Bryce Dallas Howard shares her thoughts on Jurassic World 4 and gives advice to the film’s creative team. Howard will not be reprising her Jurassic World role as Claire Dearing in the next installment, nor will other franchise veterans, as it will instead feature a new cast and story. Jurassic World 4 is being written by David Koepp, who wrote the screenplay for the original Jurassic Park and its first sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. It is being helmed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, with a cast led by Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey.
While speaking with Collider, Howard was asked whether she had any advice to give to Jurassic World 4‘s cast and crew. As a longtime enthusiast of Jurassic Park and of the long-running franchise, Howard is eager to see what is next, and is looking forward to experiencing it this time as a fan. In terms of advice, she focused on the enduring impact that the films can have on viewers of all ages around the world. Check out Howard’s comments below:
I’m so excited for the continuation of this incredible story created by Michael Crichton and very much so brought to life by Steven Spielberg. And this next movie, while I don’t know much about it because I don’t want to know much about it because I’m a fan first, David Koepp wrote it, he wrote Jurassic Park. Scarlett Johansson is in it. Gareth Edwards is directing it. He directed Rogue One, Godzilla. This is gonna be a great movie. And so I would have no advice for anyone who’s part of that team because they’re gonna nail it.
I would say the one thing which I know that they know is that this is just incredibly meaningful for kids. Dinosaurs are a big deal and they’re special interests for a lot of young people and that stays with some of us as we get older. I have wallpaper in my bedroom of dinosaurs. I’m 43. And so, I think that, if they don’t already know it, they’ll immediately see it and sense it and it’s such an honor to get to be a part of the dinosaur franchise.
Jurassic World 4 Can Be A Fresh Start For The Franchise
Every Jurassic Park sequel has been heavily reliant on characters from the original film. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is the protagonist of The Lost World, and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) is the protagonist of Jurassic Park III. Even Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which put Howard and Chris Pratt’s characters at the forefront of the story, still brought back Jurassic Park character Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) as the overarching antagonist. Jurassic World Dominion leaned in further with the prominent roles of the original trio: Ian, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Ellie Satler (Laura Dern).
All the sequels had their merits, and while it was thrilling to see the return and ongoing story of the original Jurassic Park characters, this approach made it difficult for the sequels to genuinely explore new stories and new ideas. By being the first sequel that won’t rely on the nostalgic familiarity of established characters, Jurassic World 4 has the potential to be the first truly fresh start for the franchise, a turning point that is long overdue. Johansson, Bailey, and the rest of the cast are well-known stars, but their characters should be original.