Dinosaurs may have disappeared more than 65 million years ago, but the films “Jurassic Park” (or “Jurassic World”) cannot be killed. To date, in six films covering more than three decades, the “Jurassic” franchise has made more than $ 6 billion at the box office. This heritage will continue this summer with “Jurassic World Rebirth”, which promises a new start for the property, with an entirely new cast. And although this set has impressive names, a name that will not be on the call sheet is Glen Powell.
Powell has exploded to Superstardom in recent years thanks to his work in Surprise Hits like the Rom-Com “anyone but you” and the successful “Top Gun: Maverick”. This being the case, Universal Pictures and the director Gareth Edwards approached him for a role in “Jurassic World Rebirth”, but Powell refused the offer. So why wouldn’t a star want to be in one of the greatest franchises on the planet? In an interview in 2024 with The Hollywood Reporter, Powell explained his reasoning, saying the following:
“‘Jurassic’ is one of my favorite films. This is one of the things I wanted to do all my life. I do not make this film because I read the script and I immediately said to myself, my presence in this film does not help it. And the script is great. The film will please and where you are going to make yourself happy.”
This “big” script for “Rebirth” Powell mentioned was written by David Koepp, who also wrote the original script “Jurassic Park”. As promising as it could be, Powell still didn’t think it was the right decision to make at this stage of his career.
Glen Powell did not think he had something to offer to Jurassic World Rebirth
Like many actors, there is probably no time not so long ago, when Powell could not have imagined refusing a leading role in a film “Jurassic World”. But after successes like “Twisters” and “Hit Man”, Powell has a lot of offers to come and choices must be made. However, these choices are not always easy. Just ask Will Smith, who sadly refused “the matrix” to play in the notorious bomb at the box office which was “Wild Wild West”.
We do not know what role Powell was looked at in “Rebirth”, but it seems very likely that he would have played the paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis, who is the character that Jonathan Bailey (“Wicked”) ended up playing in the place. The rest of the distribution was very well filled, with Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow”), Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”), Rupert Friend (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (“The Lincoln Lawyer”) also on board. As for what they are going to do? The synopsis of the seventh film of the franchise “Jurassic” reads as follows:
Five years after the events of “Jurassic World Dominion”, the planet’s ecology has been largely inhospitable for dinosaurs. Those who remain exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they prospered. The three most colossal creatures through land, sea and air in this tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous advantages of rescue to humanity.
Come what can, Powell certainly does not suffer for work despite the drop in this film. He currently has his Hulu series “Chad Powers” along the way, in addition to his leading role in the film adaptation of “The Running Man” by Edgar Wright. The actor should also play alongside Jenna Ortega in the mysterious new science fiction film by JJ Abrams, among others.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” will be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.
