Jurassic World 4 is accelerating its development, with Scarlett Johansson and Wicked actor Jonathan Bailey poised to star in the highly anticipated film. According to Deadline, Bailey, who won a Critics Choice Award for his role in Showtime’s Fellow Travelers, is in early talks to join Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s new Jurassic World project. With a release date slated for July 2, 2025, pre-production is expected to ramp up once the deals are finalized.
Scarlett Johansson is also in talks to take a lead role, though she has not yet officially signed on. The upcoming film is set to be a soft reboot within the same universe as the previous movies, meaning that actors from the earlier films, such as Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, and Sam O’Neill, are not expected to return.
Jonathan Bailey
Jurassic World 4, rumored to be titled Jurassic City, will be the seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. Initially, David Leitch was reported to direct the film, but he has since exited the project. Gareth Edwards has been named as the new director, with the script being penned by David Koepp, who co-wrote the original Jurassic Park movie with Michael Crichton.
Steven Spielberg will executive produce the new film through his Amblin Entertainment banner, with Marshall and Patrick Crowley also producing via Kennedy-Marshall. Sara Scott, Executive Vice President of Production Development, and Jacqueline Garell, Creative Executive of Production Development, will oversee the project for Universal Pictures.
Jurassic World 4 and Scarlett Johansson
The Jurassic World series has not matched the critical acclaim of the original 1993 film, but it has been a massive commercial success. The first three Jurassic World movies—Jurassic World, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Jurassic World: Dominion—each grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. However, Dominion, the latest entry, received a poor critical reception, with a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Jurassic Park franchise, inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel, began with Spielberg’s 1993 film, which became a global phenomenon. The story revolves around genetically engineered dinosaurs brought back to life through cloning technology, with the action taking place in various theme parks and islands.
Jurassic World 4 is scheduled to be released on July 2, 2025.
