Jurassic Worldwas trapped in development hell for more than a decade - but it wasn’t for lack of trying on the studios part. It’s strange to look back now and think that theJurassic Parkmovie franchisetook a 14-year break. This gap was partly due toJurassic Park III’sreception because, while it made money, it was critiqued for its paper-thin narrative and focus on action over character.
It would be unthinkable for a studio to let such a valuable property sit and gather dust for that long now, but the gap only heightened anticipation forJurassic Worldwhen it finally arrived. Despite the horrid reviews the most recent entryDominionreceived, the series is stronger than ever, andthe upcomingJurassic World: Rebirthwill take the saga in a new direction. Audiences will likely never have another decade-plus gap between installments, withJurassic World’sslow arrival being due to constant script issues.
Every Dinosaur In Jurassic World: Dominion Explained
Jurassic World: Dominion features an exciting cast of prehistoric creatures. Here’s a look at the dinosaurs, both real and fictional, that appear.
Jurassic Park 4 Was Originally Planned To Begin Production In 2004
Shortly beforeJurassic Park IIIentered theaters, a fourth film was placed in development. While the threequel didn’t do much to set up another film, Universal and producer Steven Spielberg were still keen to keep the franchise moving.Writers like William Monahan and John Sayles took cracks at penning a screenplay for part four, with the sequel set to enter production in 2004 for a potential 2005 release. Of course, none of that happened, withJurassic Worldbeing pushed back constantly in the years that followed.
Steven Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy refused to push Jurassic Park 4 forward until they found a screenplay that brought something fresh…
For a time, it felt like the series might be done, especially following the death of author Michael Crichton in 2008. Perhaps sensing audiences were underwhelmed byJurassic Park III, Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy refused to push a fourth entry forward until they found a screenplay that brought something fresh. This was wise since another sequel where a luckless group of characters gets chased around Isla Sorna just wasn’t going to cut it.
Jurassic Park 4’s Development Hell & Original Ideas Explained
Dinosaurs with guns probably wasn’t the right move for Jurassic Park
William Monahan worked for a while onJurassic Park 4and came up with a concept that made Spielberg, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neillveryexcited. Speaking withIGNback in 2002, Neill stated of this unmade sequel that “Out of all the concepts that have been created for these movies, this is possibly my favorite.” Sadly, exactly what happened in this version has never been revealed. Rumors suggestMonahan’sJurassic Park 4may havepaired Neill’s Grant and Goldblum’s Malcolm as they tried to stop the spread of dinosaurs breeding uncontrolled on a Costa Rican island.
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The Dino-Human hybrid concept forJurassic Park 4is by far the most well-known - and mocked. This radically different take was penned by Sayles and involved a mercenary named Nick, who is hired by Richard Attenborough’s Hammond to retrieve some dinosaur DNA from Isla Nublar. Through a bizarre sequence of events,Nick is then tasked with training these dino/human hybrids armed with guns for combat missions. Sayles is a master at crafting great B-movie screenplays (includingPirahnaandAlligator), but after the concept was largely met with scorn, it was quickly dropped.
Jurassic World Became The Movie As We Know It In 2012
Jurassic Park 4 eventually found the perfect hook
The poor response to the Sayles script took the wind ofJurassic Park 4’ssails for many years.Jurassic Park IIIdirector Joe Johnston was attached for a time before exiting production, whileI Am Legendwriter Mark Protosevich tried and failed to get Spielberg excited with his take. Finally in 2012, husband and wifescreenwriting team Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver worked on a draft that combined many concepts from previous scripts, including the notion of a fully functioning theme park and a hybrid dinosaur that escapesand starts eating the guests.
Colin Trevorrow was later hired to direct and heavily revised the Jaffa/Silver screenplay.Jurassic Worldwas criticized for its various plot holes - and the weirdly mean-spirited death of a supporting character - but it still earned 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed an unbelievable $1.6 billion worldwide. This proves that despite the long development and various failed pitches,Spielberg and company were right to take their time with the sequel.
Trevorrow would go on to writeJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom(which J. A. Bayona directed) before returning to helmDominion. Audiences only had a three year wait forJurassic World: Rebirth, where Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014) takes over as director and Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali are the new leads. Universal is no doubt hopefulRebirthwill lead to a new trilogy, but after the disappointment ofDominion, it will hopefully bring something new to the franchise.
Jurassic World
Cast
Jurassic World is a 2015 science fiction adventure film directed by Colin Trevorrow. Set 22 years after Jurassic Park, it introduces audiences to a fully operational dinosaur theme park on Isla Nublar. The narrative explores the consequences of genetic engineering as a hybrid dinosaur creation turns dangerous.
Jurassic Park
The Jurassic Park franchise is an action-adventure sci-fi series that began with Michael Crichton’s original novel. The series explores the dramatic repercussions of resurrecting dinosaurs through advanced genetic science. Set primarily in a disastrous theme park, Jurassic Park explores the profound ethical dilemmas about tinkering with the DNA of long ago extinct creatures and the manipulation of the natural world through science.
