Sam Neill, long-time veteran of Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park/World film series, has given praise to Chris Pratt for being the franchise's first "action hero" in Jurassic World Dominion. Based on Michael Crichton's original novels, the $5 billion franchise has sprouted two movie trilogies, along with plenty of video games, theme park rides, and an animated series on Netflix. Dominion, the third film in the Jurassic World trilogy, is coming to theaters this June.
Set four years after the events of the previous film (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Dominion begins with dinosaurs living among human civilizations all over the world. The movie is directed by Colin Trevorrow and will unite the casts of both Jurassic trilogies — including Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, as well as Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Isabella Sermon — to bring this new saga to a close. BD Wong and Daniella Pineda also return to the cast, joined by newcomers DeWanda Wise and Campbell Scott.
In an interview with Fandango (reported via ComicBook.com), Neill commended Pratt for bringing something new to the Jurassic film series: action heroism. He went on to explain that he perceived the original trilogy as normal people being thrown into extraordinary circumstances, but in this newer story, Pratt is much more athletic and able to take on dinosaurs than his predecessors. Neill professed that he never gave much thought to the process of becoming an action movie star. Read his full quote below:
"Chris Pratt is a genuine action hero and that's something we've never really done. I mean, the truth is, we're kind of nerds in very unpleasant situations. Pratt is amazing. And I'd never really, properly considered, 'What do you do to be an action hero?' and it's a whole bunch of skills that I'd never really considered. I find him completely awesome."
The interview also featured Dern and Goldblum, with the latter complimenting Neill's qualities of being "not only heroic because of your genuine integrity and magnificence, but a true man of the Earth." The three old friends spoke at length about reuniting on the set, shooting their big scenes, and certain throwbacks to the original film that this one may or may not have. Dern went on to praise Howard for her athleticism, citing her "scream[ing] in shock and awe...she might've taken the cake."
The action-packed, "monster movie"-like nature of the Jurassic World trilogy is really what separates it from the original Jurassic Park trilogy. While it may not have been as well received by critics as the original film was, the new movies still entertained audiences around the world and made big numbers at the box office. Neill's praise of Pratt's action-star quality seems to hold onto the promise that Jurassic World: Dominion is going to be a very exciting conclusion to the Jurassic era.
Source: ComicBook.com
