Here is why the Isla Sorna in , Steven Spielberg decided not to return as the director for a third installment but allowed Joe Johnston to carry the dinosaur franchise forward. Unfortunately, after Spielberg's departure, the production of Jurassic Park III was off to a rocky start due to several scripting issues and later even faced multiple delays in production. Owing to these complications, Jurassic Park III not only remains the lowest-grossing installment of the series but also has several narrative and visual inconsistencies compared to its predecessors.
One of these issues shows up in the opening moments of Jurassic Park III where Ben Hildebrand and his stepson Eric parasail in a restricted area near Isla Sorna (a.k.a Jurassic Park's Site B) and suddenly lose sight of their boat's crew when a thick fog surrounds them. Moments later, when the fog clears out, the crew is nowhere to be found, and neither is an explanation for their sudden disappearance. This opening scene itself establishes that although Jurassic Park III is no less visually stunning and grandiose in its vision than the previous movies, it has some evident discrepancies.
Out of all the visual inconsistencies in Jurassic Park III's runtime, one that stands out is the layout of Isla Sorna. What comes off as an expansive stretch of tall trees in The Lost World: Jurassic Park somehow becomes a confined and dense canopy of continuous foliage in Jurassic Park III. The stark contrast in the backdrops of the two films establishes that they were filmed in different locations. As explained in a Jurassic Park III's behind-the-scenes documentary, this change was intentional because the film's creators were striving for a more prehistoric and lush look for the backgrounds of its Isla Sorna Island.
Where Jurassic 3 Was Filmed Compared To The Lost World
One of Jurassic Park III's primary filming locations was Hawaii. Its principal photography began at Dillingham Airfield in Mokulēia, Hawaii, and later moved on to Oahu's Heeia Kea Ranch. Aerial footage of Molokai's North Shore cliffs was also shot for two days and was followed by a week of filming in Manoa Valley's rainforests and Kauai's Hanalei Valley. Much later in the filming process, production designer Ed Verreaux and greensman Danny Ondrejko created a jungle rain forest similar to that of Hawaii at Universal's Stage 12 in Los Angeles, where filming took place for 96 days. The Lost World, unlike Jurassic Park III, was primarily filmed in California's Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and on sound stages at Universal Studios Hollywood.
In many ways, this contrast in the settings reflects how Jurassic Park's overarching vision changes from one film to another. While Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park evokes a sense of wonderment with its colossal Isla Sorna backgrounds, Jurassic Park III is high on cheap thrills that perfectly befit its closed setup. Both films are entertaining in their own rights and make relevant creative choices based on their conception of Jurassic Park's fascinating dinosaur world.
