This summer, a new chapter will open in the popular dinosaur franchise with Jurassic World: Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson. As it turns out, the producers didn’t have to convince one of Hollywood’s biggest female stars to take on the role, because Johansson has been a massive fan since she was a little girl, and she had her management team work on making this happen.
"I was completely obsessed with the original film. For a year, I slept in a Jurassic Park tent in my shared bedroom with my sister. Whenever there was news about a new ‘Jurassic’ movie, I always forwarded it to my agents saying, ‘Hey, I’m available,’" the actress revealed in an interview regarding the first trailer for Rebirth. She had no luck for a long time, but when she was shooting Black Widow at Pinewood Studios near London in 2020, she found out that Jurassic World: Dominion was essentially shooting next door, and she did everything she could to visit the set.
Johansson eventually managed to get a meeting with Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two Jurassic Park films and has since been producing the expanded franchise. They were initially discussing other potential projects, but this conversation ultimately led to Johansson landing her dream role.
"We talked for hours when he said, ‘Wait a minute, we should talk about Jurassic. I know you’re a huge fan, right?’ And I said, ‘That’s true. I can confirm it. I am a massive fan,'" Johansson recalled. She didn’t dare mention the tent story to Spielberg at the time, fearing the legendary director would think it was odd, but later regretted not sharing it:
"Of course, with The Avengers, I met a lot of fans who were deeply moved by the characters and the world they were a part of. I understand that. And it’s always wonderful to meet these people. So, I probably should have told him. But I thought, 'Be professional! Don’t seem desperate! Don’t mention the tent!'"
Tent or not, Johansson landed the lead role in the new Jurassic World, which, following Dominion, is set to kick off a new trilogy. The actress plays Zora Bennett, a former mercenary who leads a team of scientists into the island where the dinosaurs have retreated, hunting for the DNA of the ancient creatures. The film will arrive in Hungarian cinemas on July 3.
