Bryce Dallas Howard In Talks For Lead Role In Jurassic World
She's probably not playing a dinosaur.
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Has everyone had a nice 2013 so far that’s been relatively free from casting rumors about Jurassic World, formerly Jurassic Park IV, formerly Jurassic Park: Electric Boogalark? Those days are ending now, so let loose with your best dino-roar and hop in the jeep. According to TheWrap, Universal has reached out to actress Bryce Dallas Howard to star in Jurassic World, but the negotiations are in the very early stages and she hasn’t committed yet. This definitely isn’t who I thought would be the first person to get involved. I’m still holding out for Goldblum. I know I’m not alone there.
I don’t think I’m surprising anyone when I say that Howard’s role is only referred to as “leading,” without any actual details. For all we know, they’re using motion-capture so she can play a redheaded raptor named Deena. Depends on where they’re going in the world, I guess. Of course, chances are she’ll star as Ellie Satler’s daughter who spent most of her teenage years railing against paleobotany, and it’s come back to haunt her in the form of a planet overrun by dinosaurs.
The actress, daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard, is no stranger to huge summer blockbusters, so it would make sense for her name to come up. After a strong 2011, starring in Tate Taylor’s civil rights drama The Help and Jonathan Levine’s cancer dramedy 50/50, she took time off to start a family, and is apparently getting back into the acting game. Her last high-profile role was in 2010’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and she also starred in Terminator Salvation and Spider-Man 3. You might recall she starred in both M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and Lady in the Water before packing up and shipping the hell out of that guy’s sight line. She’s got good acting chops, but she doesn’t really have any signature roles. Will Jurassic World give her one? Could be.
The film is being directed by Colin Trevorrow, who directed last year’s Safety Not Guaranteed. I’m thinking going from such a small flick to something this extravagant means he’ll be able to get more meat out of the character beats, as well as bringing a fresh take on the action. Rise of the Planet of the Apes co-screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver wrote earlier drafts of the script (which were then touched up by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly)), so there’s a really good chance the widespread action may still feel limited and claustrophobic, which is what Steven Spielberg’s initial film did so well. It’s a lot scarier to be in the same small room as a dinosaur than to be in the same city as one. Even though the latter is also pretty freaky.
Jurassic World isn’t set to open in theaters until June 12, 2015, which is already shaping up to be one of the most blockbuster-friendly summers in recent memory.
