jurassic park castJeff Goldblum joined the video call from Los Angeles. Sam Neill connected to Sydney where brightly-colored lorikeets were chirping. Laura Dern was filming “Lonely Planet” and called Sam Neill from Sydney with a story.
“I was walking down a narrow street in Marrakesh, to enter our set,” she explained. “And this 9-year old boy comes running up in Arabic, talking about “Jurassic Park”.
Although nearly three decades have passed since Steven Spielberg’s 1993 epic about dinosaurs, the series-starter remains incredibly relevant. The new “Jurassic World Dominion” has the trio reunited in an attempt to recreate the magic of the original.
The film pits Neill’s Alan Grant and Dern’s Ellie Sattler against ever-fearsome dinosaurs. It also links them up with characters played Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt, who have been the franchise’s leaders since 2015.
Neil, Dern, and Goldblum were keen to catch up on their Zoom call in April, engage in light teasing, and discuss how their lasting chemistry has been as powerful a selling point than all the special effects.
“These ‘Jurassic’ films are often called dinosaur films but if the films don’t interest in the people, they don’t work,” Neill stated. “Dinosaurs, although they are amazing players, are the bit players.”
How long have you been away from the original “Jurassic Park?”
SAM NEILL I was at Leicester Square, at the London opening, when I last saw it in all its glory. My son Tim was sitting next to me. He was 11 years old and was completely enchanted by the spectacle.
But, just as the T-Rex appears, Tim began to fart. The draft was moving across my body like a crown! The whole film was spent in a sweaty mess thinking “Princess Di” is being exposed to the horrors a little boy’s fart.
But she will think it’s her. “I am going to be subliminally criticized for my son’s crimes and I don’t believe she’ll speak to me afterwards.” She was well-taught and never mentioned it.
JEFF GOLDBLUM That story is great, Sam. He tells it a lot, and I have heard it a few times. It’s amazing how far he will go just to blame the boy.
LAURA DERN Tim is now a grown man!
Laura, did you stumble upon the first film during the intervening years or not?
DERN I hadn’t actually seen the movie through until three days before we started this movie. It was incredible to watch it through my daughter’s eyes. There is nothing outdated about it. It’s no surprise that the three of them became friends. It was amazing to have this kind of banter, connection, and friendship.
Did you feel instant chemistry when you first met?
NEILL I was so familiar with their work that it felt like meeting old friends. But I was not prepared for the fact that Jeff was more than a gawky “Nashville” kid. He was a god. He looked like a movie star and was well-buffed. You could sense his swagger. Black shades, tight jeans and cool-dude hips.
GOLDBLUM Oh, my goodness!
NEILL It was a daunting task, but Jeff is an incredibly lovable dork. They were both so sweet that I fell in love from the first day.
How did your life change when “Jurassic Park”, the most successful movie of all time, became the biggest-grossing film ever made?
- GOLDBLUM Although I don’t focus on the commercial aspect of it all, I consider myself to be a humble student of the creative endeavour — but I remember the excitement of that first weekend. Sometimes I do large things that I consider conspicuous.
- I can tell you that a week passes and it feels like it never happened. I don’t get a single call. You’d be amazed at how often that happens.
- NEILL Bruce Dern, Laura’s father, came to my house one day to drop her off. He took me aside, and clapped on the shoulder. He replied, “Son. You know what?” Maybe he was right. Since then, I haven’t stopped working.
- DERN I hope that when a moment like this occurs, your Richter scale won’t change for how you measure the things you want to do. Jeff once read a script to me and said, “This should be what you do after “Jurassic Park,”” which was “Citizen Ruth.” It took an incredible artist to tell me, “Don’t do the obvious thing.” Be bold and do what you love.
- GOLDBLUM It has changed my life in a significant way over the years. Because I worked on the first movie with these guys, I am a completely different person. It’s amazing to see how many people have been touched, moved, delighted, entertained, and excited about “Jurassic”.
- That excitement can be expressed creatively. Two of my gay friends dressed up as Ellie Sattler on Halloween. They wore khaki shorts and a tied pink shirt.
DERN I am so happy when someone else wears the shorts. It should be shared joy.
- NEILL Melissa Etheridge was the first person I saw dressed up as Alan Grant. I have been to two fan events and counted ten Alan Grants, eight of which were women, at one point.
- DERN Let’s be honest, it’s something you should aspire towards.
- While you all continued to appear in “Jurassic,” movies, you never performed together as a complete trio. What was the date that this idea was advanced?
- GOLDBLUM Colin Trevorrow was my first encounter when I shot a Super Bowl commercial. He said to me, “Be ready: We’re going on to shoot another one ‘World’ movies and I think we will ask you to perform something with Sam and Laura.” This was similar to the scene in “The Exorcist” where Max von Sydow is summoned by someone to exorcise him.
- NEILL It almost didn’t happen. It became clear almost as soon as I arrived in London that there was a pandemic. The “Jurassic”, office, pulled the plugs and put me on a plane back to Australia. And then the curtain fell. The world was about to end, for all we knew.
- It was an extremely dramatic start. Three months later, the call came. “We are going try this thing.” We had many alarms, stoppages, and moments of terror but it was all over.
- DERN I felt extremely safe for one reason. It was because of Steven Spielberg and these two men on the first “Jurassic Park.”
Right? Hurricane Iniki struck while you were photographing in Hawaii
DERN Yes. It was quite terrifying. It’s probably why we feel so close to one another from the film. We went through so much, and then we were back in lockdown. It may be a warning sign but I consider it a good luck symbol. Surviving together is incredibly bonding.
Did you have any input on how your characters may have changed over the years?
DERN I have had the privilege of spending 20 years with young women talking to me about Ellie Sattler and how they got into science, tech, marine biology, and many other professions.
It was amazing how much the character meant to me. I didn’t want to bring her back unless there had been an evolution. Colin was a fan of the idea that she would naturally have evolved to deal with the climate crisis through her knowledge of soil science and DNA.
NEILL Alan has a mild case of arrest development. He is older and more grumpier than he used to be, but he still wants to dig bones. He’s carried a torch to Ellie Sattler all his life, and his greatest regret is that he let him go. That puts a spring in the step.
Then Ian comes along, and Alan has a love-hate relationship [with Ian] because he is a ladies’ man and Ian can’t stop flirting with Ellie. This is what drives Alan mad. Ian is a smooth, debonair man with groovy hips.
Jeff’s hips are another reference. You must have had a profound impression of them.
NEILL Oh my god.
GOLDBLUM [Laughs.]
NEILL It is early in Sydney, Australia. I am about to take a walk. But I am so happy to be able to see my friends. I love you both. Netflix must be so pleased to have Laura back. Netflix has only awarded an Oscar to you for “Marriage Story”. Are you right?
DERN Yes, Sam.
God Bless you, NEILL They should be paying you a gazillion dollars, I hope.
DERN This is my actual salary. It’s a gazillion. That is what the contract says.
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