Actor Chris Pratt has been at the forefront of some of the most iconic franchises in recent history. While Pratt is known for his role as Peter Quill / Star-Lord in the MCU, he gained equal recognition for essaying Owen Grady in the Jurassic World movies, which succeeded the original Jurassic Park trilogy. Although Pratt made his franchise debut in 2015, he inadvertently predicted his own future years ago.
Before Pratt rose to fame as the bankable blockbuster star, he made a name for himself with the goofy and adorable character of Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Pratt was a series regular for six out of the show’s seven seasons, appearing in a recurring capacity during the first season. However, during his time on the show, Pratt predicted that he would lead the fourth Jurassic Park film, and here is what happened!
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Chris Pratt’s Jurassic Park gag on Parks and Recreation Preceeded His Casting in the Franchise
Chris Pratt‘s time on Parks and Recreation is fondly remembered for his character’s loveable goofball energy and slacker attitude. That character is a far cry from the gritty action star energy he channelizes in all three Jurassic World films. Therefore, it is hard to believe that Pratt himself would predict that he would be cast in the franchise’s fourth installment.
Since the release of Jurassic Park III, a fourth installment in the action-adventure franchise had long been rumored to be in development. By 2009, Pratt was well into the second season of Parks and Recreation. In a gag video Pratt filmed for the show’s second season DVD release, the actor nonchalantly joked about being cast in Jurassic Park IV.
In the video, Pratt speaks to the audience while he pretends to receive a text from Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two movies in the franchise. Pratt hilariously responds to Spielberg’s message by asking the director to wait while he films the bonus footage. Pratt also shamelessly admits to sending gift baskets to Spielberg so that he can book a role in Jurassic Park IV.
A New Jurassic World Movie is in Development But Chris Pratt is Unlikely to Return
Well it seems like, it took Pratt nearly 4 years to get back to Spielberg as he was announced as the lead of the franchise’s fourth installment in 2013. By this time, Pratt had already shot to fame with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. While there was no Jurassic Park IV, the fourth installment, titled Jurassic World, spawned a new trilogy of films led by Pratt that achieved commercial success.
2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, directed by Colin Trevorrow, was Pratt’s last installment in the franchise to date. However, in January 2024, a new film in the franchise was reportedly in development at Universal Pictures. Frank Marshall was reported as the producer with Spielberg executive producing what is expected to be a “new era” for the hit franchise.
The initial report indicated that neither Pratt nor Bryce Dallas Howard, who led the franchise’s Jurassic World trilogy were expected to return for the new installment. David Koepp who co-wrote the first installment and penned the second installment of Jurassic Park, was revealed as the screenwriter for the new film.
Jurassic World is streaming on Max, while Parks and Recreation is available on Peacock.
