The big change in the 'Jurassic World Dominion' Extended Cut? T. rex gets a bigger story

In June, director Colin Trevorrow was finally able to release the closing chapter of his Jurassic World trilogy with Jurassic World Dominion. The final installment reunited the classic Jurassic Park characters of Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) with the Jurassic World characters of Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and brought their decades-sprawling terrifying dino experiences to a close. They essentially put a shiny amber button on it. 

Except they didn't really. There was still a little bit of dinosaur action to unearth. In advance of the recent Jurassic World Dominion 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release, Trevorrow announced that the Extended Cut (also available exclusively on Peacock) features about 14 minutes of material that was excised from the theatrical cut. That breaks down into 11 extended scenes and seven additional scenes all of which help flesh out some story beats, add some needed context but most importantly, gives the mighty T. rex his story due. 

If you're a fan of T. rex, the OG franchise hero dinosaur across both Jurassic trilogies, the Extended Cut restores a much broader arc for the terrible lizard that now begins in the restored prologue to the film and plays out to a more impressive final appearance that spans an impressive 65 million years. 

If you don't want to be spoiled, better stop reading and bookmark this for after you watch the Extended Cut. 

Courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

The expansion of the iconic franchise's hero T. rex's arc begins in the restored prologue set 65 million years ago. Dinosaurs of many species are seen co-existing with one another. And then two apex predators, T. rex and Giganotosaurus, lumber into one another's territory igniting a massive battle. The T. rex suffers a massive chomp to the neck and we see a prehistoric mosquito settle onto its corpse for a feed and eventual DNA extraction resource for the Jurassic Park scientists on Isla Nublar. 

Fast-forward those 65 million years to the time after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom when all those saved dinosaurs from Isla Nublar, including the T. rex, escape into the outside world to begin their very awkward existence amongst humanity. A restored sequence that was previously used as a short film to exist between Fallen Kingdom and Dominion shows the T. rex from stumbling upon a wooded drive-in theater. It's the big reveal of where the iconic dino ended up after escaping the Lockwood estate. Answer: dinner and a movie.

In the next expanded scene, Dr. Grant is talking to some giggling teen tourists at his Utah dig. They can't understand the importance of excavating dino bones when there's a real T. rex wandering around now. Their point is unappreciated by Grant. 

The next important addition to the T. rex arc comes as Sattler and Grant arrive at the Department of the Interior recovery refuge for dinosaur species they've saved from illegal breeding farms or have removed from areas with too much human interaction. After rehabilitation, they are allowing Biosyn to transport them to their remote refuge in Italy which has been deemed safer. The sequence clarifies with a quick shot of the captured T. rex in a containment cage that it took them three years to track and trap it in the wake of that drive-in prank that didn't go over too well. 

Those additions explain more clearly that the now iconic T. rex is a newbie to the sanctuary and is figuring out its place in the new territory amongst other apex predators like it's ancient nemesis, Giganotosaurus. It's tromping through the forest until Biosyn sends signals for it, and the rest of the dinosaurs, to go to the main compound after the flaming locusts create a crisis situation. 

It's in the main grounds of the Biosyn HQ that the T. rex, Giganotosaurus and the addition of the Therizinosaurus come together to fight for dominance of their new space. Initially, Giganotosaurus gets the upper jaw in the fight and lays out the T. rex, proving history does repeat itself even if it might take 65 million years to get there. It looks like lights out for the T. rex. But surprise! There's a spark in the T. rex's revived eye that takes it right back to that embarrassing loss to Giganotosaurus that laid it low in the Jurassic period. It spurs the dino back into action and with the help of Therizinosaurus, T. rex reigns supreme once more. It's the definition of a full circle moment that actually works because the restored scenes reveal how Trevorrow and company have carefully tracked its story all the way back to its natural origins. All in all, it's a much more satisfying close to its story and solidifies why it's remained the franchise's dino symbol across three decades. Cue the triumphant T. rex roar.

Watch the whole arc restored in the Jurassic World Dominion Extended Cut exclusively on Peacock.