Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Hawaii will star in
By Tim Ryan
‘Jurassic Park’ prequel
Star-BulletinThe "Jurassic Park" adventure is set to begin its third installment with Hawaii again in a starring role.
Universal Pictures and Amblin production officials have completed location scouting on Kauai and Oahu. Directorial and technical scouting that began last week will be finished this weekend.
Although an announcement on where the as-yet-untitled picture will film here isn't expected until the end of the month, an Amblin official said the production appears bound to film all three weeks on Kauai. Filming is expected to begin late July or mid August, the source said.
Among the scouts was director Joe Johnston, who most recently directed "October Sky." Johnston began his career as an Academy Award-winning creator of visual effects on some of the highest grossing films in history, including "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."
He shared an Oscar for visual effects on "Raiders of the Lost Ark." His first feature directorial assignment was on "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989, followed by "The Rocketeer," the TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" and the Robin Williams film "Jumanji."
Amblin's Steven Spielberg will produce the film in cooperation with Universal Pictures. Unlike the two previous "Jurassic" films, a book will not come out first.
The script is being written by "Jurassic" creator and part-time Kauai resident Michael Crichton. The working title is "Jurassic Park III," or simply "JPIII." Titles floating around Hollywood include "Embryo: Jurassic Park," "Extinction" and "End of Chaos."
Casting won't be announced until August. Jeff Goldblum, star of the original "Jurassic" film has been approached about reprising his role as Ian Malcom but has not made a decision. The T. rex and velociraptors definitely will return, sources said.
The film will be a prequel, but it's still undecided whether it's a prequel to "The Lost World" or "Jurassic Park."
The original "Jurassic" filmed about three weeks on Kauai, and one day on Oahu. Spielberg and company had one last scene to film on Kauai when Hurricane Iniki struck, forcing the production to film the scene at Oahu's Kualoa Ranch. The production company spent $4.5 million filming in Hawaii.
The series began with 1993's "Jurassic Park" followed by the 1997 sequel "The Lost World: Jurassic Park." The two films have generated more than $1.5 billion in worldwide box office revenue.
"Jurassic Park" grossed $913,000,000 worldwide. "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" had a four-day Memorial Day weekend gross of $90.4 million, the biggest opening in film history. It grossed more than $600,000,000 worldwide.
Click for online
calendars and events.
