This month in Movieland Spotlight, we sit down with filmmaker Ryan Bellgardt, the creative force behind the long-awaited sequel Jurassic Games: Extinction. Following up on his cult hit The Jurassic Games (2018), Bellgardt dives back into his thrilling world where dinosaurs and death games collide, delivering bigger action, smarter twists, and evolved prehistoric chaos.

In this exclusive interview, we explore the film’s evolution from its original concept to its ambitious sequel, uncovering how Bellgardt balanced practical effects with cutting-edge CGI to bring his latest dino spectacle to life. We also chat about his earlier hit Gremlin (2017) and the surprising hidden link to the Cloverfield universe.

Living in the heart of Tornado Alley in Oklahoma, Bellgardt opens up about how the real-world storms around him inspired his fascination with disaster cinema, discussing Twister, Twisters, and Into the Storm — as well as how nature’s fury shapes his storytelling.

From the DNA of Jurassic Park to the creature legacy of Predator and Alien, this conversation is a love letter to genre filmmaking, survival instincts, and the enduring power of imagination.