5 Unused Jurassic World Concepts That Could Have Been Amazing

"Jurassic World" is a visually stunning film, but, as unused concept art for the 2015 movie has revealed, it could have been an even bigger spectacle. Most big budget flicks go through a visual development period during which concept art is created to help the people putting the film together figure out how the feature ought to look. In the case of "Jurassic World," they ended up with a lot of sketches of creatures that were never used, structures that weren't built, and even scenes that were chopped out before they could be filmed.

All of this unused material amounts to an artistic treasure trove for fans of the franchise. We're talking about images of dinosaurs on the attack or simply resting in their nests, dramatic arenas sculpted out of gleaming white spires and surrounded by lush foliage, ideas for how the Jurassic World park would present information to its guests, and plenty of prop designs and other ephemera which didn't make the cut. Here are five pieces of concept art for things that would have been amazing to see in "Jurassic World."

There are some great actors in the "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World" movies, but, when you boil it down, the appeal of this franchise is seeing dinosaurs on the big screen. While everyone loves a Velociraptor, each new picture in the franchise has demanded a fresh set of prehistoric faces, and the first "Jurassic World" installment was no exception to that rule. The Indominus rex was the most prominent new dino in the 2015 film, but other new creatures were also floated. Ian Joyner, who was a credited concept artist on "Jurassic World," shared an illustration of an unused idea on his Instagram, showing off a hybrid that never was — a Stegoceratops. 

This cross between a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops is visually striking. Joyner's creation has a black hide with yellow markings on its skin. Its head closely resembles that of a triceratops, but the body is more like a Stegosaurus, with spikey plates on its back and tail. It's a shame that it never made it to the big screen, though fans of the franchise did eventually get the chance to see it — Joyner noted in his Instagram post that the creature was used in the mobile game "Jurassic World: The Game." It also features in the construction and management simulation game "Jurassic World: Evolution," which confirmed that the Stegoceratops "also contains the DNA of a beetle, providing the genus with a thick, tough armour that protects it from predators."

When all hell breaks loose in the park and the dinosaurs escape their respective enclosures, clashes between different species become inevitable, which is exactly what happens at the end of "Jurassic World." Gadget-Bot Productions (a Los Angeles-based company that specializes not only in concept art, but also storyboards and animatics) came up with some images for the film, and one of them features an early version of the climactic battle. That illustration sees the Velociraptors Blue, Delta, and Echo attacking the Indominus rex. A Tyrannosaurus rex is seen approaching the scrapping quintet from behind, led by a flare-wielding figure. Of course, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) leads the Tyrannosaurus in the direction of the Indominus in the film, but there's one big difference here.

In the movie, the final fight takes place out on the concourse near the water where the Mosasaurus dwells (it eventually leaps out and drags the unsuspecting Indominus to a watery grave in what's become one of the most-paused "Jurassic Park" franchise moments). However, in this concept art, the fight takes place in what Gadget-Bot describes as the Raptor Arena, giving it more of a gladiatorial feel. The Mosasaurus suddenly popping up to take down the big bad always felt like a bit of a cop out. Having the Velociraptors who were trained by Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) defeat the beast alongside the franchise's classic Tyrannosaurus would have been far more satisfying.

There are plenty of marvelous buildings on display in "Jurassic World." The Innovation Center — which is shaped just like a volcano, blending in with the tropical Isla Nublar setting — is among the most eye-catching of those structures, but it's hard to beat the colossal Jurassic World Lagoon, where the Mosasaurus feeding show takes place. The park as depicted in the film is a feast for the eyes, but, naturally, not every proposed location made it to the screen as it was originally imagined, whether that was down to story alterations, budgetary constraints, or other logistical problems. One such structure is the aviary, the site of a huge turning point in the story.

Dean Sherriff, who was part of the "Jurassic World" art department, created a concept image for the aviary that was different from the one that ended up in the film, depicting it as a white, spindly, and shell-like cage. From an architectural standpoint, there's a lot more going on in this early version. It's reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House in its delicate beauty, unlike the enclosure that ended up in the movie, which looks quite utilitarian. While more visually striking as a building, Sherriff's version likely wasn't as practical when you consider the big action set piece that takes place at the aviary — when the Indominus rex breaks in, the Pteranodons and Dimorphodons get out. This leads to the brutal death of Claire's personal assistant Zara Young (Katie McGrath), a scene that many viewers felt went too far.

Claire's big scene in "Jurassic World," where she uses a flare to lure the Tyrannosaurus rex out of its paddock and draw it into battle with the Indominus rex, is well known among fans of the franchise, and not necessarily for good reasons. Yes, it's a cool callback to the original film, in which Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant uses a flare to distract the Tyrannosaurus, but the scene is infamous because Claire is wearing high heels during the chase.

An early vision for this scene was among the batch of concept images shared by Gadget-Bot Productions. The Tyrannosaurus enclosure itself is more or less the same, but Claire looks very different. At this point in the film, along with her heels, she's sporting a tank top and a white pencil skirt with a blazer tied around her waist. The concept art has Claire dressed in a much more practical khaki uniform, the kind typically sported by zoo employees. She's even wearing a pith helmet.

Interestingly, Claire's look was actually Bryce Dallas Howard's choice. When her heels became the subject of countless memes, she defended them in several interviews, stating that she believed it would make Claire look even more formidable. Director Colin Trevorrow ultimately gave her the final say on her character's footwear. "She felt like surrendering the heels felt like surrendering the femininity of the character," he told Gizmodo.

After appearing as the scientist that recreates the dinosaurs in the original "Jurassic Park," BD Wong reprised the role of Dr. Henry Wu in "Jurassic World," in which he's once again tasked with bringing dinos back from the dead. The new park sports a facility called the Hammond Creation Lab (named after Richard Attenborough's Dr. John Hammond, the original park's creator), a bright and sterile-looking hatchery, faculty, and nursery. When visitors drop by, they can witness baby dinosaurs and see embryos being created. However, Dr. Wu has a secret lab where he carries out work the public aren't allowed to see, and it looks a lot different.

While it's as high-tech as anything else in the park, the room is darkly lit, with blue backlights for its specimen containers. What's interesting is that Wu's secret area was almost an even bigger contrast to the bright cleanliness of the Hammond Creation Lab. When "Jurassic World" concept artist Craig Shoji came up with the initial designs for Wu's personal lab, the place was a lot dingier, with exposed pipes and wires giving it the look of a shady basement. It feels a lot more like something set up in secret and would have made Wu feel more like a traditional villain complete with his own secret lair.