It was just a month ago that David Leitch was set to direct the next ‘Jurassic World’ movie for Universal (this one might be titled “Jurassic City”). Four days later, Leitch dropped out over “creative differences.” This, temporarily, set back plans for the movie to hit its targeted 2025 date.
However, it turns out that it didn’t take too long for Universal to find a replacement, and it was “The Creator” filmmaker Gareth Edwards. This was a great pick by the studio. Given his background in both sci-fi and monster movies, Edwards, more so than Leitch, is a perfect match for the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise.
A stellar cast is being assembled as well. Scarlett Johansson is confirmed to be one of the leads. Last week, word was that Dev Patel might be joining her in the film. The latest, via Daniel Richtman, has Colman Domingo in talks to play the villain in “Jurassic City.”
Fresh off his Oscar-nominated work in “Rustin,” Domingo is an inspired choice as a villain — if you’ve seen his gonzo work in 2021’s “Zola” then you might be in agreement with me here. His other notable screen credits includes turns in HBO’s “Euphoria,” “The Color Purple,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
As you might imagine, Universal is desperately trying to kickstart production on “Jurassic City|. With the aim of a July 2, 2025 release locked into their brains, they are trying to tie everything together in order for the targeted July 2024 production date to be hit. David Koepp is writing the screenplay for this one.
This latest ‘Jurassic’ film is said to be a fresh new take, with former castmembers Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard not expected to return, nor the original trilogy’s Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill. They’re, supposedly, scratching off nostalgia for something brand new.
All in all, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there’s finally some real promise for this franchise. That’s what happens when you hire a talented filmmaker to steer the ship in the right direction.