Universal Studios is hoping to widen their robust revival of the Jurassic Park brand into something not quite a "cinematic universe" but definitely a "mythos."

Battle at Big Rock is an eight-and-a-half-minute Jurassic World sequel that dropped this week for free on YouTube to drum up interest in the upcoming sequel. But it's a proper chapter in the series. In nerd terms, it's canon. Directed and written by the real deal Franchise Architect ™ himself.

Sure, you're thinking. Whatever, this franchise is just 'Transformers with dinosaurs' at this point, isn't it? Well, your mileage may vary. The new dinosaur movies have been quite popular for Universal, a much better investment than their monster movie reboots of late. And this short shows a lot of promise for how the brand can now evolve from a nostalgia-driven grilled cheese special to something more serial and reliable in nature, a kind of Planet of the Apes direction.

Colin Trevorrow seems e…