How The Last Scene In 'Safety Not Guaranteed' Sold Steven Spielberg On Colin Trevorrow

I'm always interested in the stories of how films come to be. Not just the making and development of a film, but how the creative talents come together to form the team. The story of how Colin Trevorrow ended up during Jurassic World is a very interesting one that involves Brad Bird, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a small Sundance film. We've relayed some of the story before, but now Steven Spielberg finished the story by explaining what he saw in Trevorrow's breakout Sundance Film Festival film Safety Not Guarenteed that made he interested in handing the filmmaker the keys to the Jurassic Park franchise.

On the set of Jurassic World, I learned the story of how Brad Bird almost helming Star Wars: The Force Awakens resulted in Colin Trevorrow directing Jurassic World. The quick version of the story is Brad Bird almost directed Episode 7 but because he was busy with Tomorrowland he suggested that LucasFilm and Disney have a filmmaker he trusted prep the film for him, that filmmaker being Colin Trevorrow.  Here is how Jurassic World producer Marshall told me the story on set:

It's all a family thing, which is when they [Disney and Lucasfilm] were looking for directors [for Star Wars 7], we were also looking for directors [for Jurassic World]. And Kathy [Kennedy] and I were talking one night and there was this kind of wild idea that Brad [Bird] had about how he could possibly do Star Wars and Tomorrowland at the same time. And he says "there is this guy that reminds me of me." And that he could depend on [Colin] to sort of prep everything and then he would step in and direct and of course, that's the kind of pie in the sky. I'm sure Kathy would have a little trouble going to Bob Iger with that.

Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy watched Trevorrow's breakout Sundance film festival movie Safety Not Guaranteed with her husband to see why Brad was impressed by Trevorrow.  Of course, the Star Wars idea was rather crazy and never happened but another person saw something in Trevorrow during that screening, Kennedy's husband and long-time producing partner Frank Marshall, who was looking for a new director to take on Jurassic World. He was impressed with Trevorrow and brought him to Steven Spielberg.

But thats where the story ended. Lets learn what got Steven Spielberg interested in Colin Trevorrow. Watch the video below to find out what Spielberg saw in Colin's film Safety Not Guaranteed: