Why These Jurassic Park Characters Didn't Make It Into Jurassic World Dominion
No, we're not talking about kitchen raptors.
Colin Trevorrow's "Jurassic World Dominion" is now available to see in theaters, and chances are, the biggest selling point outside of dinosaur related hijinks is the return of Drs. Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm, and Ellie Sattler (Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern). The star-studded trio are three of genre film's most beloved characters, and their return to the franchise is surely going to pull on the nostalgia heartstrings of anyone who grew up loving "Jurassic Park." The three are set to team up with the new brand of characters of "Jurassic World" and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," including Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Barry Sambene (Omar Sy), and their old friend Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong).
Now, almost three decades after the premiere of the original film, audiences are getting the chance to reunite with all-time favorite characters. However, the trio weren't the sole main characters in "Jurassic Park," as the three were joined by the Murphy children, Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello), who took part in some of the film's most memorable moments. While Richards was spotted on the red carpet during the "Jurassic World Dominion" premiere on Monday, neither she nor Mazzello were cast in the new film. Fortunately, thanks to a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, we finally know the truth as to why Lex and Tim weren't invited back to try and survive a possible dinosaur apocalypse.
It was a matter of space
According to Treverrow, "Every one of these characters takes up so much oxygen in every room they step into that we really needed to be careful and thoughtful."
Having the opportunity to bring back the heavy hitters of Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ian Malcolm, and Dr. Ellie Sattler was a massive get for Treverrow, and he's right in acknowledging their importance. No shade to anyone else in "Jurassic World Dominion," but if Laura Dern is on screen, I can't pay attention to anyone else no matter how many Marvel movies they've appeared in or how many "Star Wars" TV episodes they've directed. (Okay, but seriously? Let Bryce Dallas Howard direct a Star War.) Trevorrow continued:
"I've always tried to keep a good sense of when it would start to feel like a 'Love Boat' episode or something. Where it's just like, 'Who's the special guest in this scene?'"
Treverrow noted that in addition to the main trio, "Jurassic World Dominion" has five characters from the original film when you account for BD Wong's Dr. Henry Wu and Campbell Scott stepping in to play Dr. Lewis Dodgson. "And so when you're looking at a movie like 'Jurassic Park,' which probably had a total of eight characters and five of them are in this movie, that actually is a lot," he said.
Honestly? Fair point, Treverrow. Bringing back Lex and Tim would have felt excessive, and as much as I'd love to see Lex use her whiz kid skills with 2022 technology, this was the right call for an already overstuffed blockbuster.