After bringing in $1 billion at the worldwide box office and setting up the next installment of the franchise in a way that opens up the story even further, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is now available on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD with a slew of bonus features that includes behind-the-scenes features and interviews and a look at what it takes to bring these awe-inspiring dinosaurs to life. Directed by J.A. Bayona and executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow (who is currently working on developing the third Jurassic World film, set to be in theaters in 2021), this terrifying adventure saw Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) uncover a deadly conspiracy that could bring the planet back to prehistoric times and change life as we know it forever.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actress Bryce Dallas Howard talked about what it means to her to be a part of the Jurassic World franchise, signing on for such a huge series of movies, how it’s all about the dinosaurs, what she’s heard about the third Jurassic World film, her own hopes for where the story will go next, quintessential Jurassic moments, the evolution of her character, and the coolest thing about being a part of such a huge movie franchise. She also talked about how much she loved being a part of Rocketman, about the life of Elton John (with Taron Egerton in the role), and her plans to direct.

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Image via Universal Pictures

Collider:  Jurassic Park was a movie that made a huge impression on so many people because watching it in the theater really made people feel like dinosaurs are really alive, and the success of all that has led us to where we are now with the franchise. So, what has it meant to you to be a part of Jurassic World?

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD:  It’s exactly what you said. I remember being 12 years old and going on opening weekend to watch Jurassic Park, and it just absolutely blew my mind, even though I was a kid who grew up on movie sets. I’ll never forget it. It was a real turning point for our industry, in terms of the kinds of stories that we could tell, because it looked like we were looking at real dinosaurs. It was unbelievable! So, for me now, as an adult, to get to be a part of this is absolutely thrilling, but what’s more thrilling is that I’ve got kids who are the same age that I was when I saw Jurassic Park, and now they’re getting to experience this, all over again. It’s incredible! It’s an incredible adventure to be a part of. It’s one of those jobs that any actor would have killed for an opportunity in, so you’re like, “Oh, my god, I’m so lucky!” The success of the movies is not because of me. It’s a rare thing when you can be a part of a movie like that, where you don’t feel like the movie is gonna succeed or fail, based on your work or your performance. It’s about the dinosaurs.

Before coming to Jurassic World, you hadn’t really done anything like this franchise before, so did you have any hesitation about signing on to it, in the beginning, or was it just an immediate yes, from the beginning?

HOWARD:  Of course, it was an immediate yes! I got involved around May of 2013, and then the movie actually got pushed and no one else was cast yet. There was awhile where it was like, “I’m doing this, and damn, it’s not happening,” and I wasn’t really allowed to talk to people about it. And then, finally, when the movie got the green light and was happening, Chris [Pratt] was cast shortly thereafter and it became real. From the get-go, it was just me, desperately hoping that it would happen, and then it came through. And so, the fact that there’s now multiple movies is so great.

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Image via Universal Pictures

What have you heard about the final film in this trilogy?

HOWARD:  I’ve talked to a lot of different folks who are involved. Colin [Trevorrow] is writing it now with Emily [Carmichael], and she just brings such an incredible perspective and voice. They have been quite close for awhile, and Colin’s been a huge supporter of her work, and vice versa. The fact that they’re working on it now is exciting and inspiring. I saw them last week, and it’s good. It’s really, really good.

Especially with the way that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ended, do you have any personal hopes, for what could happen, now that it feels even more wide open?

HOWARD:  I think we’re gonna be seeing these characters be faced with impossible choices to make, and circumstances beyond their wildest dreams and nightmares, where these animals are now a part of the world again. It’s not just about a handful of dinosaurs that were able to be re-animated, and one hybrid dinosaur that is monstrous. Now, not only are the animals out there, but the technology is out there, as well. Who knows what people can create? I’m just really excited to see this imagined world changing.

Was there a moment on this film that felt like a quintessential Jurassic moment?

HOWARD:  There are a lot of moments that feel like that. When we were on set, we would always say that it was “classic Jurassic.” That was the phrase that we used. When we would say that, you knew that it was working. Whenever you’re running, it feels very Jurassic. Looking in wonder and awe at something above you is very Jurassic. What’s cool about these movies is that, other than the dinosaurs, it’s meant to be a totally realistic, grounded world. Not a lot is being invented here. It’s real people, in a real situation, dealing with dinosaurs. That allows for performances to stay really grounded. You can have those really honest reactions that you would have, if you were confronted with an animal. It’s fun like that.

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Image via Universal Pictures

I’m a big music fan, so I’m also very excited about Rocketman, about the life of Elton John.

HOWARD:  Thank you! I loved getting to work on that.

What was it about that project that appealed to you?

HOWARD:  First and foremost, the fact that Elton is involved and his husband, David Furnish, is everything. I loved getting to learn about him, and to immerse myself in his world and his music. It’s a classic musical. It’s so, so fun and transportive and wild. I’m just thrilled to be a part of it. It’s really exciting. Five minutes into the read-through, I turned to Dexter Fletcher, the director, and I went, “This is going to work!”

Are you singing in the film?

HOWARD:  Yeah. Not a ton, but yeah.

That seems like it would be so scary, but fun, at the same time.

HOWARD:  Oh, it’s so fun! It’s incredibly fun!

Now that you’ve also tried your hand at directing a bit, do you have plans or the desire to do a full-length feature film?

HOWARD:  It’s in the works. It’s happening. Right now, I’m actually directing full time. Rocketman came out of the blue, which was exciting, but I’m working on three different projects, right now. Hopefully, that will all get done within the next year and a half, before the next Jurassic.

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Image via Universal Pictures

Since Jurassic World was really the first big franchise you signed on for, once that’s all done, would you like to do another? Is that something you’ve thought about?

HOWARD:  Oh, my gosh, of course! I’m someone who really likes to work, especially if it’s a story that has resonated with people, or that I feel could really resonate with families. Given the fact that I’ve got kids, to get to go through an experience like that, and then share it with my kids and seeing what the real-time reaction is gonna be like, of course, I would love to be a part of more movies like this, certainly.

What have you most enjoyed about the evolution of this character, and how much further would you like to still see her grow?

HOWARD:  In the first movie, at first, she’s almost like the villain and you’re like, “Is she gonna get killed? Is that what I’m seeing here?” There was corporate greed there, and she was making a lot of choices that have some pretty potentially damaging consequences that she wasn’t really considering. Then, in the second film, she became an activist. There was a turning point moment, where she had to say, “Wow, I have to step up here. I had no idea that this was happening.” For her, it was the events of the first movie, and that changed her forever. She now realizes that she has to take personal responsibility for these animals that she was a part of creating. And so, in terms of the third movie and where the story can go from here, I think that we’re gonna see Claire and the others continue to deal with those consequences, now that Pandora’s Box has been opened. You’ll see her navigate that and, hopefully, survive it, because wherever there is a dinosaur, she’s gonna be running towards them, as opposed to away.

What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you, or that you’ve gotten to do, as a result of being a part of the Jurassic World franchise?

HOWARD:  Honestly, probably getting to travel the world. When we release the movie, we get to do a whole press tour, where we travel all over the world, and while that’s amazing, the thing that really stands out to me is seeing this universal love of dinosaurs. It’s something that we all have in common, no matter what, and no matter where we were raised, what language we speak, or what our profession is. There’s usually a point, in all of our childhoods, where we say, “Wow, what are these creatures? What do you mean, they walked the earth?” And so, to get to be a part of a story that brings them back to life and sparks that curiosity in everyone, and gets them excited to see the dinosaurs that they loved when they were kids, and getting to experience that in China, Spain, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Japan, is amazing. That’s fun! I don’t personalize it in a way where it’s about me, or even about the movie. It’s about dinosaurs. It’s about our love for dinosaurs. That’s definitely the coolest part of this job because they’re so awesome.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is available on Blu-ray/DVD on September 18th.

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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Universal Pictures