Well, we heard the rumblings yesterday, and now we’ve got to face the beast itself: JURASSIC PARK 4 is in deep dino-poop. It looked for a moment there like it might release itself from the muck (see the updated info in yesterday’s article), but no. Universal Pictures has released an official statement announcing that the project is on hold.
In coordination with filmmakers, Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later date giving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise. We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.
Evidently the big problem with JP4 is, unsurprisingly, the screenplay. Originally written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES), a new draft had recently been conjured by director Colin Trevorrow and his SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED collaborator Derek Connolly. According to the Hollywood Reporter, that new draft just arrived at Universal a few days ago, and with production scheduled to commence on June 24th, the studio obviously decided that work still needs to be done.
It’s a shame, of course, that the film won’t be ready for its June 13, 2014 release date – but it’s probably for the best. Studios never seem to learn that giving a film a release date before actually getting the script sorted out first can frequently be a recipe for disaster. Add to that the hiring of a relatively new director with only one feature credit to his name and how surprised can we actually be at this development?