Category: News

Scarlett Johansson OFFICIALLY Offered Lead Role in New Jurassic World Movie

Posted on by Jack

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

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

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

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

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?

Mattel Renews Jurassic World Licensing Deal

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

Exciting news for Jurassic toy collectors: Mattel has officially renewed their licensing deal for Jurassic World toys and products!

More details from Mattel below:

Mattel and Universal Renew Jurassic World Licensing Partnership

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 6, 2024— Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) and Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) today announced they have renewed their licensing partnership to produce toys inspired by the iconic Jurassic World franchise. Through the agreement, Mattel will continue as UP&E’s global toy licensee for Jurassic World action figures, playsets, roleplay, preschool, vehicles, games, and plush based on more than 30 years of franchise characters and stories as well as future content plans, including the all new Jurassic World film just announced for 2025, and the upcoming animated series – Jurassic World: Chaos Theory from Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Amblin Entertainment – which will be available on Netflix later this year.

The renewal builds upon a longstanding licensing partnership between Mattel and UP&E for toys celebrating globally beloved IP which also includes DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls and Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious.

“We’re thrilled to announce the continuation of our best-in-class partnership on this blockbuster franchise,” said Nick Karamanos, SVP Entertainment Partnerships at Mattel. “Together, we’ve not only established Jurassic World as a top-tier toy property, but also built a legacy of evergreen success. Jurassic World fans are incredibly devoted and we are committed to delivering consistently stunning products, innovative marketing strategies, and impactful retail programs.”

“Mattel offers incredible innovation and craftsmanship along with a storied history of creating enduring toy lines,” said Rafa Macias, EVP and Global Commercial Officer for Universal Products & Experiences. “The 30-year legacy of the Jurassic World franchise is stronger than ever, and we’re excited to bring fans of all ages even more awe-inspiring and thrilling toys through this extended partnership.”

For Mattel’s current Jurassic World offering, visit https://shop.mattel.com/collections/jurassic-world.

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest portfolios of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming and digital experiences, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com.

About the Jurassic World Franchise

In June 1993 Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking Jurassic Park redefined the summer blockbuster and changed the culture forever. Since then, the Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment franchise has created six daring, innovative and epically entertaining films that have earned more than $6 billion worldwide. Jurassic World immerses audiences of all ages in a new era of wonder and thrills where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. At every turn, the film series delivers a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery and epic adventure. Dinosaurs live again and they live in Jurassic World.

About Universal Products & Experiences

Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal’s iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company’s extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, as well as engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and third-party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s lines of business include Consumer Products and Games, along with Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. More information is available at universalproductsexperiences.com.

According to BusinessWire, it is a global, multi-year agreement that spans action figures, playsets, roleplay, preschool, vehicles, games, plush, and more. It seems the awesome toy and merchandise lines they have conceived and released for 6+ years will continue to bring action-packed, colorful, nostalgic Jurassic dinosaur and human sets to all ages.

What do you think about the renewal of Mattel’s Jurassic World licensing deal? Let us know in the comments!

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

Posted on by Derrick Davis

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 Park Survival’s Developer Sold

Posted on by Jack

Jurassic Park Survival developers Saber Interactive are being sold off from their parent company EMBRACER GROUP to become privately owned.

Embracer Group disrupted the industry by buying many developers, only to amass a ton of debt leading to numerous studio closures and lost jobs.

“Saber will become a privately owned company with around 3,500 employees, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information. The company plans to continue developing a remake of Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic, the highly anticipated game that was removed from its previous developer Aspyr Media in 2022.”

The Bloomberg article and subsequent information doesn’t mention the upcoming Jurassic Park video game.

“Saber, the developer of games such as Snowrunner and World War Z, operates studios in several countries, including the US, Portugal and Russia. In addition to making its own original titles, it does work for other developers.”

Jurassic Park Survival came as a surprise announcement late last year, and is promising to be the video game fans of the original movie have always wanted to play. We haven’t been able to reach anybody for a comment regarding the status of the game but we don’t believe it’s time to worry yet.

While the future of the game may indeed be up in the air as the company shuffles and adjusts to the sale, Jurassic Park will be one of the company’s larger titles and one they likely won’t want to let go of.

Likewise, Universal Pictures probably wouldn’t want a third cancellation for this game, knowing its history!

We’ll keep you up to date on all the latest Jurassic Park, World, City, and Saga news. Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse!

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

Posted on by Jack

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

Posted on by Chris Pugh

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

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

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

Posted on by Caleb Burnett

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!