Credit: Universal PicturesJurassic World Rebirth is bringing back a star who was killed in one of the sequels.
The upcoming sequel Jurassic World Rebirth, one of four Jurassic sequels in the works, has had the fanbase in a tight grip since it was announced in January last year. The seventh installment in the long-running series will be directed by Gareth Edwards of Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) fame and produced by Universal Pictures.
The cast includes Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), and Mahershala Ali (The Green Book). However, none of the actors from the previous Jurassic Park/World movies are returning.
There are still plenty of Jurassic veterans back in the fold off the screen, though: Steven Spielberg, who directed Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), has returned as executive producer, having served as EP on the last four Jurassic sequels; Jurassic World trilogy producers Patrick Cowley and Frank Marshall are back; and paleontologists Steve Brusatte and Jack Horner are once again lending their expertise
Another returning Jurassic veteran who was announced alongside the film is screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the scripts for the first two films that were based on the two best-selling novels by Michael Crichton. However, the difference between Koepp and the other creatives above is that he’s actually starred in one of the Jurassic Park sequels.
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In the 1997 sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Koepp appears as a random San Diego citizen who winds up in the path of the “buck” Tyrannosaurus Rex after it emerges from the SS Venture’s cargo hold pumped up to the eyeballs with adrenalin.
While stomping down a boulevard bustling with terrified pedestrians (all of whom are, of course, “running and, er, screaming”), the Rex closes in on Koepp, who, at the last second, decides to try and hide inside a store, only to find the doors are closed… Big mistake.
Check out the morbid (yet oddly hilarious) scene below at the 00:50 mark, per Movieclips:
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While David Koepp doesn’t appear to be playing himself in The Lost World (he’s aptly credited as “Unlucky Bast*rd” in the credits), the 1997 sequel features a ton of fourth-wall-breaking moments, particularly during the already-out-of-place San Diego/T-Rex sequence.
In addition to the film’s screenwriter being eaten alive by the Rex, we see a video store filled with fake movies, and when the dinosaur passes a fixed net while stomping through a backyard, you can see one of his forearms mimicking the action of dribbling a basketball.
With the last two films, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), being met with mixed to negative reviews, many fans feel reassured that Koepp is back in the writer’s room for Jurassic World Rebirth.
However, since writing the screenplay for The Lost World, Koepp has lent his writing talents to other disappointing major franchise sequels like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).
When Can I Watch Jurassic World Rebirth?
Jurassic World Rebirth will be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.
Watch the official trailer below:
The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).
Are you happy to see David Koepp back in the writer’s room for Jurassic World Rebirth, or would you rather see him eaten by a dinosaur again? Let us know in the comments!