# Battle at Big Rock
**Battle at Big Rock** is a 2019 American short film in the [Jurassic Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurassic-park) franchise, directed by [Colin Trevorrow](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-trevorrow) and written by Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael, based on the novel *Jurassic Park* by [Michael Crichton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-crichton).[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) Amblin Entertainment describes it as a 10-minute film;[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) Rotten Tomatoes lists a runtime of 8 minutes.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battle_at_big_rock) It was released on September 15, 2019, distributed on the television channel FX by Universal and then uploaded to the Jurassic World YouTube channel.[3](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/battle-at-big-rock) • [4](https://petekirkpatrickreviews.wordpress.com/tag/2019-films/page/12/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writers | Colin Trevorrow; written by Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael, based on Michael Crichton's novel *Jurassic Park*[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) |
| Release | September 15, 2019, on FX and then YouTube[3](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/battle-at-big-rock) • [4](https://petekirkpatrickreviews.wordpress.com/tag/2019-films/page/12/) |
| Setting | One year after *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom*, in Big Rock National Park, where dinosaurs now live in the wider world[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) |
| New dinosaurs | An adult carnivorous allosaurus and a family of herbivorous nasutoceratops, both new to the Jurassic World franchise[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) |
| Cast | André Holland (Dennis), Natalie Martinez (Mariana), Melody Hurd (Kadasha), Pierson Salvador (Mateo), Chris Finlayson (Greg)[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/fullcredits/) |
| Visual effects | Industrial Light and Magic, supervised by David Vickery[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) |
| Reception | IMDb rating 6.9/10 from about 4,300 users; Rotten Tomatoes audience score 73%[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battle_at_big_rock) |
## Spoilers
### Story and setting
The short takes place one year after the events of *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom*, in Big Rock National Park, where dinosaurs are now living in the human world. The story follows a family of four whose encounter with wild dinosaurs becomes a fight for survival.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) The family camps in a wooded area of [Northern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-california), about 20 miles from where the previous film ended, and the dinosaur confrontation crashes into their campervan.[3](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/battle-at-big-rock) • [7](https://www.gamesradar.com/jurassic-world-3-prequel-battle-at-big-rock-short-film-colin-trevorrow/) The film ends with a montage of clips showing humans being menaced by dinosaurs in everyday situations.[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/jurassic-world-3-prequel-battle-at-big-rock-short-film-colin-trevorrow/)
The cast is led by [André Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/andre-holland) as Dennis and [Natalie Martinez](https://www.edgepedia.org/natalie-martinez) as Mariana, with [Melody Hurd](https://www.edgepedia.org/melody-hurd) as Kadasha, Pierson Salvador as Mateo, and Chris Finlayson as Greg.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/fullcredits/)
## Production
The film was shot in 2018 in Ireland, where a grove of trees stood in for a Northern Californian national park, and the production was kept secret for close to a year before release.[8](https://collider.com/jurassic-world-short-film-colin-trevorrow-interview/) • [9](https://100films.co.uk/2019/09/16/battle-at-big-rock-2019/) Larry Fong served as cinematographer, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley producing, Tom Conroy as production designer, and Stephen M. Rickert Jr. as editor.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/)
Digital effects were created by Industrial Light and Magic under visual effects supervisor David Vickery, with Jance Rubinchik as animation supervisor.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) • [10](https://www.ilm.com/credits/jurassic-world-battle-at-big-rock/) One dinosaur species was realized through a combination of CGI and a physical animatronic.[9](https://100films.co.uk/2019/09/16/battle-at-big-rock-2019/) The score was composed by Amie Doherty, alongside [John Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-williams)'s *Jurassic Park* themes and [Michael Giacchino](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-giacchino)'s *Jurassic World* theme.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/)
## Purpose and place in the franchise
Trevorrow described the short as a way to set the tone for the next feature, *Jurassic World: Dominion*, saying it would not be about dinosaurs battling humans in New York City but something that honors Crichton's work.[11](https://www.thewrap.com/jurassic-world-dominion-colin-trevorrow-interview-directors-cut/) In a later interview he called the short a good encapsulation of what he believes Jurassic Park is at its core, moving from a feeling of safety and wonder to fear, trauma, and respect for the natural world.[12](https://www.avclub.com/jurassic-world-colin-trevorrow-emily-carmichael-intervi-1849042028) *Dominion*, the third [Jurassic World](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurassic-world) feature, was released in theaters on June 10, 2022.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/)
The short introduces two species new to the Jurassic World franchise, the allosaurus and the nasutoceratops.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/) Footage from the event later appeared in *Jurassic World: Dominion*, and the short is referenced in the animated series *Jurassic World: Chaos Theory*.[13](https://jurassicpark.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_at_Big_Rock_%28event%29)
## Reception
On IMDb the short holds a rating of 6.9/10 from about 4,300 users.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/) On Rotten Tomatoes it has an audience score of 73% from fewer than 50 ratings, with no critic reviews counted on the Tomatometer.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battle_at_big_rock) The official YouTube upload has drawn more than 13 million views.[14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7kbVvpOGdQ) Reviewers noted that the film looks like a scene from a theatrical feature despite its short length, with nighttime, fire-lit photography and set-piece action.[9](https://100films.co.uk/2019/09/16/battle-at-big-rock-2019/)
## References
1. [Watch Battle at Big Rock | Jurassic World Short Film, Amblin Entertainment](https://amblin.com/movie/battle-at-big-rock/)
2. [Battle at Big Rock, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battle_at_big_rock)
3. [Battle at Big Rock (2019), MovieMeter](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/battle-at-big-rock)
4. [2019 Films, Pete Kirkpatrick's Reviews](https://petekirkpatrickreviews.wordpress.com/tag/2019-films/page/12/)
5. [Battle at Big Rock (Short 2019) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/fullcredits/)
6. [Battle at Big Rock (Short 2019), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10942816/)
7. [Jurassic World 3 prequel Battle at Big Rock features dinosaurs running amok, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/jurassic-world-3-prequel-battle-at-big-rock-short-film-colin-trevorrow/)
8. [Colin Trevorrow on Secretly Making the Jurassic World Sequel Short Film, Collider](https://collider.com/jurassic-world-short-film-colin-trevorrow-interview/)
9. [Battle at Big Rock (2019), 100Films.co.uk](https://100films.co.uk/2019/09/16/battle-at-big-rock-2019/)
10. [Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock Credits, Industrial Light & Magic](https://www.ilm.com/credits/jurassic-world-battle-at-big-rock/)
11. [Jurassic World: Dominion Director Colin Trevorrow on a Director's Cut, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/jurassic-world-dominion-colin-trevorrow-interview-directors-cut/)
12. [Jurassic World: Dominion's Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael on those T-Rex-sized expectations, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/jurassic-world-colin-trevorrow-emily-carmichael-intervi-1849042028)
13. [Battle at Big Rock (event), Jurassic Park Wiki](https://jurassicpark.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_at_Big_Rock_%28event%29)
14. [Battle at Big Rock | An All-New Short Film | Jurassic World, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7kbVvpOGdQ)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license