The End of Oak Street is out in just over a month, and now that we know it’s about dinosaurs, one question will be on audiences’ minds: how does this stack up to Jurassic Park?
Love it or hate it, the long-running franchise has been the first and last word when it comes to cinematic dinos, particularly thanks to the Jurassic World films. While the “how” of Oak Street is a mystery, it’s easy to connect it to the Jurassic movies, something producer J.J. Abrams isn’t really avoiding. He told Empire magazine that he loves those films, but was quick to point out how they mainly take place in “these beautiful jungles and distant lands.” Even the films set in populated areas tend to turn those places into a ghost town pretty quickly or shift focus to somewhere more isolated.
That’s not the case with The End of Oak Street. Since it’s set in an actual neighborhood, the film can partially deliver on the promise that later Jurassic World movies didn’t fully capitalize on. Abrams credited writer/director David Robert Mitchell for “the juxtaposition of absolute mundane suburban family life—swing sets and ice-cream trucks, above-ground pools and school buses—and dinosaurs.”
The trailers haven’t quite leaned into that juxtaposition, instead focusing on the Platt family realizing their situation and trying to survive. But that contrast will be in the film itself, since Abrams said the film will “deliver on everything” in the marketing. We’ll see when The End of Oak Street hits theaters on August 14.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
