Screenwriter David Koepp Looks to Lean Into Fear in JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH in a Time That Dinosaurs Are Seen as Passé
Screenwriter David Koepp has returned to the Jurassic franchise, bringing with him what he hopes to be some magic from the original film, as well as some real fear to instill in the fans who watch it unfold onscreen.
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, producer Frank Marshall talked about the mission of Jurassic World Rebirth, saying, “You're in a new place, you don’t know what’s around the corner.
“You’ve got a different jungle, you’ve got more water, you’ve got higher cliffs. There’s a little bit of everything that’s scary.”
Marshall credits Koepp with bringing the idea of the threat of complacency to this new film. Marshall explained: “He came up with this idea that dinosaurs were passé now. People were tired of them. They were an inconvenience.
“People weren’t going to museums to see them or to petting zoos. They were just in the way. And the climate was not conducive to their survival, so they were starting to pass away and get sick. But there was one area around the equator that had the perfect climate and temperature and environment for them.”
That leads to a shot in Rebirth that evokes an iconic image from the first Jurassic Park, when the T. rex rips through the visitors center, battles some velociraptors, and roars as it topples a streaming sign that reads, “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.”
In the new film, a similar image appears in the opening, but in a less majestic way. “Well, the banner’s coming down again,” Marshall says. “Jonny Bailey’s a scientist at a museum that’s closing up their dinosaur exhibit.” Those who turn their backs on dinosaurs will live to regret it, though probably not for long.
The film stars Scarlett Johansson as covert operations expert Zora Bennett, Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis, and Mahershala Ali as logistics expert Duncan Kincaid.
Hopefully this movie does end up being a scary good time! I look forward to seeing how it turns out, and hopefully it will give us all a thrill. Jurassic World Rebirth is set to be released on July 2, 2025.