Scarlett Johansson didn’t hold back when showing her “Jurassic Park” fandom to producer Steven Spielberg. The actress, who will now lead franchise installment “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” recalled first meeting with Spielberg about the role.
“I had a meeting with him and I don’t actually know if he knew the depths of my ‘Jurassic’ fandom, but I’m hoping that no one explained it to him too thoroughly because it maybe would’ve come off as being a little too much,” Johansson told THR. “Although knowing Steven now, he was excited when I shared how much it would mean to me to play any part in ‘Jurassic.’ I could’ve played it cooler and maybe I wouldn’t have gotten it.”
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She added of the experience, “It taught me that if you are enthusiastic about a project, it is actually good to share your enthusiasm. You don’t have to dumb it down or play it cool.”
Johansson first learned about the potential “Jurassic World: Rebirth” casting while on set for her own directorial debut “Eleanor the Great.” Johansson had to juggle her enthusiasm for both projects.
“When I first heard that there was a new ‘Jurassic’ movie coming, that it was written with a female lead who was the age that I could fit into, and that it was happening during a time period that I could shoot, it was particularly surreal,” Johansson said. “I was actually in the middle of making ‘Eleanor’ — we were filming it at the time — so there was a lot happening at the time. I had to compartmentalize my nervous excitement for the job in front of me while also focusing on making it work. I would have these really geeked out, fangirl moments and then be, like, ‘OK, put that away for a second.’”
She continued that working on “Jurassic World: Rebirth” was “unbelievable” especially due to her love of the original “Jurassic Park” film.
“I’ve been trying to get into a ‘Jurassic’ movie for, I don’t know, 15 years or something,” Johansson said. “I was so stoked that it all came together.” Johansson reflected on how watching “Jurassic Park” in theaters was a monumental “collective experience” for her at the time too.
“It was so thrilling and has stayed with me forever. Those kinds of movies are rare, and I’m here for them. I’m here to be carried away, entertained and thrilled,” she said.”
