B.D. Wong Returns to Isla Nublar in JURASSIC WORLD And Other News

 

"What species is this?"
"Uh, It's a velociraptor."
"You bred raptors?"

 Before leaving for beautiful Hawaii to begin filming the most anticipated film of 2015 that doesn't involve superheroes, Safety Not Guaranteed director Colin Trevorrow talked with entertainment giant IGN about the film.

The interview is brief but confirms two things: the casting of Bryce Dallas-Howard and the surprise return of B.D. Wong's character of Dr. Henry Wu from Spielberg's benchmark 1993 film, Jurassic Park.

Speaking of Dr. Wu's character and the involvement of the franchises' past leads:

 I know a lot of fans want to see the original characters back. They’re iconic. But I respect those actors too much to shoehorn them into this story for my own sentimental reasons. Jurassic Park isn’t about the bad luck of three people who keep getting thrown into the same situation. The only reason they’d go back to that island is if the screenwriters contrived a reason for them to go. But there is a character from the first film who makes sense in our world. This hasn’t been announced yet, but BD Wong will be returning as Dr. Henry Wu. He had a much larger role in the original novel, he was the engineer of this breakthrough in de-extinction. He spent two decades living in Hammond’s shadow, underappreciated. We think there’s more to his story.

Trevorrow also went onto speak about break-out star Chris Pratt's (The LEGO Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy) role in the film:

He’s a classic hero in a very modern context. He’s the guy who will get you through the jungle alive – but like Malcolm, Grant and Sattler, he’s an expert in a scientific field that’s connected to our story. The character allows us to explore some new ideas about our relationship with these animals, without losing the humor and sense of adventure. He’s a great contrast for Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, who starts off very corporate, very controlled. Until the running and screaming starts. Then they need each other.

Trevorrow also said like many fans of the original films, he grew up on Amblin movies, saying that the film will have new ideas that will come naturally; but above all "the spirit will be familiar", and "it will have an old soul."

Jurassic World, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Ty Simpkins, Irrfan Kahn, and Vincent D'Onfrio stars principal photography this month, and will release June 12 2014 in theaters and IMAX.