created by combining the sounds of a baby elephant, a tiger, and an alligator.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=144–6}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/how-they-designed-the-jurassic-park-t-rex-roar/|title=How They Designed The T-Rex Roar in 'Jurassic Park'|website=Film School Rejects|date=December 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/jurassic-park-t-rex-roar-creation/|title=How Jurassic Park Created the T-Rex Roar|website=CBR.com|date=May 5, 2022}}</ref>
In the first film, the ''T. rex'' was originally supposed to be killed off. Halfway through filming, director Steven Spielberg realized that the ''T. rex'' was the star of the film and decided to have the script changed just before shooting the death scene. The changes resulted in the final ending, in which the ''T. rex'' inadvertently saves the human characters by killing a pack of velociraptors.<ref name=USA-2013>{{cite news |last=Alexander |first=Bryan |title=20 years later, 'Jurassic Park' reopens in 3-D |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/04/03/jurassic-park-3d/1996081/ |access-date=September 29, 2020 |work=USA Today |date=April 3, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |title=The T. Rex Almost Had a Different Fate in 'Jurassic Park' |url=https://collider.com/jurassic-park-t-rex-almost-killed-steven-spielberg-kathleen-kennedy/ |website=Collider |access-date=September 25, 2020 |date=December 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jackson |first=Matthew |title=Little-known Sci-fi Fact: Jurassic Park's most iconic dinosaur was supposed to die |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/little-known-sci-fi-fact-jurassic-parks-most-iconic-dinosaur-was-supposed-die |website=Syfy Wire |access-date=September 25, 2020 |date=December 19, 2015 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913083502/http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/little-known-sci-fi-fact-jurassic-parks-most-iconic-dinosaur-was-supposed-die |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=118}}<ref name=pre>{{cite news |title=Return to Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory |work=Jurassic Park |edition=Blu-ray |date=2011}}</ref> Spielberg had the ending changed out of fear that the original ending, without the ''T. rex'', would disappoint audiences.<ref name="Earl doc">{{cite video |title=The Making of Jurassic Park |author=Jones, James Earl (Host) |medium=VHS |publisher=Universal |year=1995}}</ref>
===''Jurassic World'' trilogy=== Although preceding ''Jurassic Park'' sequels had featured other T. rexes, Colin Trevorrow sought to bring back the same individual from the first film.<ref name=Armstrong>{{cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Vanessa |title='Jurassic World: Dominion' Director Colin Trevorrow On Embracing Feathered Dinosaurs, Taking The Series In A Fresh Direction, And Having Sympathy For The T-Rex |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/581596/jurassic-world-dominion-director-interview/ |website=/Film |access-date=January 8, 2023 |date=June 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Truitt |first=Brian |title=Get it, girl! An ode to the T. rex, the true unsung hero of the 'Jurassic World' franchise |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/06/11/jurassic-world-dominion-spoilers-tyrannosaurus-rex-unsung-hero/7568801001/ |access-date=January 8, 2023 |work=USA Today |date=June 11, 2022}}</ref> Trevorrow, primary writer and director for the trilogy, said about the T. rex's return, "We took the original design and obviously, technology has changed. So, it's going to move a little bit differently, but it'll move differently because it's older. And we're giving her some scars and we're tightening her skin. So, she has that feeling of, like, an older Burt Lancaster".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-performance-capture/ |title=Original T. rex returns in 'Jurassic World', This Film "Is Her Unforgiven" |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |date=April 29, 2015 |work=Slashfilm |access-date=May 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614182643/http://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-performance-capture/ |archive-date=June 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Garza|first=Frida|title=The Truly Frightening T-Rex From 'Jurassic Park' Coming Back|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/04/jurassic-park-trex-comes-back-for-sequel|access-date=January 31, 2018|work=Complex|date=April 29, 2015}}</ref> Motion capture was used to portray the ''T. rex'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Turney|first=Drew|title=Colin Trevorrow – Jurassic World|url=http://moviehole.net/201591831colin-trevorrow-jurassic-world |work=MovieHole|date=June 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906003025/http://moviehole.net/201591831colin-trevorrow-jurassic-world/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> and a full-scale foot was created for lighting reference and to help with framing shots.<ref>Failes, Ian. [http://www.fxguide.com/featured/a-whole-new-jurassic-world/ "A whole new Jurassic World"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913210158/http://www.fxguide.com/featured/a-whole-new-jurassic-world/ |date=September 13, 2015}}. FX Guide, June 17, 2015</ref>
For its appearance in ''Fallen Kingdom'', ILM sent Neal Scanlan the ''T. rex'' model previously used for ''Jurassic World''. Using the model, Scanlan created a full-scale 3D print of the ''T. rex'' head and shoulders.<ref name=Prod-info>{{cite web|title=Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom–Production Information|url=https://jurassicoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Jurassic-World-Fallen-Kingdom-Production-Information.pdf|date=May 2018|publisher=Universal Pictures |pages=2–4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 18, 21, 26, 28, 30–34 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516065841/https://jurassicoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Jurassic-World-Fallen-Kingdom-Production-Information.pdf |archive-date=May 16, 2020}}</ref> The life-size ''T. rex'' animatronic, which had the ability to breathe and move its head, was controlled with joysticks.<ref name=MoreAnimatronic>{{cite news|last=Anderton|first=Ethan|title='Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Has More Animatronic Dinosaurs Than Any 'Jurassic Park' Sequel|url= https://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-animatronic-dinosaurs/|access-date=April 23, 2018|work=Slashfilm|date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> It was used for a scene where the sedated ''T. rex'' is inside a cage, while Owen Grady and Claire Dearing attempt to retrieve blood from her for a transfusion to help Blue. The beginning shots of the scene were created using only the animatronic, while the ending shots solely used CGI. The middle portion of the scene used a combination of the two methods.<ref name=AWN>{{cite web |last=Robertson |first=Barbara |date=July 3, 2018 |title=How ILM Blended Practical and Digital Effects for 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' |url=https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/how-ilm-blended-practical-and-digital-effects-jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom |work=Animation World Network |access-date= July 5, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Prod-info/><ref name=Riding>{{cite news|last=Evangelista|first=Chris|title=New 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Featurette Has Bryce Dallas Howard Riding A T-Rex|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/fallen-kingdom-featurette/|access-date=May 26, 2018|work=Slashfilm|date=May 18, 2018}}</ref> Trevorrow said about the dinosaur, "We've been following this same character since the beginning; she's the same ''T. rex'' that was in ''Jurassic Park'' and in ''Jurassic World''. She is iconic—not just because she's a ''T. rex'', but because she's ''this T. rex''".<ref name=Prod-info/>
Speaking about ''Dominion'', Trevorrow described the Cretaceous fight as an origin story for the ''T. rex'' "in the way we might get to do in a superhero film. The T-Rex is a superhero for me".<ref name=Purslow/> Regarding its death to the ''Giganotosaurus'', Trevorrow called it "such a horrifying loss for all of us who grew up with the T. rex. To build this into something that feels like a revenge picture that takes place over 65 million years was one of my favorite ideas that we had".<ref>{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Anne Victoria |title=Why Colin Trevorrow Won't Let the T. Rex Die |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/06/why-colin-trevorrow-wont-let-the-t-rex-die.html |website=Vulture |access-date=June 28, 2022 |date=June 23, 2022}}</ref> At the end of ''Dominion'', the ''T. rex'' encounters two other tyrannosaurs, which Trevorrow confirmed as the same duo featured in ''The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997).<ref>{{cite web |last=Reyes |first=Mike |title=Is The Lost World: Jurassic Park Still Canon? Jurassic World Dominion's Writers Have Thoughts |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/is-the-lost-world-jurassic-park-still-canon-jurassic-world-dominions-writers-have-thoughts |website=CinemaBlend |access-date=June 16, 2022 |date=June 13, 2022}}</ref> Trevorrow said he wanted to "really make the audience want her to find peace. We want her to find a home. She feels like she has been constantly displaced, time and time again. For her to find a family and sense of belonging is what I want".<ref>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Leon |title=Jurassic World Dominion Boss Teases the End to Rexy's Story Arc |url=https://www.cbr.com/jurassic-world-dominion-t-rex-arc-end-universal/ |website=CBR |access-date=June 16, 2022 |date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>
For ''Dominion'', Trevorrow wanted to reuse the animatronic ''T. rex'' from ''Fallen Kingdom''. However, it had already deteriorated, as is common for animatronics.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weintraub |first=Steve |title='Jurassic World Dominion' Director Colin Trevorrow on Which Dinosaur is the Strongest, Deleted Scenes & Easter Eggs |url=https://collider.com/jurassic-world-dominion-director-colin-trevorrow-on/ |website=Collider |access-date=June 12, 2022 |date=June 11, 2022}}</ref> Instead, the animal was portrayed entirely through CGI.<ref>{{cite web |last=Desowitz |first=Bill |title='Jurassic World: Dominion': How the Giganotosaurus Became the Joker of the Franchise |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/06/jurassic-world-dominion-giganotosaurus-making-of-1234736358/ |website=IndieWire |access-date=June 28, 2022 |date=June 25, 2022}}</ref> Previous ''Jurassic World'' films depicted the ''T. rex'' with an emaciated physical appearance compared with the first ''Jurassic Park''. Trevorrow sought to restore her original design for ''Dominion''. ILM located Softimage 3D files of the original ''T. rex'' model from 1992 and compared it with their modern high-resolution model, as well as images of Winston's original maquette.<ref name=Syfy2022>{{cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |title=From killer dinosaurs to giant locusts: A guide to the CG and practical creatures of 'Jurassic World Dominion' |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/jurassic-world-dominion-dinosaurs-cgi-practical-special-effects-david-vickery-john-nolan-interview |website=Syfy |access-date=May 21, 2023 |date=August 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hogg |first=Trevor |title=Exclusive: 'Jurassic World Dominion' VFX Supe David Vickery Unleashes the Dinosaurs Again |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/07/exclusive-jurassic-world-dominon-vfx-supe-david-vickery-unleashes-the-dinosaurs-again/ |website=Animation Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124134752/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/07/exclusive-jurassic-world-dominon-vfx-supe-david-vickery-unleashes-the-dinosaurs-again/ |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |date=July 5, 2022}}</ref> Changes were made to the animal's jaw, eyes, and brow ridges. David Vickery of ILM said, "The idea was literally to restore her to her former glory," stating further that fans reacted positively to the changes: "They're like, [gasps] 'Hang on, they've changed T. rex. She looks amazing!'"<ref name=Syfy2022/>
==Scientific accuracy== A scene in the first film depicts the ''T. rex'' chasing a Jeep.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=144–6}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Acuna |first=Kirsten |title=How 4 Minutes Of CGI Dinosaurs In 'Jurassic Park' Took A Year To Make |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-cgi-works-in-jurassic-park-2014-7 |website=Business Insider |access-date=September 25, 2020 |date=July 11, 2014}}</ref> Animator Steve Williams said he decided to "throw physics out the window and create a ''T. rex'' that moved at sixty miles per hour even though its hollow bones would have busted if it ran that fast".<ref name=Shone>{{cite book |last=Shone |first=Tom |title=Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer |date=2004 |publisher=Free Press |isbn=0-7432-3568-1 |pages=213, 217}}</ref> In the film, it is stated that the ''T. rex'' has been recorded running as fast as 32 miles per hour,<ref name=Fox>{{cite news |title='Jurassic Park' was a lie: T. Rex couldn't run fast, scientists say |url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/jurassic-park-was-a-lie-t-rex-couldnt-run-fast-scientists-say |access-date=September 25, 2020 |work=Fox News |date=July 18, 2017}}</ref> although scientists believe that its actual top speed would have ranged from 12 to 25 miles per hour.<ref name=Fox/><ref name=Blitz>{{cite web |last=Blitz |first=Matt |title=Jurassic Park Lied to You: T-Rex Had Great Eyesight Really |url=https://gizmodo.com/jurassic-park-lied-to-you-t-rex-had-great-eyesight-rea-1577352103 |website=Gizmodo |access-date=September 25, 2020 |date=May 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Eisenberg |first=Eric |title=Sorry Jurassic Park, New Research About The T-Rex Blows A Hole In Some Iconic Scenes |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2566215/jurassic-park-t-rex-research-moves-slow |website=CinemaBlend |access-date=June 6, 2021 |date=April 22, 2021}}</ref> In the novel and its film adaptation, it is stated that the ''T. rex'' has vision based on movement, but later studies indicate that the dinosaur had binocular vision, like a bird of prey.<ref name=Blitz/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sight+for+'saur+eyes%3A+T.+rex+vision+was+among+nature's+best.-a0148185715 |title=Sight for 'saur eyes: T. rex vision was among nature's best. |work=Science News |author=Jaffe, Eric |date=June 28, 2006 |access-date=January 15, 2014}}</ref>
The physical appearance of the ''T. rex'' in the ''Jurassic World'' films is contrary to new discoveries about the dinosaur. For consistency, the films have continued to depict the dinosaur with its wrists pointing downward at an unnatural angle, whereas the real animal had its wrists facing sideways toward each other.<ref name=Woodward>{{cite web |last=Woodward |first=Aylin |title=The 'Jurassic Park' franchise got many dinosaurs wrong. The venomous Dilophosaurus was actually 20 feet long and poison-free |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/jurassic-park-movies-dinosaur-accuracy-2019-11 |website=Business Insider |access-date=September 28, 2020 |date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> The ''Jurassic World Dominion'' prologue features the animal lightly covered in protofeathers.<ref name=Purslow>{{cite web |last=Purslow |first=Matt |title=Jurassic World Dominion Prologue Breakdown with Director Colin Trevorrow |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/jurassic-world-dominion-prologue-breakdown-director-colin-trevorrow |website=IGN |date=23 November 2021 |access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Vanessa |title=The First 'Jurassic World: Dominion' Footage Offers A Franchise Origin Story And A Whole Bunch Of T-Rex Action |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/581593/jurassic-world-dominion-footage-reaction/ |website=/Film |access-date=November 24, 2021 |date=June 9, 2021}}</ref>
==Name== Two tyrannosaurs are featured in Crichton's novel: a juvenile and an adult. Robert Muldoon, the theme park's game warden, refers to the adult on several occasions as "Rexy".<ref>{{cite book |last=Crichton |first=Michael |title=Jurassic Park |date=1990 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-76305-1 |pages=303, 322, 324 |edition=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V5s14nks9I8C&q=Rexy |access-date=January 8, 2023}}</ref> Visual-effects artist Phil Tippett had worked on the original film, and his storyboards referred to the ''T. rex'' as "Roberta". The films themselves do not specify a name for the animal. Following the release of ''Jurassic World'', fans began referring to the individual as "Rexy".<ref name=Original>{{cite web|last=Scott |first=Ryan |title=Original Jurassic Park T-Rex Will Return in Jurassic World 2 |url=http://movieweb.com/jurassic-world-2-classic-tyrannosaurus-rex-returning-rexy/ |website=MovieWeb |date=April 3, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420043826/http://movieweb.com/jurassic-world-2-classic-tyrannosaurus-rex-returning-rexy/ |archive-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Scott |first=Ryan |title=Jurassic Park T-Rex Has a Name and It's Not Rexy |url=https://movieweb.com/jurassic-park-t-rex-name-roberta/ |work=MovieWeb |date=December 13, 2018 |access-date=September 19, 2019}}</ref> The name was later used in the 2018 novel ''The Evolution of Claire'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Sharpe |first=Tess |title=The Evolution of Claire |date=2018 |publisher=Random House Children's Books |isbn=978-0-525-58072-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dR1xDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Rexy%22 |access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> and is also used by Sammy, a character in ''Camp Cretaceous''.
== Reception == Writing for ''Screen Rant'' in 2017, Tom Chapman ranked the franchise's T. rexes, including "Rexy", among its greatest characters.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chapman |first=Tom |title=Jurassic Park's 15 Greatest Characters Of All Time |url=https://screenrant.com/jurassic-park-greatest-best-characters-ever-t-rex/ |website=Screen Rant |access-date=June 30, 2022 |date=February 22, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, Rafarl Sarmiento from ''Screen Rant'' listed the ''T. rex'' as the best dinosaur in the franchise: "The T-Rex is both awe-inspiring and horrific, but at the end of the day, it's just an animal (that actually existed) fulfilling its instinct. Yet it carries an aura of grand showmanship, something that really represents the spectacle that Jurassic Park could offer."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/jurassic-park-best-dinosaurs-ranked/|title=The 10 Best Dinosaurs In The Jurassic Park Franchise, Ranked|author-last=Sarmiento|author-first=Rafarl|website=Screen Rant |date=May 19, 2020}}</ref> In response to fan criticism about the ''T. rex'' being portrayed as weak in battles, Trevorrow noted that this individual would be near the end of its life during the ''Jurassic World'' films.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |title=Was the T. rex 'weak' in 'Jurassic World Dominion'? Colin Trevorrow defends our favorite dino |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/colin-trevorrow-t-rex-weak-jurassic-world-dominion |website=Syfy |access-date=June 28, 2022 |date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
=== Bibliography === * {{cite book |last1=Shay|first1=Don|last2=Duncan|first2=Jody|title=The Making of Jurassic Park: An Adventure 65 million Years in the Making |publisher=Boxtree Limited |year=1993 |page=61 |isbn=1-85283-774-8|ref={{sfnRef|Shay & Duncan|1993}}}}
{{Jurassic Park}}
Category:Jurassic Park (franchise) characters Category:Fictional clones Category:Fictional dinosaurs Category:Fictional hybrids Category:Female film villains Category:Female literary villains Category:Fictional genetically engineered characters Category:Literary characters introduced in 1990 Category:Film characters introduced in 1993 Category:Characters in written science fiction Category:Tyrannosaurus