Jeff Goldblum records a video message to welcome Scarlett Johansson to the Jurassic franchise: “Don’t get eaten!”
The next installment of the Jurassic World franchise is currently filming, and star Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) got a special welcome from franchise royalty: Jeff Goldblum.
Johansson was recently interviewed on Today to promote Fly Me to the Moon when a video from Goldblum was played on air. “Dr. Johansson, this is Jeff Goldblum. Here’s what I want to say to you. This I know: Scarlett will find a way,” he said. “Don’t get eaten, unless you want to. I love you.” In response, Johansson exclaimed, “Oh my god, I can’t believe Jeff said that to me. I think my life is complete now. I can retire.” The two actors previously worked together on Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, but Goldblum isn’t expected to reprise his role of Dr. Ian Malcolm for the new sequel.
The actress has previously expressed her enthusiasm at joining the Jurassic franchise, saying she had been trying to get her foot in the dino-door for over a decade. “I am an enormous Jurassic Park fan,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get into this franchise in any possible way for over 10 years. I’m like, ‘I’ll die in the first five minutes! I can get eaten by whatever! I’ll do craft service!’ I’ll do anything for it. The fact that it’s happened in this way at this time just is actually unbelievable.“
Gareth Edwards (Rogue One) is directing from a script by David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park screenplay. It’s been said the project is a “completely fresh take, launching a new Jurassic era, following three adults and three teens getting stuck on the Island.” In addition to Johansson, the film will also star Mahershala Ali (Green Book), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Rupert Friend (Anatomy of a Scandal), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and newcomer Audrina Miranda.
Even before the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, franchise producer Frank Marshall was already keen on continuing the series. “[Dominion] is going to wrap up this [Jurassic World] trilogy, but we’re not resting on our laurels,” Marshall said. “We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to see what the future is. We have that wonderful series, Camp Cretaceous, on Netflix. We obviously want to make quality, good movies with great storytelling, great writers and directors, but we’re definitely looking to do more in the Jurassic world.“
