Dino-Mite: Jurassic Park IV Unearthed
By Josh Grossberg; Fri Nov 8, 3:00 PM Et  (original link)

Universal Pictures is ready for some new digs.

The Studio is once again teaming with Steven Spielberg to excavate a new installment in the billion-dollar
Jurassic Park franchise.

Everythings's still in the drawing-board phase--the studio just tapped scribe
Nov. 9, 2002 2:38 p.m. Central  #0004
William Monahan to write the screenplay, according to Hollywood Reporter--but expect Jurassic Park IV to follow the hankable formula of intent humans getting picked off by hungry T. Rexes, veloviraptors, pterodactyls (ptyranodons to be accurate!) and other cool, CGI dinos on the rampage at some exotic locale. No official word on whether cast members like Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Julianne Moore, or Vince Vaughn would be back for the fourth go-round.

There's also no word on a director. Spielberg--who directed 1993's original Jurassic Park and its 1997 sequel The Lost World before handing over helming to chores to protege Joe Johnston (
the Rocketeer, Jumanji) for Jurassic Park III--will serve as producer on the project with Kathleen Kennedy. Johnston is also out of the running, according to E! Online movie columnist Anderson Jones.

Jones also reports that Spielberg has dreamt up a story idea, meaning it's doubtful that auther Michael Crichton (who wrote the original dinosaurs-amok-in-an-amusement park novel that launched the franchise) will help develop
Jurassic IV. However, he will likely again draw a producer's credit.

Monahan recently penned 20th Century Fox's upcoming historical drama Tripoli, which will reunite director Ridley Scott with his Oscar-winning Gladiator star, Russell Crowe. Monahan is also collaborating with Scott on another untitled script set during the Crusades.

Green-lighting a fourth
Jurassic Park is about as close to a no-brainer as it gets in Hollywood.

The first
Jurassic Park ranks fourth on the all-time worldwide box-office list, having earned $914 million in ticket sales. Combined with the $614 million in receipts from The Lost World and the $365 million from Jurassic III, the franchise has earned nearly $2 billion globally--and that's minus the gazillions in profits the studio and producers made from video and TV sales, along with ancillary toys, games and other licensed merchandise.

By the time the script is written and the movie enters production,
Jurassic Park IV should storm theatres in summer 2005.

Okay. Don't get me wrong, I love the Jurassic Park movies, and I definately love Mr. Spielberg but Steven, STOP IT! Leave them alone, they're fine. We don't need another one. You're going to ruin the greatness of the first one by pounding it with sequels. Please Steven, I hope you know what you're doing.


Back Home

Back to News Archive