PLANET OF THE APES Vs JURASSIC PARK

Universal Pictures has hired Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the writers behind last year’s surprise hit The Rise of the Planet of the Apes to write the fourth instalment on the Jurassic Park franchise. It’s a good move, the pair managed to find new life in the Apes franchise, and they could do the same with Jurassic Park – but is it necessary?

Jurassic Park 3 hit screens over a decade ago, and the original film turns twenty next year (get ready for the obligatory 3D re-release), is there still a fanbase for the series? While part three was a step up from Spielberg’s own 1997 sequel, it did stink of “same shit, different island”. The main problem is that the franchise is grounded in science and reality – dinosaurs can’t be brought into the real world without stepping into fantasy land. There was a script by John Sayles a few years back that saw the dinosaurs used as weapons by the military. Sounds like a way of selling a lot of Jurassic Park toys. Did they ever take-off?

I have no doubt that the 3D release of Spielberg’s 1993 film will test the waters for the potential market for the film. If that’s a hit expect Jurassic 4 sooner rather than later. Or get ready for a new interpretation of Michael Crichton’s novel.

Source: Deadline