Original Jurassic Park cast Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum discuss returning to the franchise

The latest issue of Empire magazine is on shelves with two different covers that each promote the upcoming film Jurassic World: Dominion by showing off its cast. One features Jurassic World franchise stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, along with Jurassic newcomers Mamoudou Athie and DeWanda Wise, and the other features original Jurassic Park cast members Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. Director Colin Trevorrow has said Jurassic World: Dominion is a “true ensemble”, with the Jurassic World and Jurassic Park characters all being of equal importance to the story – and Empire got some good quotes from Neill, Dern, and Goldblum about their return to this dinosaur-filled world.

Dern said,

Colin was really keen to make (their reunion) matter. We discover what it would feel like if these three characters came back together, and how they would feel about each other. And it’s delicious.”

While Trevorrow says he’s “not Steven Spielberg and never will be”, Neill said that his Jurassic World director did remind him of his Jurassic Park director.

That’s the guy he reminds me most of. And I don’t say that lightly – I really don’t. He’s inventive, enthusiastic, always energetic.”

Also inventive and enthusiastic was Goldblum, who would come to set with what he describes as “a book” of ad-libbed lines he had come up with. He was always looking for spaces to drop his own dialogue into. For example:

I’ll just tell you one… We’re on a computer trying to fix something or other, and somebody says, ‘Uh-oh, it’s started flashing Error 99.’ And before Mamoudou [Athie]’s character comes in and explains, I was gonna slip in, very quickly, the line, ‘Error 99? Is it Barbara Feldon?’ Now, Barbara Feldon was an agent in Get Smart, a television series from 1962 or something, who played Agent 99. So, a lot of my ideas have to do with references that are totally irrelevant and of no interest or amusement to anybody who could possibly be watching a movie, and inappropriate to the scene. But it tickled me.”

Bryce Dallas Howard confirmed,

I have never seen anyone pitch more dialogue than Jeff Goldblum. He literally had this piece of paper with these incredible one-liners, and he’d cross them out through the day. You know, some of them will make it in and some of them won’t. But a scene is not a scene without a Jeff Goldblum button.”

Trevorrow added,

He would always bring extra things in his book that, yes, were often references to 1940s musicals, but he’s both hilarious and very powerful. It’s not just a comedy role. It’s the power of his presence in this movie that I love the most.”

Trevorrow, who previously directed the first Jurassic World, directed this one from a screenplay he wrote with Emily Carmichael, based on an idea he crafted with his Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom co-writer Derek Connolly. Here’s how USA Today describes the plot:

When a bunch of dinosaurs get loose around the world, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) go on a globetrotting mission to round them up before mankind falls a few spots on the food chain. Back for this Jurassic installment are original trilogy characters including Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern).

Also in the cast are Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Jake Johnson, Scott Haze, Campbell Scott, and Dichen Lachman.

A collaboration between Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World: Dominion was executive produced by Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg, with Frank Marshall producing alongside Pat Crowley. Sara Scott, senior vice president of production at Universal, oversaw the project for the studio.

Jurassic World: Dominion is scheduled to reach theatres on June 10th. Are you excited to see the original Jurassic Park cast members back in action together?