Scarlett Johansson OFFICIALLY Offered Lead Role in New Jurassic World Movie

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!

Scarlett Johansson Offered Lead Role in Next Jurassic World Film

The Black Widow could be making her way into the ranks of Jurassic leading ladies! According to Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider, Scarlett Johansson has been offered the lead role in the next Jurassic World movie.

Johansson is known for many films, such as Lost in Translation, Lucy, The Prestige, Isle of Dogs, and The Island, more recently her work with Wes Anderson in Asteroid City, and of course her starring role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow – spy, assassin, and hero in multiple installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Needless to say, she has more than the chops for such a role as Jurassic, and this could be a great choice for a David Koepp character.

Jeff Sneider shared in his TheInSneider newsletter on March 13th:

Tonight, one of my best sources has told me that Scarlett Johansson has been offered the lead role in the new Jurassic World movie that Gareth Edwards is directing for Universal.

There’s no word on whether she has accepted yet, but her hiring would make a ton of sense, as she’s a proven movie star whom the studio has been high on ever since she powered 2014’s Lucy to a global haul of $469 million.

I’m told that Johansson met with Edwards and producer Frank Marshall at least once. A representative for the actress did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Universal.

Production is slated to start this summer, and Johansson will have wrapped her feature directorial debut Eleanor the Invisible by then, so she should be available for the high-intensity shoot.

Sneider goes into more detail and discussion in his full newsletter and The Hot Mic podcast, so please be sure to check both of those out!


What do you think about this potential casting for Gareth Edwards’ upcoming Jurassic film? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

Next Jurassic World Movie Confirmed to Film in UK at Sky Studios Elstree This Year

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:


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.


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


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.”


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.



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?

Nick Robinsion, “Zach” From ‘Jurassic World,’ Wishes To Return To The Franchise

It’s been nearly a decade since the events of 2015’s ‘Jurassic World;’ after the Indominus Rex escaped its pen, causing a chain reaction of carnage on Isla Nublar. Zach Mitchell, played by Nick Robinson, survived the massacre. But where has he been since the dinosaurs reclaimed their “dominion?”

Well, Nick is entertaining this idea!

CoveredGeekly had an exclusive conversation with Nick, asking if he would come back to the franchise in the upcoming film. Nick says:

“I’d love to [return], but I don’t know. ‘Zach’ I think is probably still in therapy from the trauma of the first movie. But […] I’d love for that character to come back. It’d be really fun.”

While it is nice to know he is willing to return, it is all up to the script and the filmmakers if he really will. This is not a confirmation by any means. Still, it is nice to entertain what happened to Zach after the first ‘Jurassic World’ film. Was he forever traumatized by the event? Did he stop giving his brother a hard time? Did his parents divorce, or did they stay together [for SOME reason]? Has he stopped staring at girls, thinking something will actually happen? Did he finally respect his girlfriend? Maybe his experience at Nublar inspired him to hunt dinosaurs out of revenge for what happened to him and Gray?

Nick Robinson has been busy since ‘Jurassic World,’ on shows like ‘Melissa & Joey,’ but most notably as Simon in the film ‘Love, Simon’ as well as the spinoff series ‘Love, Victor.’ However, it should be mentioned that he did reprise his role as Zach for the ‘Lego: Jurassic World’ video game!

What do you think happened to Zach after ‘Jurassic World,’ and would you like to see it happen in a film? Share your comments below, and as always stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost for the latest!

Jurassic City? Jurassic Saga? Everything We Know About the Next Jurassic World Movie!

Since we last reported the potential return to the island of Kauai for the next Jurassic World movie, a few new developments have taken place.

ProductionList.com listed ‘Jurassic World 4’ with a shoot date July 31, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. We cannot verify this claim or speak to the legitimacy of this website, but it’s not out of the question that the movie may film in LA, or parts of California.

Notable insider DanielRPK revealed that the current working title for the movie is Jurassic City. We have since learned this information to be false while revealing that the movie is working under the production company Saga Productions.

Rumors of filming for the next installment returning to Hawaii were further suggested by a couple of blocked out days in April at ranches across Kauai. While we do not believe this to be related to Jurassic World 4, there’s a chance it could be location scouting.

We cover all of this and more in the latest video below:

Be sure to check out the latest episode of our podcast where the team discuss Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World!

Rumor: Next Jurassic World Movie to Return to Hawaii for Filming

Hold on to your butts, because the news keeps roaring in. Courtesy of ‘Reel News Hawaii‘, we have learned that the upcoming Gareth Edwards directed Jurassic World movie is eyeing Hawaii for one of its filming locations. Rumors are circulating that the production will head out to Kauai Island as soon as next month, and have already booked locations and equipment for this outing. It’s unclear if this is for location scouting, set building, or even early filming before principal photography starts in June.

Hawaii has a long history with the Jurassic Park franchise, with every movie save for Jurassic World Dominion filming on locations across its many islands. At this time it’s unclear if this news means the upcoming movie will return to Jurassic Park and World’s Isla Nublar, or The Lost World and JP///’s Isla Sorna – or perhaps even fill in for the other islands of Las Cinco Muertes (The Five Deaths). Some have suggested the new movie may not be a linear sequel, and rather jump backward in the timeline – the return of Hawaii (if proven true) adds a little fuel to that fire as dinosaurs now roam the world in various locations leading to less of a need to return to the legendary InGen islands post-Dominion.

Of course, Hawaii offers an incredible variety of landscapes, flora, and fauna and could also stand in for other mainland regions (such as Costa Rica). It’s easy to speculate at this stage, but the fact is we know next to nothing, and the sky is the limit. One thing is for certain: if this report proves credible the next Jurassic film will absolutely share visual DNA with Jurassic Park and its many sequels that followed.

Executive producer Steven Spielberg, along with producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, will spearhead the project under Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee production on behalf of Universal.

While specific plot details for the untitled Jurassic World sequel remain under wraps (other than ‘militarized dinos’ are not featured), the film is rumored to kickstart a “new Jurassic era” hinting at a fresh new, dinosaur-filled adventure – likely with no returning characters from past films. That’s right – anyone is fair game to be dinosaur food, as the character armor wielded by actors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum will no longer be directly related.

The script penned by Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp is reported to be ‘leaner and meaner’, invoking vague similarities to John Carpenter’s ‘Escape from New York’. It has been reported that Spielberg and the studio are very happy with the script, which is several drafts in, and as such are very protective of it and do not want the story meddled with. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Jeff Sneider, Spielberg is more involved this time as he does not want a repeat of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, and became worried the series would follow the trajectory of the Transformers films becoming “bigger and dumber” with each installment.

Pre-production is expected to begin at Sky Studios in the UK at the end of this month, with filming starting in June. The movie is slated for release July 2nd, 2025.

Stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost, as more news is sure to be flocking this way.

Gareth Edwards in Final Talks to Direct the Next Jurassic World Film

After talks with David Leitch and his producing partners fell through, Universal Pictures and executive producers Steven Spielberg & Frank Marshall were on the hunt for a new director for the next Jurassic World film, and it looks like they have found their match: Gareth Edwards (director of 2010’s Monsters, 2014’s Godzilla, 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and 2023’s The Creator) is in final negotiations to direct the new film!

Executive producer Steven Spielberg, along with producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, will spearhead the project under Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee production on behalf of Universal.

While specific plot details for the untitled Jurassic World sequel remain under wraps (other than ‘militarized dinos’ are not featured), the film is rumored to kickstart a “new Jurassic era” hinting at a fresh new, dinosaur-filled adventure – likely with no returning characters from past films. That’s right – anyone is fair game to be dinosaur food, as the character armor wielded by actors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum will no longer be directly related.

The script penned by Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp is reported to be ‘leaner and meaner’, invoking vague similarities to John Carpenter’s ‘Escape from New York’. It has been reported that Spielberg and the studio are very happy with the script, which is several drafts in, and as such are very protective of it and do not want the story meddled with. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Jeff Sneider, Spielberg is more involved this time as he does not want a repeat of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, and became worried the series would follow the trajectory of the Transformers films becoming bigger and dumber with each installment.

Pre-production is expected to begin at Sky Studios in the UK at the end of this month, with filming starting in June. The movie is slated for release July 2nd, 2025.

Stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost, as more news is sure to be hatching soon.


David Leitch No Longer Directing Next Jurassic World Film As Talks Fall Through

In a somewhat shocking announcement, Deadline has reported that negotiations between Universal Pictures and David Leitch to direct the next Jurassic World film have fallen through due to creative differences, and the studio is now seeking their next choice to helm the film. This report comes only a few days after the John Wick director was announced as being “in talks” to direct Jurassic World 4. More from Deadline below:


Adding further context and intrigue to this news is The Hollywood Reporter, who shared insider knowledge about the nature of the director negotiations and the state of production on the next Jurassic:

“But more interesting was Universal’s new Jurassic World movie losing director David Leitch. The surprising news came only a few days after we and others wrote about him being in talks to tackle the dinos. What happened?

Part of the problem is that Universal is so far along on the project that Leitch would essentially have been more of a shooter than someone who could have really put his stamp on the film.

“There’s not enough time to work with new ideas,” one source told us of the film, which has a script by David Koepp and an ambitious July 2, 2025 release date. According to another source, the producers have already done some dino design work and soft prep on the movie.

But we can see why the film was attractive for someone like Leitch in the first place. It was going to lean into action territory (one source described it as having an Escape from New York vibe, but a Universal insider said that was not true. Well, what about the idea of weaponized dinosaurs? The insider said no.)

Either way, Universal will be looking for a new director ASAP.”


It seems Universal Pictures is moving quite quickly on the next Jurassic film, and very much wants to find the person they view as the right creative mind to bring it to life. This news could also suggest that they are very confident in Koepp’s script and story, and may not want too many changes from a new director that comes on board.

What an exciting, somewhat confusing, and wild few weeks of Jurassic news we have had. What are your thoughts about the state of production on the next Jurassic World and who do you think should fill the director’s chair? Let us know in the comments!


Next JURASSIC WORLD Film Releasing JULY 2ND, 2025 – David Leitch Eyed to Direct!

Hold on to your butts and mark your calendars for JULY 2ND, 2025 – the next Jurassic World film is coming and promises a fresh start for the prehistoric saga. The movie is expected to introduce new characters, with David Koepp, the writer of Jurassic Park, handling the script, and David Leitch considered for the director’s chair. David Leitch, known for his work on action-packed films like “Deadpool 2” and “Bullet Train,” is poised to direct the film, adding his unique flair to the dinosaur-infested world.

Executive producer Steven Spielberg, along with producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, will spearhead the project under Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Additional production support comes from David Leitch and Kelly McCormick of 87North. Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee production on behalf of Universal.

While specific plot details for the untitled Jurassic World sequel remain under wraps, the film is rumored to kickstart a “new Jurassic era” hinting at a fresh new, dinosaur-filled adventure – likely with no returning characters from past films.

At this point, it is unknown if the movie will take a back-to-basics approach honing in on what made Jurassic Park so successful or gravitate toward Leitch’s action-packed strengths. With Koepp at the helm of the story we expect the former, especially considering the ‘Fast & Furious’ styled sequences in the Jurassic World trilogy often did not resonate with audiences – but with Leitch directing it certainly raises the question of what style the new film will take.

Stay tuned as we await the July 2nd, 2025 release, as more news is sure to be on the horizon.

(This story was first reported by Deadline)

Bryan Cranston Wants to Join Bryce Dallas Howard for New Jurassic World Film

Logo mockup by Chris Pugh

Since the announcement of a new Jurassic film in the works, fans have been wondering who will be tied to the project. Will we see the return of some familiar faces, or will we get all new characters to enter the fray? One such character many fans are wondering if will return is Claire Dearing. Since Claire’s growth and evolution have been a huge driving force behind a lot of the Jurassic World series, will we be seeing more of her?

The Bryce Dallas Howard Network tweeted a clip from a recent interview EXTRA did with the actress herself, along with her co-star Bryan Cranston, promoting their new film Argylle. In it, Howard was asked if she was coming back to the franchise for the 7th installment. While she states that she would like to return, her ultimate hope was that “{…] they continue with the story and the conceit that Michael Crichton has created, and invite new cast members and storytellers to be a part of it.”

Later in the interview Cranston chimes in, stating that he would “love to be a part of Jurassic World,” and that he loves the films. Bryan Cranston is a renowned actor, known for roles in films and shows such as Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle, Godzilla (2014), Isle of Dogs, and many many more. He’s the kind of actor who would be an amazing addition to the franchise, adding to the already incredible list of talented performers who have been a part of this saga.

You can watch the entire interview below:

While the original announcement of a new film stated that it would be the start of a “new Era” for the franchise, it is unknown at this point if any characters (human or dinosaurs) from the first six films will be returning for the new movie. We also have had no further word on who else will be working behind the camera as well.

In the last several years Bryce Dallas Howard has found herself in the director’s chair for several projects, including the popular Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+. Proving to have great a passion for her projects, as well as a wonderful eye and directorial skill, perhaps the person best to take on the reigns of Jurassic 7’s director’s chair is someone close with the material already?

With the film’s initial announcement stating that Universal is currently aiming for a 2025 release, we suspect that if they intend to keep to that timetable more announcements could be just around the corner.

What do you think? Who would you like to see star in the next Jurassic film? Would you like to see familiar faces or all-new characters? Who would you like to see direct the film?