"Jurassic World" hits theaters on June 12, and Universal and Mercedes-Benz have teamed up for the debut of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE vehicle in the highly anticipated "Jurassic Park" sequel.
While this isn't the first time that the German auto company has teamed up with a film company to debut a vehicle on the big screen, Auto Blog recalls that in 1997, Mercedes-Benz debuted the M-Class in the "Jurassic Park" sequel, "The Lost World."
On January 8, the German auto manufacturer revealed a set of photos featuring the new GLE coupe through its official Twitter account. Geeks of Doom reports that the photos show the new vehicle with "Jurassic World" producer Frank Marshall and director Colin Trevorrow, and a still from the upcoming film features Claire, played by Bryce Dallas Howard standing in front of the car while talking to Owen, played by Chris Pratt. The press statement from Mercedes-Benz said that Claire and Owen will "put their trust in the off-road capabilities of various Mercedes-Benz vehicles," including the GLE Coupe and the GLE 450 AMG Sport.
The press statement further added, "Above all, it is the new GLE Coupe that shows off its best side. The first prototype of this new SUV-sector vehicle, which was handmade specially for filming, can be seen in the movie, right in time for its mid-2015 market launch." It also said that security was tight on set, ensuring that even in remote filming locations such as Oahu and Kaua'i in Hawaii and on NASA terrain in New Orleans, the vehicles were shielded away from the prying eyes of photographers.
Meanwhile, Screen Crush reported that rumors about the new hybrid dinosaur which was first seen in the "Jurassic World" trailer underwent a name change. They reported that the hybrid dinosaur "wreaks havoc at Jurassic Park, and Pratt's character sets out to stop it."
Rumors about the name change include "Diabolus Rex" or "D-Rex". While there is no confirmation from Universal about the rumor, Screen Crush pointed to an Instagram user who posted an updated list of "Jurassic World" toys, confirming that D-Rex has a new name: "Indominus Rex". The post has since been taken down.
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