Chris Pratt Confirms Jurassic World As New Character Details Emerge

Moviegoers are about to get very familiar with Chris Pratt. Though smart television viewers already know the actor from his role as loveable man-child Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Pratt has also been finding colossal success with his movie roles over the past few years. He’ll voice the protagonist in next month’s The LEGO Movie and star as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Marvel’s intergalactic caper Guardians of the Galaxy, due out in August. Now, he’s officially locked in for the lead role in Universal’s hotly-anticipated Jurassic World.

Rush director Ron Howard, the father of already-confirmed Jurassic World actress Bryce Dallas Howard, gave away that Pratt had boarded the project earlier this month, but we heard it from the man himself yesterday. Speaking during a promotional event for The LEGO Movie, Pratt said:

For me, Jurassic Park was really kind of my Star Wars. I lined up at the theatre to see it, I saw it opening night, I saw every sequel, I’ve seen it a whole bunch of times… for me that was my big movie, I think I was 13 or 14 when it came out. And so it’s a big deal for me to be any part of that, let alone this part I’m going to be playing. I’m thrilled about it.

Though we don’t know that much about the plot details of Jurassic World, director Colin Trevorrow previously said that the film will be set “22 years after the horrific events at Jurassic Park,” though he cautioned against using the word “reboot.” Trevorrow has also dropped hints to indicate that Isla Nubar, the setting of the first film, will show up in this fourth installment.

Pratt will reportedly play Owen, “a rugged ex-military dude” who clashes with Dallas Howard’s character, a corporate scientist. One can only imagine that the source of their conflict involves some scaly dinos, but we’ll have to wait a while longer to find out the specifics of Jurassic World‘s plot.

Aside from Pratt and Dallas Howard, the film will also feature two younger stars: Iron Man 3 scene-stealer Ty Simpkins and The Kings of Summer breakout Nick Robinson.

Filming is due to get underway in Louisiana on June 2nd, with Universal aiming for a release date in the summer of 2015. Currently, the film’s slotted release date brings it into close proximity with two other heavy hitters: Chronicle director Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot and R-rated comedy sequel Ted 2.

Are you game for more dino-centric shenanigans? If so, is Pratt the right leading man for a new Jurassic Park installment? Let us know below.

Jurassic World opens its gates on June 12th, 2015.