‘This Is Going To Be Horrible.’ Laura Dern And Her Jurassic Park Co-Stars Were Legit Concerned About How The Movie Would Turn Out While Filming

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Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is widely considered a masterpiece and significantly impacted filmmaking, pushing it from practical effects like stop motion to computer-generated imagery. The film was a huge hit, launching a franchise that continues today with Jurassic World Rebirth (available on Peacock). Recently, Laura Dern revealed that she and the original cast actually had concerns while making the now-beloved movie. Let’s take a closer look at what she shared.

Everyone considers Jurassic Park a classic sci-fi film, but making it wasn’t without its risks. Laura Dern recently shared her worries about playing Ellie Sattler during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She recounted her experience on the first day of filming, explaining that…

I remember the first day of filming so vividly. We were all really excited, but then there we were, just standing around in line – me, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, and the amazing Sir Richard Attenborough. We heard this sound off in the distance, and it was meant to give the audience – and us, in the scene – a little nudge that things weren’t going to go smoothly. Turns out, it was a false alarm! Nothing was actually there. Sorry if that spoils it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet!

It’s true that Jurassic Park was groundbreaking. It was the first film to heavily rely on computer-generated imagery to create exciting and dangerous scenes. This meant actors like Laura Dern had to perform as if they were interacting with creatures that weren’t actually there, which understandably felt strange. Of course, the final version of the film proved just how well those digital dinosaurs ultimately turned out.

Laura Dern fondly remembers Jurassic Park and its lasting impact, but she recalls filming the original movie being a bit of a gamble for everyone involved. It was a new experience for the cast and crew, especially trying to act as if they were being chased by dinosaurs that weren’t physically present. Dern continued by saying:

Everyone was looking around aimlessly, and there wasn’t any signal to start. When Sir Richard Attenborough called ‘action,’ Steven immediately realized we needed something to focus on to stay coordinated. He quickly said not to worry and then, unexpectedly, let out a loud ‘Roar!’ right behind us through a megaphone. I’ll never forget looking into Sir Richard’s eyes at that moment and realizing we were in for a really difficult, chaotic shoot – a true nightmare.

She turned out to be incorrect. Despite initial challenges, Jurassic Park became a massive hit, launching a franchise that continues to be popular today. Everyone involved faced a learning process, but it ultimately paid off, and Ellie Sattler remains one of Laura Dern’s most memorable roles.

Last year’s film, Jurassic World Rebirth, was a huge box office success. While a sequel would make sense, it doesn’t appear to be planned for release in 2026.

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2026-01-06 22:08