David Koepp and Jurassic Park
Olly Curtis/Future Publishing via Getty Images; Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
You can't keep a good T-Rex under control.
Even though it's been two years since dinosaurs last roamed the Earth in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion, Universal Pictures has barely managed to keep its biggest franchise in limbo.
The studio is in the middle of developing a brand new Jurassic World film and has David Koepp back at the keyboard. Koepp was the writer of the original 1993 film Jurassic Park, famously directed by Steven Spielberg, and its 1997 sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World.
The project, which has flown under the radar so far, is so advanced and the script is in a popular state that the studio is whispering about a possible 2025 release date.
There's no director on board, but Frank Marshall, the experienced and acclaimed producer who oversaw the Jurassic World trilogy, is producing again, as is another Jurassic veteran, Patrick Crowley. Spielberg will executive produce through his Amblin Entertainment banner.
It is unclear what the relaunch will look like. It is known to usher in a “new Jurassic era” with an entirely new storyline, according to sources. This seems to rule out a return for the characters of Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. And it appears that characters from the original Jurassic Park films, played by Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, would not be involved.
The fact that it's called a new “Jurassic World” instead of “Jurassic Park” might also be telling. That would suggest that the franchise is unlikely to take a back-to-basics approach, but could venture into parts unknown (Jurassic Space? Just release it).
The Jurassic franchise is an important gem in Universal's film history. The original 1993 film redefined special effects and had a lasting impact on pop culture. Over the course of three decades, six films were made that grossed more than $6 billion worldwide. The original Jurrasic Park adapted Michael Crichton's 1990 novel.
Sara Scott, executive vice president of production development, and Jacqueline Garell, creative executive of production development, will oversee the project for Universal.
Koepp is the veteran screenwriter whose credits range from the original “Mission: Impossible” (1996) and the first Spider-Man film (2002) to “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008) and last year's Indy entry ” Indiana Jones” reach the dial of fate.
He also wrote Steven Soderbergh's reverse ghost story “Presence,” which premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. Koepp and Soderbergh also have a hot project on the market called Black Bag that is generating a lot of interest from buyers.
He is represented by CAA and Myman Greenspan.