After a couple of far-from-perfect sequels, the Jurassic franchise was rebooted with Jurassic World in 2015. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard were chosen to lead the series, with only one movie set in the newly minted "Jurassic World" theme park before it all came crashing down.
The trilogy, which also included Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, was a financial success for Universal Pictures, with all three instalments grossing over $1 billion each. However, Dominion's takings dropped significantly from its predecessors and reviews were not kind.
Now, the idea is to reboot the series again or at least continue it with a new cast which, so far, includes Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, and - if talks work out - Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali.
In an interview with ComicBook.com (via SFFGazette.com), the Avengers: Endgame star broke her silence on the movie when they asked what led to her returning to a big budget franchise after playing the MCU's Black Widow.
"Everything," she responded. "I'm an enormous Jurassic Park fan. It's one of the first films I remember seeing in the theater. I remember seeing it so vividly. It was like life-changing. It was mind-blowing. I cannot express how excited I am."
"The script is so incredible," Johansson added. "David Koepp wrote it. He returned after like 30 years to write the script. He's so passionate about it, which is so awesome."
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards is helming Jurassic World 4 and recently shared his excitement to tackle another iconic property. "I was about to take a break and I started writing my next idea for a film and this is the only movie that would make me drop everything like a stone and dive right in," The Creator helmer explained.
"I love Jurassic Park. I think the first movie is a cinematic masterpiece... so this opportunity is like a dream to me. And to work with Frank Marshall and Universal and David Koepp, who's writing that script, I think they're all legends. So I'm just very excited."
The Jurassic franchise kicked off with the release of Jurassic Park in 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Michael Crichton. The movie follows a group of people visiting a dinosaur theme park on a remote island, where the cloned dinosaurs break free and wreak havoc.
Its success led to multiple sequels, including The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic Park III (2001), and the reboot series starting with Jurassic World in 2015. Those films expand on the concept of dinosaur cloning and feature various attempts to exploit or control the creatures for profit or scientific research. Ultimately, they're unleashed in the wider world.
Universal Pictures is eager to get Jurassic City into theaters as soon as possible, setting a July 2, 2025 release date.