Behind the Scenes: Amazing Dinoworld 2
Discover how some dinosaurs may have survived the asteroid that killed their kind 66 million years ago in Amazing Dinoworld 2. Go behind the scenes with director Kazuki Ueda to learn how human actors and stunning CGI brought this untold prehistoric story to life.
A still from Amazing Dinoworld 2 showing a group of Puertasaurus roaming over lush terrain. Photo credits: NHK
We’ve all heard the story of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs
66 million years ago. But what if some dinosaurs survived this cataclysmic
event? Where could they have escaped on Earth, and what would their life
look like after a mass extinction?
Amazing Dinoworld 2, one of Omni-Theatre’s latest titles, explores new scientific revelations that some dinosaur species, such as the sauropod Puertasaurus and the carnivorous Maip, could have survived the asteroid and the ensuing impact winter by migrating to the Southern Hemisphere.
The forty-minute dome movie follows the perilous journey of two juvenile Puertasaurus as they traverse terrains beset by mega tsunamis, wildfires, and below-freezing blizzards to reach a new home. Utilising stunning visual effects, the film brings the colossal species that thrived in the remote refuge of what is now Antarctica back to life.
Featuring insights from the leading palaeontologists on the latest fossil discoveries and excavations, the film blends innovative CGI, scientific data, and storytelling to dramatise this previously unknown chapter of dinosaur history. The documentary was created by NHK Japan and NHK Enterprises in co-production with Bonne Pioche, Curiosity, and Autentic.
In October 2025, the Void Deck team had the privilege to interview Amazing Dinoworld 2 director Mr. Kazuki Ueda online, facilitated by NHK Science senior producer Mr. Hiroaki Katayama who translated for Mr. Ueda. Read on to learn how the filmmakers reconstructed dinosaur movements using human actors, the challenges of shooting on-location during COVID-19, and how over ten sounds were layered to create a dinosaur’s fearsome roar.
Watch Amazing Dinoworld 2 showing exclusively in Singapore at Science Centre Singapore’s Omni-Theatre, featuring Southeast Asia’s largest seamless dome screen (23m in diameter). Tickets available here: https://tickets.science.edu.sg/.
A Lifelong Quest for Dinosaur Discovery
A still from Amazing Dinoworld 2 showing the asteroid long thought to have led to the extinction of dinosaurs hurtling towards the Earth. Photo credits: NHK
Mr. Ueda, who has directed palaeontology programs for over 10 years, shared that he has been fascinated by dinosaurs ever since childhood. He joined NHK 20 years ago and initially worked on science and wildlife programs, filming fascinating rare animals such as the Golden monkey. His passion for dinosaurs deepened when he first participated in a senior colleague’s NHK special on dinosaurs in 2006. What most appealed to him was that unlike wildlife documentaries, which tended to be stringently factual, dinosaur programs required a creative reconstruction of how such giants might have once roamed the Earth.
“The collision and mixture of fact-based science and imagination–that’s the most exciting part of producing a dinosaur program,” Mr. Ueda stated through the interpretation of Mr. Katayama.
Longstanding collaboration with scientists like renowned palaeontologist Dr. Yoshitsugu Kobayashi of Hokkaido University helped strike a careful balance between hard science and imaginative filmmaking. In fact, Dr. Kobayashi had helped introduce Mr. Ueda to new research that would spark the concept for Amazing Dinoworld 2. Mr. Ueda had previously produced an NHK special on dinosaur extinction in 2009 that featured the prevailing theory at the time that various disasters caused by the meteorite, including 'Impact Winter,' led to the extinction of dinosaurs. However, the discovery of new fossils in Alaska by Dr. Kobayashi’s team made him eager to reassess this hypothesis.
In a Japanese article for Nikkei National Geographic, Mr. Ueda described how Dr. Kobayashi’s fieldwork in Alaska “uncovered fossilized footprints of hadrosaurs—plant-eating dinosaurs—deep within the ancient Arctic… [and] crucially, alongside adult footprints were the tiny tracks of juveniles.” This “revolutionary detail” led Dr. Kobayashi to postulate that perhaps dinosaur species with preexisting adaptations for extreme cold might have survived the harsh temperatures following the asteroid impact.
Mr. Ueda emphasised the dynamic nature of science, where new discoveries constantly reshape understanding. “It's the most beautiful part of the science, and being a scientist, pushing those boundaries and frontiers,” Mr. Ueda explained, translated by Mr. Mr. Hiroaki Katayama. Mr. Ueda drew on these emerging findings to develop the storyboards in close collaboration with Dr. Kobayashi.
Recreating the Dinosaurs’ Last Refuge
A still from Amazing Dinoworld 2 showing a group of Puertasaurus traversing green hills. Photo credits: NHK
The documentary team developed the narrative through consultations with
dozens of scientists around the world. An expert from the Carnegie Museum
of Natural History mentioned to the crew that the area we now know as the
South Pole would be a likely refuge site for the dinosaurs. The filmmakers
selected the Gondwana supercontinent as the setting, and chose specific
dinosaurs based on their likelihood of survival in that region. The story
evolved based on scientifically plausible plot points, such as juvenile
dinosaurs hunkering down in caves to escape the heatwave caused by the
asteroid impact.
Although other dinosaur media may rely on completely computer-generated worlds, Mr. Ueda explained that the documentary crew chose to film actual locations resembling prehistoric terrains for greater realism, with the dinosaurs composited onto the shots. Originally, filming was planned in the Southern Hemisphere in countries like South America, New Zealand to match prehistoric landscapes. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, locations in Japan, particularly Hokkaido, were used instead.
The “vast grasslands of eastern Hokkaido” (Nikkei National Geographic)— where Mr. Ueda had filmed two decades earlier during his NHK Kushiro — were used for shots of the prehistoric giants walking in the fog. “Other scenes — such as Puertasaurus laying eggs in a geothermal field — were filmed on Izu Ōshima Island near Tokyo,” he wrote in Nikkei National Geographic. Mr. Ueda avoided close-ups of plants to prevent having modern-day flora next to the prehistoric dinosaurs.
A Deeply Human Tale of Resilience
A still from Amazing Dinoworld 2 of two young Puertasaurus seeking comfort in the harsh winter. Photo credits: NHK
Mr. Ueda explained that it was crucial that the film went beyond a nonfictional
investigation of dinosaur extinction and presented a compelling story of
resilience that felt deeply human, despite starring nonhuman animals. To
give a reference for the animators and a sense of humanness to the dinosaur
performances, Mr. Ueda and the film crew physically acted out dinosaur
movements using 5-metre poles to simulate the dinosaur’s limbs and head
positions. For instance, the thrilling battle between the Maip and the
juvenile Puertasaurus was first played out by human actors and then animated.
Another key factor in humanising the dinosaur characters was the music. Mr. Ueda shared that he wanted the soundtrack to create the impression that the audience was experiencing the feelings of the dinosaurs on their dangerous journey. The lamenting piano and heart-tugging instrumentals were composed to emotionally connect viewers with these prehistoric giants.
Even the dinosaur noises tapped on the emotive power of the human voice. “For carnivorous dinosaurs, we mixed lion, tiger, bear, and human voices to create a deep sound. For smaller dinosaurs, we used bird songs and children’s voices,” Mr. Ueda said. The sound engineers also adapted recordings from trumpets and metals, mixing over ten sources to create a single dinosaur’s roar.
He hopes the film encourages viewers, especially children, to explore scientific mysteries and understand that science is an ongoing journey of discovery. Mr. Ueda explained, “It’s not the end of the story [of how dinosaurs lived]. If you try to know more, you may find incredible stories like this—stories of survival and hope that continue to inspire us.”
Enjoy Roar-some Deals at the Omni-Theatre
Amazing Dinoworld 2 screening at Omni-Theatre. Photo credits: Science Centre Board
Catch Amazing Dinoworld 2 showing
exclusively at the Omni-Theatre,
Southeast Asia's first 8K 3D Digital Dome Theatre. To celebrate Singapore’s
60th birthday, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents can now enjoy
limited-time offers on immersive science films until 31 December 2025.
Book your ticket to prehistoric eras and marvel at dinosaurs on the big
screen at a special promotion price of $6.00 (U.P $14.00).
Are you an educator who would like to bring the magic of science cinema
to your class? Learn more about Omni-Theatre’s School Programmes here.
Curious to uncover more treasures of the natural world? Double the excitement to enjoy access to both Science Centre and Omni-Theatre for a full day of science discovery at only $8.00. Get your tickets now at https://tickets.science.edu.sg/ and find out more about the promotion here.
Written by Jamie Uy
Promotional stills courtesy of NHK Science
Published 18 December 2025