Universal‘s latest entry in its Jurassic World franchise has a director, a writer, and a release date — and now it may have its star. Scarlett Johansson is in talks to star in the prehistoric creature feature. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Johansson is negotiating a lead role in the upcoming film, which is currently set for a July 2, 2025 release date.
The film is moving as fast as a herd of Gallimimus as it approaches its upcoming release date. It was initially slated to be directed by action maven David Leitch, whose The Fall Guy will kick off the summer movie season in May, but negotiations fell apart. Instead, Universal turned to Gareth Edwards, a director with a surfeit of giant creature experience in the form of Monsters and 2014’s Godzilla.
The film will have a pedigree that links it back to the franchise’s genesis in 1993’s Jurassic Park: Steven Spielberg is attached to produce the film via Amblin Entertainment, as he has for every entry in the franchise, and David Koepp, who penned the original film and its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, is set to pen the script. However, the film will be a fresh take on the franchise — neither the stars of the Jurassic World series nor the original films, who all appeared in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, are expected to return.
What Has Scarlett Johansson Been In Recently?
Following her contentious exit from the MCU, which ended with a settlement and a continued working relationship, and a busy 2019 which saw her nominated for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit respectively, Johansson has slowed her on-screen output. Last year, she starred in Kristin Scott Thomas‘ directorial debut North Star, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and joined the Wes Anderson ensemble for a prominent role in Asteroid City. This year, she has two releases on the docket; Greg Berlanti‘s 1960s-set Space Race romantic comedy Project Artemis, which will pair her with Channing Tatum, and the animated prequel film Transformers One, which will see her voice the Autobot Elita One.
The pairing of Johansson with the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park seems a recipe for surefire box office. Johansson‘s filmography has collectively earned over 15 billion dollars of big-screen revenue, while the Jurassic films have been consistent money-makers — even the critically-savaged Dominion cleared over a billion dollars at the global box office.
The as-yet-untitled new Jurassic World film is set to hit theaters on July 2, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates. You can watch the most recent addition to the franchise, Jurassic World Dominion, on Max.
via Collider