Recasting The Characters Of Jurassic Park (If It Was Made Today)
Jurassic Park is all about the dinosaurs, but Spielberg's film is a classic thanks to its characters. Who should play them if it got remade today?
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park remains one of the most beloved films of all time decades after its release. The movie made audiences believe dinosaurs once again walked the earth and launched a wildly successful franchise. But while the new films bring lots of dino action, it's clear that one of the things that made the original so good were its characters.
The human characters of Jurassic Park helped to make it a more entertaining adventure beyond all the cool dinosaur stuff. While some key members will be returning for Jurassic World: Dominion, the cast could have looked quite different if the original film had been made today.
10 - Brian Cox - John Hammond
Perhaps the most fascinating character in the original film is John Hammond, the man who created this park and helped bring dinosaurs back to life. He is a man who wants to bring joy to the world but seems blind to the dangers of what he is attempting to accomplish.
Richard Attenborough brought a lovable charm to the role and his fellow Scottish actor Brian Cox seems like an ideal modern choice. Cox is more known for playing harsher characters, like in HBO's Succession, but it's easy to picture him pulling off this idealistic character quite well.
9 - Mr. Arnold - Bokine Woodbine
Just before he became a big star with his role in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson had a supporting role in Jurassic Park as Mr. Arnold, the chief engineer of the park. With a cigarette hanging from his mouth and his memorable catchphrase, "Hold on to your butts," Jackson made the most of a limited role.
Another fine actor who is known for standing out in smaller parts is Bokine Woodbine. He has been in the business for many years, most recently appearing in supporting roles in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Queen and Slim. He also stole the show in Season 2 of Fargo.
8 - Lex - Mckenna Grace
As with most Steven Spielberg adventures, Jurassic Park includes some adorable children who are caught up in the dino mayhem. Ariana Richards played Lex, the older of the two kids who reveals herself to be an expert hacker at a pivotal time.
Mckenna Grace is currently one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood. She has already impressed many with notable roles in Gifted and Captain Marvel, and she will later be seen in the highly anticipated Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
7 - Timmy - Jacob Tremblay
The second of the child roles in Jurassic Park is Timmy, played by a young Joseph Mazzello. Timmy is a dinosaur expert who finds himself in all kinds of trouble throughout the film, like being trapped inside a car that's in a tree and getting electrocuted.
If looking for a modern youngster to play a precocious boy like Timmy, Jacob Tremblay would be the obvious choice. Following his breakout role in Room, Tremblay has continued to show his versatility in films like Doctor Sleep and Good Boys.
6 - Nedry - Paul Walter Hauser
Though the dinosaurs are the main threat, the villain of the original film is Dennis Nedry, played by Seinfeld star Wayne Knight. Nedry is hoping to get rich selling dinosaur DNA to corporate rivals and initiates the system shutdown that allows the dinosaurs to run amok.
Paul Walter Hauser has performed the role of the slightly incompetent and slob-like bad guys in films like BlackKklansman and I, Tonya. These skills would serve him well for the selfish and ultimately doomed Nedry.
5 - Gennaro - Brett Gelman
Though not a huge character in the film, Gennaro will forever be remembered for having one of the most memorable deaths in the Jurassic Park series. Gennaro is a lawyer who only sees the park as a profit source and proves himself to be a coward.
Brett Gelman seems to excel at playing these kinds of sleazy and selfish characters who are so much fun to hate. He would fit quite naturally into the role of Gennaro and his iconic death scene.
4 - Muldoon - Iain Glen
With all the deadly dinosaurs creeping around, Muldoon is the badass game warden kept on hand in case anything goes wrong. He is a stoic guy who takes the dangers of the park seriously yet maintains a cool head in all situations.
Iain Glen became famous for his role in Game of Thrones as Jorah Mormont, another level-headed badass. His suave and rugged persona would be ideal for Muldoon.
3 - Kumail Nanjiani - Ian Malcolm
Dr. Ian Malcolm has probably become the most popular character in the Jurassic Park series. He is a chaotician brought to the island to offer his opinion and doesn't mince words about how much he thinks this whole operation is a bad idea.
While it would be hard to compete with Jeff Goldblum's iconic performance, Kumail Nanjiani would be a fun choice. He balances the comedic and sincere nature of Malcolm very effectively and it's easy to imagine him delivering some of his famous lines.
2 - Ellie Sattler - Gillian Jacobs
Laura Dern stepped away from the world of independent films to deliver a great performance as Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park. The partner of Alan Grant, Sattler is a brilliant paleontologist who also proves to be incredibly caring as well as a true survivor.
Gillian Jacobs, like Dern at the time, is a very underrated actor. She is best known for her role in Community but has since turned in many great performances in smaller films. She feels like she would bring the same positive attributes to life as Ellie Sattler.
1 - Alan Grant - David Harbour
The main protagonist of Jurassic Park is the heroic Alan Grant. He is a famed paleontologist who finds himself the protector of Lex and Timmy while trying to survive all of the dangers of the park. He was played with rugged charm by the great Sam Neill.
David Harbour feels like the same type of everyman hero that Neill played so well in the original. Just looking at Harbour's role as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things shows he can play that gruff protector role perfectly.
Source: https://screenrant.com/
