Scarlett Johansson reportedly offered lead in next Jurassic World movie - unclear if she'll be the voice of a velociraptor
Is she okay with joining another massive franchise though?
One of the most seismic big-screen shockers of 2024 so far has been learning that Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment had been secretly hard at work on a new Jurassic World script from original Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp. Furthermore, it's now ready to go and pre-production has been happening for months. The new potential lead? Scarlett Johansson, should she accept the mission.
Following Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Creator) quickly taking over his dream project after Universal couldn't strike a deal with Bullet Train and The Fall Guy's David Leitch, renowned Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider is hearing that a cast is being assembled as we speak and that ex-Marvel heroine Scarlett Johansson has been offered the lead role in the all-new, standalone movie.
While 'Scarlett Johansson starring in a Gareth Edwards-directed Jurassic World movie' was in absolutely nobody's minds when thinking about the blockbuster filmmaker's career after The Creator's disappointing box office results, this potential package does sound enticing enough to forgive Universal and Amblin for Jurassic World: Dominion and move forward with renewed hopes into a new era of the enduring dino-centric saga.
The news, which has yet to be backed by any major Hollywood trades, also comes as a surprise for anyone who's been paying attention to Johansson's professional choices after departing Marvel Studios and the famous Black Widow character. While she's still reportedly interested in working with Disney and has a major voice role in this year's animated Transformers One over at Paramount, the overall feeling is that she's tried to distance herself from demanding franchise work, choosing instead to focus on smaller, more auteur-driven gigs.
With Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard leading Jurassic World through three movies (2015-2022), the shadow of getting entrapped in another major blockbuster franchise looms over Johansson should she accept the enticing role, regardless of how much it's being touted as a flick that stands on its own. It'll be interesting to see whether she strikes a deal with the studio and how the rest of the cast looks like, as it's clear that Universal is doubling down on the 'big names equal big earnings' approach for the Jurassic saga.