Credit: Universal PicturesUniversal may be left with no choice but to reboot the Jurassic Park film series in the future.
Following the recent passing of Jurassic Park icon Sam Neill, fans are already beginning to speculate that the films simply cannot, and must not, continue without him.
Sam Neill’s Jurassic Park Legacy
Neill, who passed away at the age of 78 on July 13 following years of battling a rare form of blood cancer, played paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in three films: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
While there hadn’t been any immediate plans for Grant to return, with the latest film, Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), introducing an all-new cast led by Scarlett Johansson and abandoning both the Park and World trilogy ensembles, the door had obviously been left open for Sam Neill.
The last time we saw Grant, he was about to testify against Biosyn for its illegal genetic engineering activities to Congress, with Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) by his side in a romantic capacity. In other words, he rode off into the sunset with his old flame, which pleased many fans.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) Could Be Next for TV Reboot After HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series
Will Jurassic Park Recast Dr. Grant or Start Over?
Now, Universal has two choices: It can either recast Grant, which, understandably, would be considered sacrilege, or it can hit the reset button on the entire film series, which would mean avoiding the problem and starting anew. The latter—arguably the better option—would also allow the franchise to erase the events of Jurassic World Rebirth, which alienated countless fans for inexplicably undoing the global dinosaur premise (the film was also pretty terrible as a whole).
Of course, the idea of rebooting Jurassic Park would also be considered sacrilege by many fans. However, if it meant leaving the film series where it is and no longer continuing to dilute its magic with more bad sequels, there are many who would undoubtedly be on board with the idea.
Another sequel is reportedly in development, with Johansson and Rebirth director Gareth Edwards said to be in negotiations to return. But plans change all the time in Hollywood, and there might be no better time to take Jurassic Park all the way back to the beginning than now.
Just look at what Harry Potter is doing. The upcoming HBO series, which is billed as a more “faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s seven books, won’t erase the events of the films as it’s just another retelling. A similar approach to Jurassic Park—perhaps a limited TV series that’s more closely aligned with Michael Crichton’s two novels—would instantly set it apart from the films.
With all that said, Universal will likely choose to have Dr. Grant pass away between films, something several franchises have done. But whether Neill’s death is written into the plot, or his character is recast, Jurassic will never be the same without him.
How do you feel about the idea of rebooting Jurassic Park? Or do you think the film series should continue without Sam Neill? Share your thoughts in the comments.
