Month: March 2024

A couple of weeks back we reported that Scarlett Johansson had been offered the lead role in the upcoming movie. The rumor came from notable insider Jeff Snieder, and today his exclusive was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.

Scarlett Johansson is taking a bite out of a new blockbuster. The actor is in talks to join Universal’s new Jurassic World movie, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Universal is moving quickly on the film, which has a July 2, 2025, release date. Gareth Edwards is directing the new Jurassic World, which has a script from Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp. Edwards stepped into the role after David Leitch exited following a short attachment to the project.

The film returns Johansson to the world of franchises. She starred as Black Widow in a number of Marvel Studios movies, including the Avengers features, but unlike some co-stars in the superhero world, has had no trouble breaking out in other projects. She has earned two Oscar nominations, for Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit. She has a voice role in the upcoming animated feature Transformers One, and has a big-budget Apple feature co-starring Channing Tatum also due out this year.

The actress is more recently known for her role as Marvel’s Black Widow and Midge Campbell in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. She has starred in a fantastic array of movies – Under the Skin, Chef, The Prestige, The Island… the list goes on.

You can read the report from THR here, and we summarize all we know about this casting in the video below, including the fact that Jennifer Lawrence turned down this role before talks began with Scarlett. We also show John Campea’s reaction to the news in which he speculates that this is likely a done deal.

What do YOU think of this potential casting – would you like to see Scarlett Johansson lead the next adventure? And where would you like that adventure to take place?

Share your thoughts below!

Filming and location rumors have been rumbling since the announcement that a new Jurassic World film is in development, and confirmation of certain details has come via Universal Pictures and Deadline:

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NBCUniversal has confirmed that its new Jurassic World movie will film this year at its own Sky Studios Elstree in the UK.

With a release date already set for July 2025, the expectation from our sources is that the blockbuster will begin filming this summer, though that hasn’t been confirmed by the studio.

The confirmation of the movie filming at Sky Studios came from Universal’s sister company Sky, which today heralded UK government updates to the local tax credit and business rates.

The new Jurassic World movie will become the third major film to shoot at Universal’s Sky Studios venue — after Wicked and Paddington 3 — which opened last year. The film is also expected to shoot in other global destinations — most movies in the franchise have filmed in Hawaii, though that hasn’t been confirmed as a destination. Previous Jurassic World movies had shot at Pinewood in the UK but this one will not be filming there.

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Further details and comments from director Gareth Edwards were also shared via Variety:

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U.K. Government Unveils Tax Relief for Studios and Indie Film Credit as ‘Jurassic World 4’ Sets Shoot in Country

During the reading of the U.K. government’s spring budget on Wednesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed a 40% corporate tax relief for film and TV studios through 2034.

“We’re delighted that the Chancellor called ‘Cut’ today on TV and Film studio business rates, providing vital tax relief to enable the UK’s world-class film and TV production sector to continue to thrive,” Strong said. “Today’s announcement brings confidence to the sector, unlocking job opportunities whilst providing a stable foundation for the investments of tomorrow in the U.K., such as our proposal for Sky Studios Elstree North and the filming of NBCUniversal’s ‘Jurassic 4.’”

“Jurassic World 4” director Gareth Edwards also expressed his delight at the news:

“Watching ‘Star Wars’ as a child, I always assumed blockbuster filmmaking was just a distant dream for someone growing up in the U.K. But then, as I watched the behind the scenes, I suddenly realized it was all filmed in a studio just outside of London. And that making ambitious commercial films is totally within the reach of British filmmakers,” he said. “When I finally got to make my first film ‘Monsters,’ it was made in the true independent style — with a small cast and crew, a tiny budget and shot in just a few weeks. I learnt so much, so fast, and would definitely describe it was one of the most creative experiences I’ve ever had. Without that opportunity I would never have been given ‘Godzilla,’ ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Creator’… And now as we organize shooting the new ‘Jurassic Park’ film in ‘a studio just outside London,’ I hope we inspire other new filmmakers to shoot small, but always dream big.”

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Obviously of interest is the fact that Edwards refers to the film as “the new ‘Jurassic Park’” (we do know he’s a massive fan) as well as the news from Deadline that “the film is also expected to shoot in other global destinations.” It sounds as if studio filming in the UK may not be the only important production location for the next Jurassic film.

Are you excited for the next Jurassic World film and its prospective filming locations? What do you hope it will be? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest news.

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To the tune of the Jurassic Park theme by John Williams:

It’s Jurassic Park

It’s a UK Park

Will it film in Hawaii?