After two decades, Dr. Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern, is getting ready to return to the world of dinosaurs inJurassic World: Dominion. And she won’t be alone. Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm will be joining Dern in important roles within the film. During an interview forPeople, Dern waxed enthusiastically about her joy at getting back into the groove of things with her old co-stars and collaborators.
“I can say that it was incredible to be back together. It was an amazing thing to join my original cast members and go down memory lane, from that experience in the beginning of a franchise through the whole course of these films together with all the key cast members who have been working on these movies, as well as [director] Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg, who is like family to me.”
In the upcomingJurassic World: Dominion, the dinosaurs have left behind their island and arrived in mainland US. Now, humanity has to learn to live with its prehistoric neighbors, and that means bringing in the top experts in the field for advice. Enter Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Malcolm, who are the same characters that first appeared in theJurassic Parkseries, now with age on their side. According toLaura Dern, the focus was on having fun with the new movie while protecting the legacy of the characters from the originalJurassic Parkfranchise.
“We’ve had a beautiful time remembering what we loved about the origin story, and the first CGI and working with the animatronics of the brilliant Stan Winston, and what we want to hold and protect of the original characters. So it’s just been amazing. And I hope everybody next summer, June of 2022, will be ready for some fun.”
The filming forJurassic World: Dominionhas been beset by difficulties, due to the new era of social distancing that makes filming a big-budget movie with lots of people especially complicated. Dern goes on to explain that the team behind the upcoming film were able to manage the shooting in accordance with distancing guidelines while still making the whole affair feel like anintimate reunion.
“We all took it very seriously, but we really did create home as a group. And that was amazing. I mean, it was amazing to not just have one scene or one moment together, as you might do in an experience of a reunion, which I’ve had a couple of times in my life with other people I’ve worked with or projects. But this was really about coming together as a family, given the times that we are all living in together now. So that made it profoundly memorable.”
Directed by Colin Trevorrow,Jurassic World: Dominionfeatures a lead cast consisting of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Jake Johnson, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Omar Sy, Isabelle Sermon, and B.D. Wong. The film arrives in theaters on July 12, 2025. This news originated atPeople.
