Two A-Listers Turned Down Jurassic World Rebirth—And It Was the Right Call
Jurassic World Rebirth hits theaters this week with a shiny cast, a blockbuster budget, and a whole lot of dinosaur mayhem.
But behind the scenes, two A-list stars took one look at the project and walked away — and based on early reactions, they might've made the smartest move of the summer.
The film currently sits at 54% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 98 reviews, with critics calling it a visually impressive but tired entry in a franchise that's clearly limping. Most agree it'll still make a pile of money — likely crossing the billion-dollar line — but the creative fuel tank seems empty.
Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014, Rogue One, The Creator), Jurassic World Rebirth is set five years after Dominion. Dinosaurs now only survive in remote tropical zones, and a covert ops mission is launched to recover genetic material from three enormous surviving creatures—each holding the key to a potentially life-saving drug. That's all before things spiral into the usual chaos.
But not everyone was on board. Here are the two major stars who passed:
Glen Powell
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Powell said he turned it down despite being a lifelong Jurassic fan:
"Jurassic is one of my favorite movies. It's one of the things I've wanted to do my whole life. I'm not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, my presence in this movie doesn't help it. And the script's great. The movie's going to f–king kill. It's not about that. It's about choosing where you're going to make an audience happy and where you're going to make yourself happy."
Jennifer Lawrence
According to Puck News, Lawrence was actually offered the lead role but passed on the opportunity. No direct quote from her, but it's safe to assume she wasn't sold on another high-stakes franchise commitment.
Instead, the film stars Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett, a covert ops specialist leading a mission into dino territory. The rest of the ensemble includes a mix of newcomers and familiar faces, but it's Johansson who's front and center.
Whether the movie delivers for audiences remains to be seen, but for Lawrence and Powell, saying no might've saved them from being part of another bloated franchise entry. The movie might make money — but as we've seen before, not all billion-dollar hits are remembered kindly.