In Variety’s new article, Sam Neill (Alan Grant) reveals a juicy comment about the length and scope of the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion film:
“It’s going be a big film. [Director] Colin Trevorrow has that childlike sense of wonder, playfulness and inventiveness that [Steven] Spielberg has. We really shot a six-hour movie. We were all very gung-ho.”

Before you start spreading the news that Jurassic World: Dominion will be a six-hour movie, let’s remember that this film has had a lengthy and unusual production, which Neill touches on later in the article:
“No one knew whether ‘Jurassic’ would continue, be postponed or be abandoned altogether […] [When we resumed] it was somewhere between rehab, summer camp and Easter break. We were compulsorily in each other’s company and much richer for it. If we were shooting in L.A., we’d go off to our different caves every night, but we got to know each other so much better.”
Given the delays and incredible circumstances, it is quite easy for everyone on the production to feel like they had made such a long film. As any Jurassic fan will also tell you, things always end up on the cutting room floor as a film is shaped into its final form. However, given the scope of this “big” film and his statement, this could mean Jurassic World: Dominion will likely be the longest film of the series. And on the chance Neill is being entirely literal, then will we see the film split in two, ala Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame? It’s entirely possible.
The article also lightly touches upon Neill’s character of Alan Grant and the relationship (or lack of) between him and Ellie Sattler (performed by Laura Dern):
“[Alan Grant is the] same character, but different world, different times. Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler haven’t seen each other for some time, so you’ll see how that pans out.”
This likely nixes the fan theories of Grant and Sattler somehow ending up together before the start of the film. At the beginning of Jurassic Park 3, it was clear that Grant and Sattler did not stay together or raise their own family as it was set up to happen in the first Jurassic Park. This creative choice on the franchise’s story upset many fans, but director/co-writer Colin Trevorrow appears to not be retconning it for Jurassic World: Dominion based on Neill’s comment. Still, there is a chance that the story of the new film could play out in favor of what fans wanted all along, or perhaps it really will stick to what some consider as a realistic endgame of their relationship.

More information leads to more questions than answers about the story and length of Jurassic World: Dominion. Given that we have over a year to wait for this epic installment of the series, expect more tantalizing details to come!
Check out the rest of Variety’s article for more details about filming during the pandemic and Sam Neill’s new film, Rams!