Is Jurassic Park 4 finally, officially dead? Actor Sam Neill thinks so. In an interview on the red carpet for the Fox network upfronts, where the actor was promoting his new drama series Alcatraz, Neill told MTV News that he feels the series died with author Michael Crichton and legendary effects guru Stan Winston:
“I think we’ve told the story. I think it’s done… Stan Winston who made those beautiful dinosaurs died. So, no Stan, no Jurassic Park really… and (Michael) Crichton died too.”
Neill went on to joke that if Crichton and Winston somehow time traveled back in time and wrote a new book and created new dinosaurs then he would be happy to make Jurassic Park 4. Otherwise, Neill said “No…I don’t know. You know, Crichton passed away, I sorta felt maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s a sign that we don’t mess with it.”
For his part, Jurassic Park: The Lost World director Joe Johnston was confident that a fourth Jurassic adventure would happen; even telling reporters that it would be his next film following the release of this Summer’s likely blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger which hits theaters July, 22nd.
In 2009 Johnston hinted to reporters that there was a script for a fourth Jurassic Park that he was excited about and that took the series in a new direction:
“Well there is a great story for the fourth film that I would be interested in getting involved with and it’s nothing like the first three. It sort of takes the franchise off in a new direction, which is the only way I would want to get involved.”
Johnston’s directorial dance card is open once Captain America hits theaters but whether or not Jurassic Park 4 will be his next film is still unknown. No doubt though, that as Johnston makes the rounds promoting the Captain he will be asked about dinosaurs and we will soon find out whether Jurassic Park 4 is in our future.
