The Hatchling is a 2023 short film directed by Tim Cianfano. It tells the story of a group trying to reunite a baby dinosaur with its family while evading the wrath of gargantuan beasts and a web of forces with their own agendas. The short film was released on October 17, 2023 and can be watched off of the Youtube Channel Digital Duck, which also created the paleo-documentary, Forgotten Bloodlines: Agate.
Plot[]
A group of four teenagers have stumbled across a Deinocheirus hatchling and keep it in their home. One day, a small group of poachers arrive at the house, aiming to take the Deinocheirus hatchling for easy money. The teens manage to sneak outside and call on a friend, Tammy, to return the baby to his parents out in the forest. After a long walk, Avery sets down the pet carrier and struggles to open the door. This draws the attention of a gigantic female Deinocheirus, who slowly yet angrily walks toward Tammy and the kids. Finally, Avery manages to rip the door off and the Deinocheirus baby emerges, finally reunited with his parents. On the walk back to Tammy's truck, the group talk about Tammy's controversial business move of offing dinosaur tours and how a world full of non-avian dinosaurs has opened up new business opportunities. Avery turns around towards the truck in shock, and the group can only watch helplessly as a Suchomimus devours Tammy's dog, who was sitting in the truck with them while they were driving away to return the Deinocheirus baby.
Dinosaurs Featured[]
- Deinocheirus
- Coelophysis
- Suchomimus
- Pachyrhinosaurus (The species field guide only)
- Borealopelta (The species field guide only)
- Pteranodon (The species field guide only)
- Nyctosaurus (The species field guide only)
- Yi (Seen in X Post)[1]
Cast[]
- April Consalo as "Avery''
- Lamonte Jordan as "Max"
- Liam Krivcov as "Gus''
- Carrie Gibson as "Tammy"
- Madison Sovak as "Gabi"
- Larissa Klinger as "Lucy''
- James Cesa as "Agent #1"
- Dylan O'Keefe as "Agent #2"
- Colin Henderson as "Agent #3"
- Tim Cianfano as "Agent #4"
- Anthony Feliciano as "Agent (voice)"
- Chris Pugh as "Agent (voice)"
Sequel[]
It was announced via twitter on January 30th, 2025, that an anthology sequel, titled Nightfall, would be released in Summer 2025. Producer Chris Pugh stated that it would take "a completely new direction with new characters and tone," expressing enthusiasm for audiences to experience the team's latest creation.
Gallery[]
