Director Colin Trevorrow talks Jurassic Park IV: “This is not a paycheck gig for me”

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Perhaps one of the most anticipated films on the horizon that is seeped in trepidation is JURASSIC PARK IV. Fans have been clamoring to see a proper follow-up since the last one, JURASSIC PARK III, hit theaters in 2001. With a lot of back-and-forth and a wide range of concepts, producers finally settled on a creative team to lead the dino's back into theaters, appointing Colin Trevorrow (SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED) as the leader of the pack. Trevorrow has obviously been cryptic about the next installment, but has dropped subtle hints since his hiring. There have been many rumors and details circulating the web on the film (see our exclusive info here) and Trevorrow sat down with the Jurassic Park Podcast to talk (cryptically, of course) about the upcoming sequel.

Check out the highlights below:

Trevorrow was asked if he'd like to have John Williams back to score the film, to which he replied, “Do I love John Williams and all of his music? Of course.” insinuating that he couldn't comment on the matter.  Commenting on the pressure to make the film, Trevorrow said, “It’s important to make a movie for the fans but I also have to remember that there’s a lot of people who just couldn’t care less and need me to make a solid case for why the hell there’s a Jurassic Park 4 in the first place and I want to make a movie for them too.”

The director was quick to point out that he's definitely not in the franchise for the money, saying, “This is not a paycheck gig for me and it’s not the movie that I’m making so I can make the movies that I really want to make. I actually want to make a kick-ass Jurassic Park movie.” He continued, saying, “When I get to sit down with guys like John Rosengrant and adjust the talon length on a dinosaur and then we’re looking at variations on skin colour, that never feels like work. That’s when I feel like a kid.”
 

In terms of what kinds of dinosaurs we'll be seeing in the sequel, Trevorrow said, “I feel like, obviously, everyone’s favourite is the T-Rex and there’s just something so iconic about that animal.” He also brought up the "new" dino that's been widely discussed since the announcement. “What is my favourite dinosaur? We have a new one that’s pretty cool. I’m not going to tell you anything about it, but… it’s pretty bad ass. I think Jack Horner said something about that too”

Trevorrow talked spoilers on the internet, suggesting that fans shouldn't go looking for them and that he wants to cherish the time that no one knows “what the hell we’re doing.” He addressed the "muzzle" aspect of the rumors, although doesn't dispel them, saying,  “I saw some of the rumors on the internet and I would have all kinds of red flags going off if I heard they were going to muzzle a T-Rex. So I would say don’t believe everything you read, there are way more insiders on the internet than there are in real life.”

Lastly, Trevorrow said that both Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall were committed to making a great sequel, even if that means delaying the film until it's ready.

"Steven [Spielberg] has been very closely involved in this and he cares about the franchise very much and he does not want the movie to happen unless there's a script that deserves to be shot and I feel the exact same way and that's what we're doing here. And Frank [Marshall] feels the same way, so when you have three guys who feel like that sometimes you're going to end up with a movie that gets pushed a year. But, in the end, however it turns out, the one thing no one's going to be able to say is that we didn't give a shit or that we phoned it in 'cause that is not true."

I really like Trevorrow's overall attitude for JURASSIC PARK IV. I think that he's fully invested in making a film that captures the spirit of the 1993 original, which will launch into a fruitful franchise once again. Mostly, though, he seems committed to telling a great story and that's commendable. We'll have to wait and see how it all comes together, but I feel like we can rest easy for the time being.

JURASSIC PARK IV is expected sometime in 2015.