The next entry in Universal's blockbuster Jurassic World franchise is starting to pick up some steam, as after securing the services of director Gareth Edwards (The Creator; Godzilla; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), the team is reportedly in early talks with a former Marvel star to headline the feature.
According to The Insneider, 2x Academy Award-nominee Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow; Avengers: Endgame) has been offered the lead role in the yet-to-be-titled Jurassic World sequel (a.k.a. Jurassic Park 7), which is expected to begin filming this summer.
No further details are currently available, and talks are presumably still in the earliest stages, but Johansson has already met with both Edwards and producer Frank Marshall, so everything seems to be progressing in the right direction, although we'll have to wait and see whether she'll actually accept their offer.
With CinemaCon right around the corner, we'd imagine Universal could make a more formal casting announcement during the annual event, especially with cameras set to roll within the next few months.
In addition to Edwards helming, the screenplay will be penned by original Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp, with Frank Marshall producing and Steven Spielberg back onboard as an executive producer.
The next installment is expected to take the franchise in a bold new direction, and will not return previous franchise headliners Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, nor will it return the original Jurassic trio of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, although we'd hope that's subject to change.
Jurassic World Dominion, which opened in Summer 2022, was a roaring success at the box office, grossing over 1.004 billion globally ($376.8M domestic; $625.1M foreign), so it's no surprise the studio wants to get one of its biggest franchises back on the big screen sooner than later.
Johansson can be seen next in the romantic comedy Project Artemis, which is due out this summer, and will feature as the voice of Elita in Transformers One, which is set to arrive in theaters later this year. She most recently starred in Kristin Scott Thomas' North Star and Wes Anderson's Asteroid City. Prior to that, she starred in her first Marvel solo vehicle Black Widow, which is believed to be her final appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jurassic World 4 hits theaters on July 2, 2025.