JA Bayona’s Jurassic World 2 filming will commence in March

Director JA Bayona‘s name is one that movie fans can expect to hear quite a bit in the coming months. Focus Features is gearing up to release A Monster Calls, the latest from The Orphanage and The Impossible helmer, with the hope that the tearjerking fantasy drama could become a serious Oscar contender. Meanwhile, Bayona is already hard at work on a highly-anticipated 2018 release, Jurassic World 2. We’ll have our full interview with Bayona a bit closer to A Monster Calls‘ end-of-the-year release, but you can read on for Bayona’s thoughts on tackling the upcoming franchise film.

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“Every story is different and you need to find the depth of every story and try to express it on the screen,” says Bayona. “The ‘Jurassic World’ sequel is a more collaborative filmmaker experience, not only with Colin Trevorrow, but also with Steven [Spielberg] and with Frank Marshall. It’s their baby as much as it is mine. It’s about sharing views and working together to bring the story to life. But, at the same time, the way I face telling a story is to find something very personal. I think there will be plenty of myself also in the film.”

Trevorrow previously revealed the quote from the original Jurassic Park that inspired their idea for the sequel, which comes from Sam Neil’s Alan Grant: “Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?”

Also revealed was exactly when Jurassic World 2 filming is set to begin. “We’re working it already,” Bayona continued, “and shooting starts in March.”

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Bayona will direct the Jurassic World sequel from a script by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly. Stepping in front of the camera when Jurassic World 2 filming begins are returning stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard alongside Toby Jones and Rafe Spall. Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg will produce the film, which is scheduled for a release on June 22, 2018.

A Monster Calls, meanwhile, is based on the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. The story concerns 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) as he attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith.

The film also features Toby Kebbell (Fantastic Four), Sigourney Weaver (Avatar) and Geraldine Chaplin (The Orphanage). Patrick Ness adapted the screenplay from his own novel of the same name. Look for it to hit theaters in a limited release December 23 with plans to expand two weeks later.