From 'Jurassic Park' to 'Jurassic World', here's some dino-mite trivia you didn't know you needed

It’s time for fans to get ready for another dinosaur-sized adventure. Jurassic World: Rebirth, the latest instalment in the iconic franchise, is headed to the big screen with an all-new cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. Like in the previous films, we see the protagonists (or maybe the dinosaurs are the heroes) set off on a classified mission to a clandestine location filled with these prehistoric predators. 

As excitement builds for the seventh chapter of a story that began with Steven Spielberg’s legendary 1993 blockbuster, we take a look back at the franchise’s fascinating journey—from casting near-misses and stormy setbacks to sound effects that were anything but extinct. 

Steven Spielberg first heard about Jurassic Park while discussing a completely different project with author Michael Crichton—an idea based on Crichton’s time as an emergency room physician. Side note: Though that movie never took off, it eventually inspired E.R., the hit medical drama Spielberg helped bring to life.

Cut to Universal acquiring the rights to Jurassic Park for $2 million before the book even hit shelves, in a bid against Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron, who admitted that his R-rated, horror-driven take would have been very different from Spielberg’s version.

Casting calls

At the 30-year anniversary screening of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 2011, Spielberg revealed that Harrison Ford had declined the role of Dr. Alan Grant. Would he have done a better job than Sam Neil? Guess we’ll never know. It wasn’t just Ford and Grant in the race; actors William Hurt and Richard Dreyfuss, too, were considered for the part of the dinosaur connoisseur and archaeologist. 

Oh, and also? Jim Carrey gave a strong audition for Dr. Ian Malcolm, but Jeff Goldblum was the top choice from the beginning, according to casting director Janet Hirshenson. That said, he almost lost the role when Spielberg considered merging his character with Dr. Grant only for the actor to convince him to keep him in the script. Joseph Mazzello, who played Tim, had previously been turned down for Hook due to his age, but Spielberg promised to cast him in a future project and followed through.

Amongst the female leads, Laura Dern beat out Gwyneth Paltrow, Helen Hunt, Sandra Bullock and Robin Wright to play Dr. Ellie Sattler. Dern later revealed that it was her Wild at Heart co-star Nicolas Cage who convinced her to do the movie. Christina Ricci was a contender for Lex Murphy, but Ariana Richards clinched the role after her scream startled Spielberg’s wife awake from a nap. 

Love in the prehistoric era

Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum began dating after the film wrapped and were briefly engaged before parting ways in 1997. "I was struck, I'd been a big fan of hers," Goldblum told The Chicago Tribune in 1993. "I think she's an amazing actress, and a spectacular person. I was struck from the beginning. But after the movie, we realised we liked each other."

An iconic roar

According to The Making of Jurassic Park: An Adventure 65 Million Years in the Making, the T-Rex’s iconic roar was an audio mashup that included the growls and squeals of a dog, tiger, alligator, penguin, and baby elephant.

The misadventure that was Hurricane Iniki

Production was cut short when Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful storm on record to hit Hawaii, devastated the island. The cast and crew were immediately evacuated and completed filming in Los Angeles. Producer Kathleen Kennedy hitchhiked to Honolulu to organise an evacuation flight, which was coincidentally piloted by an actor from Raiders of the Lost Ark who had become a commercial pilot.

Delays for the fourth film

After two sequels were released in 1997 (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) and 2001 (Jurassic Park III), Jurassic IV was in development for years, beginning in 2001 and going through various changes before it was postponed in 2008. Several actors were reportedly considered to appear in the film, including Keira Knightley and Jeremy Piven.

The Chris Pratt casting story

Long before Jurassic World became a reality, Chris Pratt jokingly predicted his casting in a Parks & Recreation blooper—years before it actually came true. "As I was doing it, my phone rang and I pretended that I had gotten a text from Steven Spielberg that I was going to be in Jurassic Park 4," Pratt told IMDb. "The bit was so funny because I was like, 'There is no way Steven Spielberg is going to cast you in Jurassic Park 4. That's funny!' And then it turned out that it happened which is wild. I manifested it." Before Pratt, Josh Brolin was considered for the role of Owen Grady, but director Colin Trevorrow ultimately chose Pratt without offering the role to anyone else.

The iconic trio reunite

While Goldblum briefly appeared in Jurassic World: Fallen World, 2022's Jurassic World: Dominion, marked the first time he shared the screen with Dern and Neill since 1993.

All images: Getty Images

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