Summary

• Not including Sam Neill or Laura Dern in The Lost World was due to story development & faithfulness to the original novel vision.
• Alan Grant & Ellie Sattler returned in Jurassic Park III, but Ian Malcolm was missing, correcting the absence from the franchise.
• The trio reunites in Jurassic World: Dominion, navigating a global crisis with expertise while showcasing their shared history.

While Jeff Goldblum returns in the sequel, fans were left wondering, "Why wasn't Sam Neill in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and why didn't Laura Dern return either? In 1993, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park emerged as a cinematic tour de force, adapting Michael Crichton's best-selling 1990 novel into a monumental blockbuster. The film captivated audiences worldwide, raking in nearly $1 billion and spawning a lucrative franchise. Central to the film's success were the charismatic portrayals of paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler by Sam Neill and Laura Dern, respectively. Their dynamic added a compelling human element to the thrilling dinosaur encounters.

By 1997, Spielberg was set to captivate audiences once again with the sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This installment shifted focus to a new narrative arc centered on Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum, who reprised his role in a leading capacity. The plot thickens on the fictional Isla Sorna, where Malcolm and a team of InGen scientists encounter rival factions vying to relocate dinosaurs to the mainland. Amidst the returning cast, notable absences were Neill's Grant and Dern's Sattler, whose journeys had taken them away from the forefront of the Jurassic saga, which left audiences wondering why.

Dr. Alan Grant & Ellie Sattler Aren't In The Lost World Novel

Steven Spielberg Decided To Remain Faithful To Michael Crichton's Vision

The reasons for The Lost World not including Sam Neill or Laura Dern returning as Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler come down to the story and development. Crichton was initially hesitant to write a sequel book for Spielberg to develop a movie around, and the early discussions between them and writer David Koepp didn't include Alan or Ellie returning. The Lost World novel didn't have roles for either of the former stars and only made mention of what they were up to, and Spielberg and Koepp's screenplay took the same approach.

Dr. Alan Grant & Ellie Sattler Returned In Jurassic Park III

But Ian Malcolm Was Missing & Ellie Was Kept Out Of The Action

The Lost World: Jurassic Park might have moved forward without Alan and Ellie as part of the story, but the franchise quickly corrected course. Sam Neill was brought back in a lead role for Jurassic Park III a few years later, while Laura Dern was featured in a small capacity. However, Laura Dern was underused, as Ellie Sattler had married and had children in the time between the first movie and Jurassic Park III. Oddly enough, their returns also happened without Goldblum making another appearance, which kept the original trio out of the same film once again.

Alan Grant & Ellie Sattler Returned In Jurassic World: Dominion

It's The First Time The Trio Have Been Together Since The Original 1993 Movie

After an extended absence from the franchise, Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler finally returned in Jurassic World: Dominion and were significantly involved in the action of the most recent installment in the series. Additionally, Goldblum also reprised his role as Ian Malcolm, marking the first time the three of them were together since the original 1993 film. The movie, directed by Colin Trevorrow, unites the legacy characters with the new generation from the Jurassic World series, joining forces with Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing.

This crisis reunites Grant and Sattler in a professional and personal capacity as they navigate the complex dynamics of their past

The storyline of Dominion takes a more expansive approach, incorporating a global crisis triggered by a genetic company’s manipulation of both dinosaurs and plant life. This crisis reunites Grant and Sattler in a professional and personal capacity as they navigate the complex dynamics of their past and the pressing need to address the ecological disaster. Their expertise in paleobotany and paleontology proves crucial in uncovering the extent of the ecological threat. Throughout the film, their enduring chemistry and shared history provide a nostalgic touch to the film, making up for their absence in The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Key Release Dates

• 

  Jurassic World Dominion

  Release Date:

  2022-06-10