Iron Man 3’s Ty Simpkins takes lead role in Jurassic World; Jake Johnson also in the mix

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Hold onto your butts!

I'm sure there will be a barrage of negativity to the casting of Ty Simpkins in JURASSIC WORLD as folks tend to be less than enthused about youngsters in their big-budget franchises, especially in a lead role. Deadline is reporting that Simpkins, fresh off of IRON MAN 3, has been cast as just that, with New Girl's Jake Johnson also being in the mix, although not confirmed. For me, Simpkins feels like a well-placed actor for a kid's role in the film and I'm sure producers considered his credits in the INSIDIOUS films and experience with the big-budget environment to be a plus. He got a lot of shit for IRON MAN 3, but I thought he was pretty good as annoying kids in movies go.

For Johnson, I'm wondering if he's vying for the role that John Krasinski was in the running for as they both have that kind of "aw shucks" air about them. However, if I had to pit either one of them against a dinosaur theme park run amuck, I think I'd go with Johnson. He's got a little more attitude about him, wheras Krasinski, who is a totally likable dude, isn't quite as charismatic. That's just my take. So far, the only other name floating around for the film is Bryce Dallas Howard, although she still has yet to be confirmed. I'd expect we'll start hearing a full roster very soon, though, as shooting is set to commence shortly.

JURASSIC WORLD is set to roar on June 12, 2015.