Jurassic World: Dominion almost brought back The Office’s Andy Buckley, who played Scott Mitchell in 2015’s Jurassic World. Fourteen years after the third installment of Jurassic Park, Colin Trevorrow revitalized Universal’s dinosaur story in 2015 with Jurassic World, which grossed over a billion at the box office and was generally well-received by fans and critics. Now, Trevorrow is returning to the director’s chair to bring the Jurassic World trilogy to a close, this time by telling a story that picks up from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s ending that showed dinosaurs roaming out in the wilderness. Also, to bring the trilogy to a close, Jurassic World: Dominion will feature the return of Jurassic Park originals like Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, alongside the sequel trilogy stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Andy Buckley is best known for his role in The Office, where he played David Wallace, the boss who often had to deal with Michael Scott’s shenanigans at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. However, some may forget, Buckley also has a history in the Jurassic World franchise. He played Scott Mitchell, the wife of Judy Greer’s Karen Mitchell, and father of Zach and Gray, the two brothers who joined their auntie Claire Dearing (Dallas Howard) at Isla Nebular before getting caught up in all sorts of dinosaur-related chaos.
In a recent interview with ComicBook, Buckley discussed various Office-related topics, including what David Wallace would be up to in 2021. However, the interview also shifted to discussing Jurassic World: Dominion, as Buckley was posed with the question of if he will be joining the list of names returning to the film. According to Buckley, he is not in the film, but “there was a time” that he was a part of the project.
"I'm probably not supposed to say anything but the quick answer is no. So it doesn't matter. If I was, I guess I couldn't say that. I think there was a time, there was a time I was in it, but then I think I got... You know, during rewrites."
In some ways, considering how everything is seemingly coming full circle in Jurassic World: Dominion, it’s somewhat surprising that the father of Claire’s nephews would not return in some form, even for just a brief cameo. On the other hand, the film is already juggling a lot. It’s set in various locations, including a return to Site B. There are also already many returning characters like Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant, and of course, the film is trying to wrap up all the various stories within the Jurassic Park universe. So the exclusion of Buckley’s character, who did not have a big presence in the 2015 film, is also not shocking considering what the film is already including.
Fans will have to wait a little while before they can see Jurassic World: Dominion due to Universal delaying the film to June 2022, another reshuffle caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, despite the production delays caused by the pandemic, the film has officially wrapped, and according to Trevorrow, the coronavirus protocols put in place during shooting made Jurassic World: Dominion even better. Fans will have to wait and see if that is true and if Jurassic World: Dominion can end the trilogy on a high note, but they now know that Buckley's character will not be one of the returning faces.
Source: ComicBook