The cast of Universal’s mysterious new Jurassic World movie continues to grow. Despite knowing very little about the plot of the upcoming dinosaur blockbuster, we can say with confidence that the studio is not messing around in terms of on-screen talent. Case in point, two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali has joined the film, per The Hollywood Reporter. He joins an ensemble that already includes Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), among others.
Details regarding Ali’s role are being kept under wraps, but just about everything else about this movie is at this point, so that’s to be expected. What we do know is that Ali is very arguably one of the finest actors working today. He won Oscars for his work in both Moonlight and Green Book, both of which went on to win Best Picture as well. He most recently appeared in Netflix’s Leave the World Behind, which debuted on the streamer last year.
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, The Creator) is set to direct the currently untitled film, which has a script from David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park. His decision to return to the franchise all these years later remains intriguing. The cast also includes Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Jonathan Bailey (Jack Ryan) and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Murder on the Orient Express). Filming is expected to begin in London in June. Franchise shepherds Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley are on board to produce, with the legendary Steven Spielberg returning as an executive producer.
This is a franchise that has endured for more than 30 years and, more importantly for Universal, has been an absolute cash cow. Across six films, the Jurassic series has pulled in more than $6 billion at the global box office. 2015’s Jurassic World remains one of the highest-grossing films in history, with 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion ranking as one of the only movies of the pandemic era to crack the $1 billion mark globally. So it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that we’re returning to this universe. As for where the story could go? That remains the big question at this stage.
One big question mark that has not emerged is the status of Marvel’s long-awaited Blade reboot. Ali has long been attached to play the lead character in the film, but it has been delayed multiple times. It is currently on the calendar for late next year but, given Ali’s commitment to this film, it now seems unlikely that date is going to stick. We’ll see how things shake out but Ali isn’t content to just sit on his hands waiting for Marvel to get its s*** together.
The new Jurassic World movie is currently set to hit theaters on July 2, 2025. For more, check out our list of the amazing, timeless special effects from Jurassic Park.
