It was only a matter of time before the Jurassic World movies got around to including stars from the original Jurassic Park movies, and today we have word that's going to be happening with J.A. Bayona's untitled Jurassic World 2. Reports are now coming out that Jeff Goldblum is set to appear in the 2018 blockbuster, reprising his legendary role as Dr. Ian Malcolm.
The Hollywood Reporter has posted this news online, saying that the actor is going to be joining stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in the sequel. Goldblum hasn't played Dr. Ian Malcolm since Steven Spielberg's 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but it's not as though he has stayed far away from the blockbuster game. Last year we saw him reprise another one of his great 1990s roles starring in Independence Day: Resurgence, and later this year comic book movie fans will be able to see him join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok.
Dr. Ian Malcolm was introduced in the 1993 original film, invited by Richard Attenborough's John Hammond to Jurassic Park as an insurance consultant. He's a mathematician who is particularly known for his work in the field of Chaos Theory - though that all changed after his encounter with ancient species. He wrote a book called "God Creates Dinosaurs," and while he was originally written off as a loon, his accounts were eventually corroborated by the events at the end of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, a.k.a. a Tyrannosaurus Rex invading San Diego. The character didn't return for Jurassic Park III, with the plot of that film instead focusing on Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant, but Malcolm has long remained a fan favorite.
At this time it's unclear exactly how Jeff Goldblum's Jurassic Park character will fit into Jurassic World 2, but given Ian Malcolm's history with dinosaurs, it's easy to imagine a number of ways to slip him into the plot. While not much has been revealed about the central narrative of the upcoming sequel, we do know that one of the central themes will be the proliferation of dinosaurs, and countries doing their own experiments beyond the borders of a theme park. It's possible that Chris Pratt's Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howards' Claire Dearing might find themselves turning to Malcolm in time of crisis.
J.A. Bayona's Jurassic World 2 is currently in production, sporting a cast that includes talented franchise newcomers including James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine and Justice Smith. The movie is now just a little over a year away from release, set to come out on June 22, 2018, and we'll be keeping a very close eye on its development. Stay tuned for more details, and hit the comments section below for your thoughts on Jeff Goldblum/Dr. Ian Malcolm's return!
