Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment began to film last February the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 2015 smash hit “Jurassic World,” a long-awaited sequel to the original “jurassic park” film trilogy.
Already returning star Chris Pratt has described the upcoming “Jurassic World 2” to be a “darker and scarier” ride than its original, as the cast both old and new will be beset by some “old flavor” terror where the franchise’s genetically recreated dinosaurs are concerned.
Also reprising his role from both the “Park” films and “World” is actor BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, a masterstroke of casting for when it happened in 2015.
But now the producers seek to top that by bringing in another old face back to the franchise.
Dr. Malcolm returns
None other than veteran actor Jeff Goldblum has been confirmed to be joining the cast of “Jurassic World 2”, making his triumphant return since the 1997 film “Lost World: Jurassic Park,” the second installment of the original trilogy. He will again be portraying the smart-aleck and snarky Dr. Ian Malcolm, mathematician, and beleaguered chaos theorist, who survived the original Jurassic Park outbreak in Costa Rica’s Isla Nublar of 1993 and the Isla Sorna expedition shown in “Lost World.”
The return of Goldblum, represented by ICM, Industry Entertainment, and Hansen-Jacobson, is one major treat for fans of the Jurassic franchise.
It also brings him to equal prominence in appearing in the same number of films as the other leading character in the original movie, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill).
Although the “Jurassic World” sequel is still quite far off from hitting theaters, Goldblum will be seen this year in November’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” He’s also been on a general sequel reprisal streak too, what with appearing last year’s “Independence Day: Resurgence” as his character from the first film back in 1996.
Record holder predecessor
The sequel film is being directed by J.A. Bayona (“Monster Calls”) and produced by Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley, alongside executive producer’s Colin Trevorrow (co-writing with Derek Connolly) and Steven Spielberg. Its predecessor "Jurassic World" earned $1.67 billion internationally, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film in history.
Aside from Chris Pratt, “Jurassic World 2” will star Bryce Dallas Howards, Justice Smith, Toby Jones, and James Cromwell. The Universal and Amblin production is angling for a release in cinemas on June 22, 2018.
