As a follow-up to The Insneider's initial early-March report that Scarlett Johansson was being pursued by Universal to headline the studio's next Jurassic World entry, The Hollywood Reporter and Puck have both confirmed the news.
This latest development follows the surprise news back in February that Universal was moving forward with another dinosaur flick, with a rapidly approaching July 2, 2025 release date.
In order to meet that ambitious release schedule, it appears Universal is going the unconventional path of producing animatronics and visual effects for the upcoming film first, and then writing a script to fit around what's already been completed.
Screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original scripts for the 1993 film Jurassic Park and its 1997 follow-up, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, is presently working on the next adaptation.
After being attached to direct, David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) withdrew from the project because he thought that the film's ambitious timetable and pre-completed work provided little opportunity for him to add his own unique touch.
Leitch was quickly replaced by The Creator director Gareth Edwards, who previously stated, "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."
"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 the script, I think they're all legends. So I'm just very excited."
The intriguing detail from Puck's casting story on Johansson is that Jennifer Lawrence apparently rejected Universal's earlier attempt to cast her, meaning Johansson wasn't the first option.
Lawrence's decision to pass is unsurprising as she's has shied away from big franchises after devoting a chunk of her early years to Fox's X-Men films and Lionsgate's Hunger Games films.
On the flip side, Johansson may be looking to fulfill her star power with another big tentpole now that her time as Black Widow in the MCU appears to be over (although you can never be sure with multiverse shenanigans).
The upcoming film will feature a brand new cast as previous trilogy stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are not expected to return.
Likewise, the OG Jurassic Park trio- Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, who returned in the latest trilogy alongside Pratt and Howard, are also said to be absent in this latest iteration.
Currently, Jurassic World 4 is aiming to hit theaters on July 2, 2025, just a little over a week before Warner Bros. reboots its DC Comics cinematic universe with Superman: Legacy which hits theaters on July 11, 2025.