“Wicked” Star Jonathan Bailey Circling New “Jurassic World” Movie Starring Scarlett Johansson
Universal already has a good idea of what Jonathan Bailey is capable of. Bailey plays Prince Fiyero alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in their upcoming two-part adaptation Wicked, one of the biggest films on the 2024 release schedule. He was sensational in Showtime’s excellent limited series Fellow Travelers, which earned him a Critics Choice Award, and he made a splash in Netflix’s Bridgerton as Lord Anthony Bridgerton. Now, Bailey is in early talks to take on a leading role in another of the studio’s major projects, Universal’s new Jurassic World, a scoop courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.
If Baily punches his ticket to Isla Nublar to join the dinos, he’ll also be joining star Scarlett Johansson, the biggest name yet to join the project. The latest Jurassic World movie will be helmed by The Creator director Gareth Edwards, from a script by original Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp. Staying in the family, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is partnering with Universal on the film, which will be the seventh installment in the franchise.
In the run of the franchise, Spielberg kicked things off with his iconic 1993 Jurassic Park, followed by his 1997 film The Lost World. Joe Johnston took over for Jurassic Park III in 2001, then the dinos were dormant for more than a decade. Finally, in 2015, Colin Trevorrow directed Jurassic World, the first film in a new trilogy starring Chris Pratt as Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing. The final film in the new World trilogy, Dominion, saw the return of original Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum.
The new film with Johansson and possibly Bailey will be centered on new characters. Johansson is no stranger to major franchises, having starred as Black Widow in multiple Marvel Studios films, including her own standalone film, while still finding time to work on smaller prestige projects, like her two Oscar-nominated turns in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit. (She also starred, many years ago, in Jonathan Glazer’s nearly flawless sci-fi thriller Under the Skin, in case you want to put that on your watch list.)
Bailey and Johansson would be stepping into one of the most storied franchises in the movie business and one that might launch them into a brand new trilogy. They’d make a stellar pairing. Koepp’s script for the new Jurassic World will almost certainly not be a period piece, so we’re looking at sticking with the present day. We’ll share more details when we get them, as Universal is moving at a brisk pace to meet their current scheduled release date of July 2, 2205.
For more on the upcoming Jurassic World movie, check out these stories:
Scarlett Johansson May Be Headlining New “Jurassic World” Movie
New “Jurassic World” Director Will Be “Rogue One” and “The Creator” Filmmaker Gareth Edwards
Director David Leitch Circling New “Jurassic World” Movie
A New “Jurassic World” Movie Will Stomp Into Theaters From Original “Jurassic Park” Scribe
Featured image: MILAN, ITALY – JUNE 20: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) Jonathan Bailey is seen ahead of the Giorgio Armani fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week S/S 2023 on June 20, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
