Spielberg Not Directing JPIV (again)

jpIV · Post by **jpIV** » 02 Mar 2006, 22:38

Come on. The Lost World was the only sequel Spielberg directed and the only sequel Crichton ever wrote, and both of them regretted it and don't plan on doing it again. I wouldn't have wanted the franchise (since it became a franchise with TLW) to end on that note. Then again, I don't want it to end with JPIII. Of course there's a part of me that wants hundreds of Jurassic Park movies, but realistically, and I think most people agree, I just want to see the series put to rest with dignity -- a final entry that respects what was so great about the original. It doesn't have to be its equal, but it does have to be more than a popcorn movie. Here's hoping that JPIV doesn't disappoint.

SSJDinoTycoon42 · Post by **SSJDinoTycoon42** » 02 Mar 2006, 23:03

Give me a link or source for those quotes. (Link is better because I can check it.)

TLW wasn't bad at all. Either way, though, I was talking about the way it ended everything.

What's wrong with it ending with TLW? It's a great movie. What? Are you one of those who thinks that the only way to end it is to kill the dinosaurs?

jpIV · Post by **jpIV** » 03 Mar 2006, 01:42

Here is your link, though I did cite the source right at the top of the post:

http://spielbergfilms.com/jp4/18

As for The Lost World, I feel that the powers involved (both Crichton and Spielberg) rushed to come out with a finished product to sell to the masses. It made sense from a business perspective -- Jurassic Park was still a hot item in the mid-90's and one of the most successful movies of its time. The sequel went on to make bucket-loads of money. Again, from a monetary standpoint, it paid off entirely. However, both Spielberg and Crichton (and myself) were disappointed with it. I think they realized that the second time around money was the driving force, not artistry, as had been the case with the original. I'm not saying they didn't think they'd make money off the original, but it was certainly more of a gamble than the sequel was. They crafted their respective works without knowing that the franchise would be worth so much later on. When it came time for the sequel, they knew that whatever they made would be commercially successful. The first book JK Rowling writes after the last Harry Potter will be ridiculously popular by default, no matter how much effort she puts into it. I think Spielberg and Crichton were riding the wave and the final product suffered for it, which both of them recognized. This is why I'm so interested in Jurassic Park IV. The public pretty much had it when JPIII came out and proved to be no better than a summer action movie. JPIV's success is not guaranteed, placing it in the same position as the orignal. If it is made, my hope is that it will be made with the same effort and care.

As for the ending of TLW, it was entirely contrived. I'm sure many on this forum will disagree with me, but the whole San Diego incident was farcical at best and insulting at worst. One of the greatest aspects of the original was its plausibility. A T-rex being safely recaptured after rampaging through a city on the tails of a trip across the Pacific in a ship that had the great fortune of arriving at exactly the right dock at exactly the right time after its crew had been eaten is simply not plausible, no matter how you look at it. To end the series with that sequence would have been absurd (I'm not saying JPIII was any better). Yes, the moment after with everyone sleeping on the sofa and Hammond on the television was nice, but it depended entirely on the San Diego sequence. If they could pull off a nice voice-over like that without a dumb stunt beforehand in JPIV, I'd be happy.

And of course they shouldn't kill all the dinosaurs. I'd cry.

SSJDinoTycoon42 · Post by **SSJDinoTycoon42** » 03 Mar 2006, 08:48

No, no , I meant a link to the quotes of Speilberg and Crichton being disappointed with TLW.

I can understand that it may have been rushed. I mean JP came out 3 years after the novel-version, while TLW came out the same year as the novel. I need to watch the "Making of" again, to see if they say anything. However, I do not remember hearing anything about them being disappointed with it. Is any of this that you've said found anywhere. I would like to read it.

I think they could have changed it around in a few ways. Just the public knowing about the island and what was going on there could warrant a speech by Hammond. That's the great ending I'm saying. "Stepping aside" to let dinosaurs flourish once again, and live in our world. That is a great conclusion to JP. I enjoyed the San Diego incident, although I do agree that it is a little far-fetched and a bit "godzilla-like." I think it was plausible enough though. I mean, using the infant as bait would most likely work in a real situation.

Dino_Slayer · Post by **Dino_Slayer** » 03 Mar 2006, 16:46

If it is the quotes of either Crichton or Spielberg saying that they were disappointed, I advice you to search through Dan's old TLW site:
Dan's TLW Page

Also, in the Making Of document in TLW DVD Spielberg does say "sequels are nothing more than cheap canary tricks". I think that was his way to imply that he doesn't enjoy doing sequels to his own films.

lilgamefreek · Post by **lilgamefreek** » 03 Mar 2006, 17:00

*sigh*. I agree with jpIV. All I want to see is the Jurassic Park franchise end with some dignity.

jpIV · Post by **jpIV** » 03 Mar 2006, 20:43

Dino_Slayer got the Spielberg quote, but here's the one from Crichton, found on his website, crichton-official.com, in the Lost World section under "Gallery" (a direct link wasn't possible -- damn frames):

"Ordinarily, I like to take up a new subject with each book-preferably a topic quite different from the last one. I had never written a sequel before LOST WORLD, and I thought it would be an interesting experience to write one. It was interesting-but not that interesting. I doubt I'll ever write another sequel."

SSJDinoTycoon42 · Post by **SSJDinoTycoon42** » 03 Mar 2006, 20:58

Well, the section for Directors is not working at the moment.

Actually, it looks more like he was saying that the experience was not as interesting as he had hoped. He did not say he was disappointed with the novel itself. He says "I thought it would be an interesting experience to write one" and then says "It was interesting-but not that interesting. I doubt I'll ever write another sequel" right after that. He more likely is saying that he did not like the experience of writing a sequel, which is why he will not be writing any more.

Remember I was merely stating that if they worked it a little differently, TLW would have made a great ending for JP. I too would like, the now series, to end with dignity. However, different people have different views on what kind of an ending, "ending with dignity," really would be.

Luke Skywalker · Post by **Luke Skywalker** » 13 Mar 2006, 08:13

SSJDinoTycoon42 wrote:I can understand that it may have been rushed. I mean JP came out 3 years after the novel-version

Wasnt it written in 1980?

I think spielberg among other directors spent the decade asking him for the rights.

SSJDinoTycoon42 · Post by **SSJDinoTycoon42** » 13 Mar 2006, 15:18

Jurassic Park was published in 1990. Jurassic Park the movie was released in 1993.

Speilberg got the idea when he was having a chat with Crichton about what he was doing at the time, and then asked him if he could make a movie from it when he heard him talk about Jurassic Park. (from the Making of Jurassic Park documentary)

Crichton wrote a screenplay in 1983 about cloning a Pterodactyl from ancient DNA, but it wasn't convincing and it wasn't in a park setting.