Bruno Mars on How His Brand SelvaRey Is Making Rum ‘Sexy’ - Hollywood Reporter

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Bruno Mars just wants to keep the party going. After collecting one gilded gramophone after another for his hip-swaying hits — most recently as Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak — the Grammy-winning musician aims to liven things up with his rum brand, SelvaRey.

Mars (né Peter Hernandez) is more than just a starry face of the spirits company. He co-owns the Los Angeles-based label, which was launched in 2014 by brothers Seth Gold (a former real estate developer) and Marc Gold (a journalist-turned-retail owner) and their brother-in-law, Robert Herzig (a serial entrepreneur). The “Leave the Door Open” singer also brought on the rest of the Hooligans — his cohort of longtime musical collaborators — to back the brand.

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Related: Silk Sonic Kicks Off Grammys with Las Vegas-Theme Performance of “777”

“When I came on board with SelvaRey, I said to Seth, ‘Let’s start with the bottle on the shelf, and the way it feels when you hold the bottle, the way it looks next to anything else on your shelf,’” Mars told The Hollywood Reporter in mid-May from the green room of Las Vegas’ Dolby Live theater at the MGM Grand, where he and Silk Sonic would hit the stage shortly. “I’m a sucker for medallions and gold. My first idea was to put a gold medallion on the bottle! I think people want to feel cool holding a bottle.”

SelvaRey’s lineup includes chocolate, coconut and white rum ($40 per bottle) and an Owner’s Reserve ($150), each made from single-estate rum blends aged between three to five years in antique copper column stills in Pesé, Panama, by master blender Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez. Notes of vanilla, key lime pie, citrus and pineapple make up the white rum, while the chocolate rum is infused with toffee, cardamom and chocolate-covered espresso beans (both earned the highest rating for their category from trade magazine Tasting Panel).

The Owner’s Reserve boasts a blend of rums aged between 15 to 25 years and features tasting notes of baked apple, dried apricot, baking spice and flambéed pears. Mars himself designed the packaging, including the label, bottle and gift box, and he concocted cocktail pairings for every track on Silk Sonic’s debut album.

Courtesy of SelvaRey

“The bottle needs to reflect what’s [inside] and just the spirit around it,” said Mars. “Because when I tasted it, all of a sudden, I felt like I was sparkling. For me, personally, it’s the perfect thing after I’ve had a hard day, I want to smile, I want to listen to some music, or celebrate with my friends. So with rum, it’s a very uplifting, upbeat feeling.”

Mars is hardly the only big name to get behind alcohol, but he’s one of the very few to get into the rum game. (Lil Wayne and Sammy Hagar included.) George Clooney, Kendall Jenner and Dwayne Johnson are among many who have launched tequilas. Ryan Reynolds, Bob Dylan, Matthew McConaughey, Drake and Conor McGregor have cornered the celebrity whiskey market. Diddy, Kate Hudson and Channing Tatum own vodka brands, and Jay-Z and Ludacris each have cognac labels. Hollywood vintners include Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev, Sarah Jessica Parker and Snoop Dogg.

SelvaRey joins a nearly $8 billion rum industry in the U.S. — one that has grown four percent after years of decline, according to Market Watch. Perhaps that, and his upbringing in Hawaii (“growing up [there], I understand what rum means to people, especially when they’re on vacation”), is why the multi-instrumentalist — who is notoriously selective about brand deals — gave his stamp of approval.

It’s why fans are not able to add any Bruno Mars-branded guitars, Hawaiian shirts, dancing shoes and aviator sunglasses to their collections. Pepsi, Philippines-based retailer Bench, NJOY e-cigarettes and sheet music app Chromatika (which was since acquired by Take Lessons) are among the handful of brands that have landed Mars’ official endorsements.

“I’ve never done that before for the simple fact that it’s not my thing. I need to be able to stand by whatever it is, just like a song,” explained Mars. “You put out a song that doesn’t work — but I can sleep at night knowing that I loved that song, [even if] the world didn’t like it like I did … The same thing goes with [SelvaRey]. No matter what happens, in my opinion, this tastes delicious. And everyone that I’ve given it to gives the same feedback.”

He continued: “[I’m proud] that the product speaks for itself. We are driven to make rum sexy and get people knowing about SelvaRey and drinking our rum. I think a lot of people have to get educated about rum. I don’t think people really put the two and two together. When you’re drinking a piña colada, a mojito, a mai tai — it’s all rum.”

Fans can get the full SelvaRey experience when Mars returns to Sin City for the second “An Evening with Silk Sonic” residency at Park MGM, where music-themed nightclub On the Record will host the band’s afterparties. (Tickets start at $183 and are available at SeatGeek, StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats.) The bar menu will include SelvaRey-infused cocktails, such as a classic daiquiri, piña coladas and a fresh twist on the Dark ‘n’ Stormy (traditionally made with ginger beer and dark rum) that swaps the beer with ale.

The stylish speakeasy isn’t the only Vegas hot spot that’s upgrading its rum shelf with the celebrity-backed brand.

“What we’re seeing on the [Las Vegas] Strip is the same thing we’re seeing across the country,” Seth Gold tells THR. “For years, the best bars, hotels and restaurants have been offering so many high-end tequilas, whiskeys, gins and vodkas. A lot of them are now tasting SelvaRey and realizing it’s time to upgrade their rum selection too. They’ve all been asking their customers, ‘What kind of vodka do you want in your martini?’ or ‘What kind of tequila do you want in your margarita?’ Now with SelvaRey, they’re starting to offer better rum in their mojitos and piña coladas too.”

Ahead of the summer party season, the brand has rolled out festive music-fueled video spots, with more to come. (Mars co-directed last year’s short film to toast the debut of the company’s coconut rum.)

“I got 30 jingles as we speak,” Mars joked. Filming last summer’s video “was so much fun! Those are guys I work with on my music — all the songs on this album and on the last album. They love the brand. The fact that they’re part of this, i is this fun when we can bring music into it. That’s why I think that [working on SelvaRey] feels so organic and natural is because after the show, we’re going to be drinking; we get to party and pick up some instruments.”

Courtesy of SelvaRey

He continued: “We are really focusing on changing the narrative about rum. Seth gave me the ball and let me run with the packaging and imagery and how I want people to feel. I want them to feel how I feel; it’s no different than a song. The trick in writing a song is if it makes the person that wrote it dance, then you have a better shot of getting everyone else dancing. So it’s the same thing. If you genuinely like it, then you got a better shot.”

“I have seen our rum convert so many new people to the category — they forget those old college memories and their all-too-familiar misconceptions about rum,” says SelvaRey global brand ambassador Brian Klemm. “Being single-estate gives us an opportunity to really control the process from start to finish — the sugar cane, the stills, the barrels, the fine-tuning and technique, all coupled with the beauty of Panama and all its climate and terroir naturally have to offer. The ingredients, the elements, the environment and the pursuit of perfection, all make for an absolutely pristine spirit. It’s an immaculate and artful process that cannot be ignored.”

Added Mars, “I want to be a part of that; I want to be a part of the fun. With my music, with my performances, with anything that it is that I get my hands on, it’s gonna have this level of joy and fun. That’s what I’m trying to do with SelvaRey.”

Below, shop SelvaRey as well as more pool and beach party-starters — from music to cocktail accoutrements — from its starry backers and more.

SelvaRey Chocolate Rum

SelvaRey Chocolate Rum $40

Buy now

SelvaRey White Rum

SelvaRey White Rum $40

Buy now

SelvaRey Coconut Rum

SelvaRey Coconut Rum $42

Buy now

SelvaRey Owner’s Reserve Rum

SelvaRey Owner's Reserve Rum $150

Buy now

Silk Sonic An Evening with Silk Sonic Vinyl

Silk Sonic 'An Evening with Silk Sonic' Vinyl $27.98 on Amazon.com

Buy now

Marshall Emberton Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Marshall Emberton Bluetooth Portable Speaker $144.99 on Amazon.com

Buy now

Drink Umbrellas, Bamboo Picks and Reusable Bamboo Straws, 252-Pc. Set

Drink Umbrellas, Picks and Straws Set $13.99 on Amazon.com

Buy now

365 by Whole Foods Ginger Ale

365 by Whole Foods Ginger Ale on Amazon.com

Buy now

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Dead Sexy - Salt Lake City Weekly

• Alex Springer

It seems like every time I check in and see how Sugar House is doing, there is some great new restaurant to enjoy. My favorites of these new places are those who take advantage of the neighborhood's walkability and its unique, vibrant culture—those that add more color to the city instead of taking it away.

During my last visit to Sugar House, I swung by the lovely new plaza near the Whole Foods on Wilmington Avenue that contains plenty of casual and patio-accessible dining options. Deciding which spot to try first was difficult, but the stylized candy skull grinning at me from above the doors of De Los Muertos (1215 Wilmington Avenue, Ste. 104, 801-869-1006) ended up winning me over.

Excellent décor aside, De Los Muertos has a lot to offer the casual wanderer of Sugar House's main drag. A patio filled with colorful chairs and plenty of seating welcomes those looking for some summer lovin' like birria, mole and cold cerveza with a tequila chaser. Once inside, diners can take advantage of the digital kiosk to make their orders, and then take a table marker wherever they'd like to sit. I've been seeing this tablet-based approach more often—thanks, COVID—but honestly, I kind of like it. My social skills have taken a pronounced nosedive over the past few years—thanks again, COVID.

Once you punch in your order, you can hang out either inside or out—though the patio is a bit more spacious than the interior. At the moment, the menu is quite a cozy affair consisting of just a few appetizers like chips with loaded queso ($10) or creamy guacamole ($11), some traditional melty tacos and a nice variety of overstuffed burritos. De Los Muertos also has a decent variety of cocktails for those in need of some stronger stuff with their traditional Mexican favorites, though the beer and tequila shot ($9) are always a safe bet.

I think the current star of the menu is the Abuela's Smothered Chicken Mole Burrito ($12.50). It's the dish that best reflects the ancestral respect that De Los Muertos is trying to capture with its menu, and it's a hell of a good burrito. For those who have been bewitched by the rich flavors and colorful heritage of mole, this hits all the right notes. The shredded chicken on the inside gets a braise with the mole before being stuffed into a flour tortilla with a few slathers of refried black beans. Then it gets topped with an additional helping of mole, melted cheese and a chipotle lime crema. The plate is hot when it comes to your table, providing a nostalgic reminder of the mom-and-pop Mexican food spots that I grew up with. The burrito also comes with some pico de gallo, shredded romaine lettuce, pickled onions and sliced radishes for a fresh crunch.

De Los Muertos definitely does right by their mole. It's a dark, luxurious brew that captures the unique balance of smoky, chocolatey and nutty that makes mole sing. I've had mole burritos that fail to let the sauce do all of the talking, but the mix of shredded chicken and refried black beans inside really complements the mole instead of overwhelming it. If you're headed to De Los Muertos for the first time, this is the best way to break yourself in.

For those looking for more of a grab-and-go kind of burrito, I'd recommend the Los Muertos Carne Asada Burrito ($11.50). It's packed with carne asada, bacon, tomatillo salsa and a hefty dose of guacamole. This is another one that showcases how talented De Los Muertos is at balancing flavors and textures. I've gotten plenty of dry carne asada burritos, but that tomatillo salsa and guacamole really livens the whole thing up. It's an excellent entry for Utah's burrito database.

I also snagged a few tacos while I was in, and they've got enough depth and breadth to hang with their burrito cousins. The birria taco ($5.25) is a stellar entry, with its tender beef birria coming at you with a 24-hour braise and paired with oodles of melty cheese. De Los Muertos has plenty of great recipes made with Impossible ground beef, so I decided to give the El Rey Mysterio Taco ($5.25) a go. Its chipotle lime crema, shredded lettuce and pico de gallo make this one a much lighter taco option, and the well-seasoned Impossible ground beef does a great job of adding some heft to the taco. Fans of plant-based tacos and burritos are definitely in for a good time at De Los Muertos.

While I am looking forward to spending a bit more time in this Wilmington Avenue dining plaza, I am glad that I started things off with De Los Muertos. Summertime and tacos are two inseparable concepts in my mind, so having a cool taqueria with ample patio seating in the heart of Sugar House is a definite win.

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There's a Sexy New Cocktail Bar From a Team of Industry Pros Now Open in The Mission - Eater SF

The former Armory Club space always sported a not-so-subtle sexy undercurrent, thanks to its association with that infamous San Francisco landmark just across the street. But as of this month, there’s a new bar open in the space and it’s backed by a cadre of nightlight industry pros from around the Bay Area.

Called Dahlia Lounge, the bar comes primarily from the minds of Paul Volfovski, whose past projects include Copyright and Trademark bars, and Kingston Wu, known for his role in bringing bars including Westwood and Thriller Social Club to life. Volfovski says the vision is for Dahlia Lounge to up the ante on the cocktail offerings in the area, but also to make the bar a true neighborhood destination with a full lineup of programming and happy hour offered five days a week. Volfovski, who grew up in San Francisco, says it’s been a challenge to open at this time, but he felt called to fill a niche in the city. “For me, I just felt the city is underserved and I really didn't want to take a chance on missing something,” Volfovski says.

Dahlia Lounge

On the menu, look for a tight but ever-changing list of cocktails including options like the Reggae, a rum-based, tiki-style cocktail made with orgeat, lime, and pineapple. General manager Nic Callahan wrote the menu, which also offers up the Grunge, a smokey concoction built on rye, earthy Bonal, and apricot and elderflower liqueurs. There’s also the option to go Punk and let the bartender pour you a shot and beer for $12. Wine and Champagne stand by for those not looking for something spirit-based; there’s beer on tap from neighborhood favorite Standard Deviant, plus more options by the bottle.

As for the space, Volfovski says the team tapped an old friend’s company Trust Maintenance for the buildout. Those familiar with Armory Club will recognize some features like the tin ceiling tiles, glowing bar tops, and damask wallpaper. But Volfovski has given the two rooms — the large rectangular front bar and a quieter back room down a short hallway — a refresh for the Instagram era. There’s a mantle dripping with wax from flickering candles and a semi-circle booth where patrons can pose under a neon sign reading “hola papi” surrounded by a wall of faux flowers. Another wall is stacked with skulls and finished with another cheeky sign threatening “till death do us party.”

“It’s always been all about the details,” Volfovski says of the decor. “I just wanted to create an environment and a vibe where our drinks and cocktail program add every step of the way, but you also get that from the space itself.” The name Dahlia Lounge is a nod to the Mission neighborhood, but Volfovski is careful to add that it’s not a Mexican bar or tequila lounge. They plan to host a range of events from comedy shows to live DJs to networking events to jazz and hip hop nights; he’s adamant Dahlia Lounge can be both a destination bar and a true neighborhood watering hole where people can expect something slightly different every night. “Consistency is good,” Volfovski says. “But consistent diversity is better.”

Aside from Volfovski and Wu, the braintrust behind the bar includes Arash Ghanadan (Novella, Barbarossa), Trung Tran (Heroes, Hometown Bowl), local club promoter Randy Guila, and Matthew Tuffuor and Warren Jones, the duo behind Toasted Life. Assistant general manager Gio Robles, a longtime bartender, will be managing VIP Experiences, Volfovski adds. “I know who I can tap into in the partnership for certain things,” Volfovski says of the partners behind the bar. “We have a lot of creativity and a lot of experience on the team.”

Paul Volfovski

Dahlia Lounge

Dahlia Lounge

Dahlia Lounge

Dahlia Lounge (1799 Mission Street) is now open from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

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Laura Dern Went Barefaced for ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’: “She’s Not Some Sexy-Scientist Trope” - Vanity Fair

Dern, Chris Pratt, and DeWanda Wise preview the new action movie, which brings another Jurassic trilogy to a close.

By Paul Chi

June 7, 2022

By Emma McIntyre/Getty Images. 

Jurassic World: Dominion marks the conclusion of the second Jurassic trilogy, with original Jurassic Park heroes Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum reuniting in their roles for the first time since Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster debuted way back in 1993. The veteran stars join Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard for the latest—and possibly last—chapter of the Jurassic franchise.
 
“It’s so nostalgic to be back together with my buddies. On the first day, when Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, and I had our costumes on and we walked on set for this film, I texted Steven a photograph of all three of us, and it brought tears to his eyes to see us all back together,” said Dern at the film’s world premiere in Hollywood on Monday night. “We all got teary and a bit weepy. It was very sweet. I had the time of my life making the original Jurassic Park, and the three of us became a family. It was so much fun and bliss to work with Sam and Jeff again.”

Jurassic World: Dominion follows the destruction of Isla Nublar in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. In the interim, dinosaurs have spread throughout the modern world. “There are new and more dinosaurs than you’ve ever seen before, and the danger has become very real,” teased Pratt, who plays Owen Grady, a dinosaur behavior expert. “People are forced to live with them, and with one specific dinosaur that is the biggest carnivore predator. But the movie has a lot of heart. To me, family is the main theme, and the movie ultimately centers on how the characters protect and care for each other.”

Pratt’s referring to the Giganotosaurus, a new dinosaur featured in the film that is bigger and more menacing than even a T. rex. “We built a full-size Giganotosaurus to chomp people,” said director and cowriter Colin Trevorrow. “A real Giganotosaurus weighs about 30,000 pounds and measures about 43 feet in length, and the details of our animatronic were incredibly realistic, with textured skin and teeth. It looked and felt like a real thing.”

The film’s crew built about 27 animatronic dinosaurs of varying sizes, using practical effects and real locations whenever possible over CGI. “When using animatronics, there’s a sense that something is real, and the audience feels it,” said Trevorrow. “When you see that the humans can reach out and touch and interact with these things and lay their hands on them, it makes it seem real. The original Jurassic Park movie had the same feeling.”

DeWanda Wise, best known for her performance in Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It, joins the cast as Kayla Watts, a bisexual former military pilot who is now an ace cargo-pilot-for-hire. “I love how my character is incredibly quick-minded and resourceful,” said Wise. “It doesn’t take a long time for her to say, ‘Okay, I know how to problem-solve this.’ 

“Throughout all of the Jurassic movies, women are portrayed as intelligent and empowering, and my character is also one of those women. I mean, Laura Dern was doing it before anyone knew what female empowerment was. Like, she was constructing this character from the strength and the core of her integrity, and I think this franchise does a good job of doing that. It’s not about an agenda, and it’s not about a takeover—it’s about the implicit power of women.”

Dern said she personally “never imagined returning” to play Dr. Ellie Sattler one more time. But if her character was going to come back, she wanted her to be an “evolved scientist” and “true to who she was, which is being fearless yet vulnerable.”

“Her activism and feminism as a scientist was really important to me. I spoke with Steven and Colin, and we all wanted her to return with a new sense of self and advanced in her life and her work,” said Dern. “She’s not some sexy-scientist trope. I didn’t wear makeup in this movie. She’s real. She’s divorced but loving life independent. She’s raised kids. And she’s at the height of her career, and she’s using it as service to the world. She’s really a modern, feminist female action hero, and that’s a beautiful message.”

Jurassic World: Dominion sees Dern escaping large locusts and running away from the Giganotosaurus, which required some high-flying stunt work. “To be in an action movie and doing stunt work at this stage in my life and career is crazy,” the 55-year-old Oscar winner said, laughing. “There’s some hardcore running involved in many of my scenes, a lot more than Jurassic Park. In the first movie, we never thought about warming up and doing all this stunt-prep work or rehearsing for the sprints. Steven loved everything in the moment, and trying new things. We were the type of action heroes where it was about showing our honest, real, and true emotions. And so we would pull our quad muscles or hurt our arm or something. 

“But for this film, Chris would lead us with stunt prep and do these warm-up exercises. It definitely was more physically challenging, and I really did feel like an action hero!”

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Chris Young's Sexy Songs Are 'A Bit of a Theme at This Point' - Taste of Country

In 2009, Chris Young scored his first No. 1 hit with the ultra-sexy “Getting’ You Home (The Black Dress Song).” And through his impressive career, the Tennessee native has added to this provocative theme with hits including “I’m Comin’ Over,” “I Can Take It From There” and “Losing Sleep.”

“It's a bit of a theme at this point, I guess for me,” Young says with a laugh during a recent interview with Taste of Country.

It’s certainly looking that this sexy streak will now continue, as Young recently released Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition), a collection that now includes six new songs, including the ultra-sexy “Like a Slow Song.”

“It’s actually one of the songs that I didn’t write,” explains Young of “Like a Slow Song,”, which Bart Butler, Justin Ebach and Josh Thompson co-wrote. “It made its way to me from a friend of mine who is a publisher. They were like, ‘Hey, I wanted you to hear this.’ And it was the same day we were going to be recording. So, we cut it that day. I listened to it one time, and I was like, ‘This is a hit record.’”

Truth be told, there are a bunch of new songs that certainly sound like 'hit records' on Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition,), a project on which Young serves as a producer or co-producer on every cut.

“It's something I enjoy,” Young says of putting on his producer hat. “It's something that I've hopefully gotten better at over the years. I’ve had a lot of people I have been able to watch in the studio and pick up tips and learn from. It's something that I love and it's part of the process that I really enjoy.”

But it isn’t always easy.

“I would say “Tonight We’re Dancing” was one of the toughest to produce,” the entertainer says of one of the new cuts on the album. “I went back and forth on mixed notes on that one. That's one of the ones I did solo as a producer, so I was really trying to get the intro and the sounds exactly like I wanted it.”

The album also has Young collaborating again with Cassadee Pope on brand new acoustic versions of “I’m Comin’ Over” and “Think of You”.

“She's awesome,” Young remarks of Pope. “I still keep in touch with her. I talk to her every now and then. She's just an amazing human being.”

So, could this mean the pair might collaborate again on a new song?

“The song will dictate that,” says Young, who also has new collaborations with Jimmie Allen and Old Dominion on Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition,). “If there's a song that was perfect for us to get back in the studio again, then who knows?”

See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born

Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!

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Laura Dern Went Barefaced for ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’: “She’s Not Some Sexy-Scientist Trope” - Vanity Fair

Dern, Chris Pratt, and DeWanda Wise preview the new action movie, which brings another Jurassic trilogy to a close.

By Paul Chi

June 7, 2022

By Emma McIntyre/Getty Images. 

Jurassic World: Dominion marks the conclusion of the second Jurassic trilogy, with original Jurassic Park heroes Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum reuniting in their roles for the first time since Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster debuted way back in 1993. The veteran stars join Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard for the latest—and possibly last—chapter of the Jurassic franchise.
 
“It’s so nostalgic to be back together with my buddies. On the first day, when Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, and I had our costumes on and we walked on set for this film, I texted Steven a photograph of all three of us, and it brought tears to his eyes to see us all back together,” said Dern at the film’s world premiere in Hollywood on Monday night. “We all got teary and a bit weepy. It was very sweet. I had the time of my life making the original Jurassic Park, and the three of us became a family. It was so much fun and bliss to work with Sam and Jeff again.”

Jurassic World: Dominion follows the destruction of Isla Nublar in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. In the interim, dinosaurs have spread throughout the modern world. “There are new and more dinosaurs than you’ve ever seen before, and the danger has become very real,” teased Pratt, who plays Owen Grady, a dinosaur behavior expert. “People are forced to live with them, and with one specific dinosaur that is the biggest carnivore predator. But the movie has a lot of heart. To me, family is the main theme, and the movie ultimately centers on how the characters protect and care for each other.”

Pratt’s referring to the Giganotosaurus, a new dinosaur featured in the film that is bigger and more menacing than even a T. rex. “We built a full-size Giganotosaurus to chomp people,” said director and cowriter Colin Trevorrow. “A real Giganotosaurus weighs about 30,000 pounds and measures about 43 feet in length, and the details of our animatronic were incredibly realistic, with textured skin and teeth. It looked and felt like a real thing.”

The film’s crew built about 27 animatronic dinosaurs of varying sizes, using practical effects and real locations whenever possible over CGI. “When using animatronics, there’s a sense that something is real, and the audience feels it,” said Trevorrow. “When you see that the humans can reach out and touch and interact with these things and lay their hands on them, it makes it seem real. The original Jurassic Park movie had the same feeling.”

DeWanda Wise, best known for her performance in Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It, joins the cast as Kayla Watts, a bisexual former military pilot who is now an ace cargo-pilot-for-hire. “I love how my character is incredibly quick-minded and resourceful,” said Wise. “It doesn’t take a long time for her to say, ‘Okay, I know how to problem-solve this.’ 

“Throughout all of the Jurassic movies, women are portrayed as intelligent and empowering, and my character is also one of those women. I mean, Laura Dern was doing it before anyone knew what female empowerment was. Like, she was constructing this character from the strength and the core of her integrity, and I think this franchise does a good job of doing that. It’s not about an agenda, and it’s not about a takeover—it’s about the implicit power of women.”

Dern said she personally “never imagined returning” to play Dr. Ellie Sattler one more time. But if her character was going to come back, she wanted her to be an “evolved scientist” and “true to who she was, which is being fearless yet vulnerable.”

“Her activism and feminism as a scientist was really important to me. I spoke with Steven and Colin, and we all wanted her to return with a new sense of self and advanced in her life and her work,” said Dern. “She’s not some sexy-scientist trope. I didn’t wear makeup in this movie. She’s real. She’s divorced but loving life independent. She’s raised kids. And she’s at the height of her career, and she’s using it as service to the world. She’s really a modern, feminist female action hero, and that’s a beautiful message.”

Jurassic World: Dominion sees Dern escaping large locusts and running away from the Giganotosaurus, which required some high-flying stunt work. “To be in an action movie and doing stunt work at this stage in my life and career is crazy,” the 55-year-old Oscar winner said, laughing. “There’s some hardcore running involved in many of my scenes, a lot more than Jurassic Park. In the first movie, we never thought about warming up and doing all this stunt-prep work or rehearsing for the sprints. Steven loved everything in the moment, and trying new things. We were the type of action heroes where it was about showing our honest, real, and true emotions. And so we would pull our quad muscles or hurt our arm or something. 

“But for this film, Chris would lead us with stunt prep and do these warm-up exercises. It definitely was more physically challenging, and I really did feel like an action hero!”

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Jennifer Lopez Has Sexy, Wind-Blown Red Carpet Moment in Cutout Gown at 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards - PEOPLE

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Jennifer Lopez Has Sexy, Wind-Blown Red Carpet Moment in Cutout Gown at 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards

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