UPDATE! Deadline reports that Safety Not Guaranteed director Colin Trevorrow actually is going to direct the fourth Jurassic Park. More on this story as it develops.
FROM EARLIER: Things are about to get pretty exciting for Jurassic Park fans.
For starters, Steven Spielberg’s original film is ready to roar into theaters on April 5, with a 3D conversion that also will take over select IMAX screens. But an Internet rumor making the rounds today links Spielberg to the announced fourth Park movie, which gives dinosaur junkies even more to buzz about.
Universal is moving ahead with Jurassic Park IV, circling June 13, 2014 as a planned release date. But we don’t know anything else about the sequel. The plot, potential cast members and director all remain a secret at the moment.
That last one could change pretty quickly. HitFix reports that cast and crew are being hired for this sequel, with the identity of the director being kept under wraps. The site theorizes that Universal, in an effort to get the Park franchise back on the right track, is ready to sign Spielberg to helm the sequel, and may announce his hiring around the 3D release of the original.
Is it possible? Sure. Spielberg conveniently cleared his schedule recently, pushing back an adaptation of the sci-fi thriller Robopocalypse until late in 2014. And he recently hinted about a return to the animated world of Tintin, though that also wouldn’t start right away. The prolific director seems to have a hole in his schedule, and it’s one that could be filled by a massive T-Rex.
If Spielberg returns, it will be because they’ve cracked a plot that’s too tantalizing to pass up. He has gone on record as saying that he brought dinosaurs to the mainland in The Lost World simply because he selfishly wanted to do it himself and not wait until Jurassic Park III (which was the plan behind the scenes). If there’s a solid storyline in place for part four, it could be enough to pique Spielberg’s interests.
Spielberg also finds ways to balance the prestige pictures (like Lincoln) with the blockbusters (like Jurassic), so even though his last film was nominated for 12 Oscars, he’d likely still be interested in recreating digital dinos in a larger, on-screen Park playground. So we’ll see how this plays out. Universal might instead bring in a young gun who’s eager to extend Michael Crichton and Spielberg’s world. But if Spielberg wants another shot at a Jurassic sequel, the studio isn’t going to say no.
Follow along on Twitter @Sean_OConnell and @Fandango.
