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James Cameron attempted to buy the rights to the novel "Jurassic Park", but Spielberg beat him by a few hours.

posted 3 years ago by TMC-4 (20179)
22 replies | jump to latest

He described his version as "'Aliens' with dinosaurs."

https://m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/07/titanic-director-james-cameron-jurassic-park-steven-spielberg_n_1864996.html

Cameron on his approach to Jurassic Park: “But when I saw the film, I realized that I was not the right person to make the film, he was. Because he made a dinosaur movie for kids, and mine would have been aliens with dinosaurs, and that wouldn't have been fair." Dinosaurs are for 8-year-olds. We can all enjoy it, too, but kids get dinosaurs and they should not have been excluded for that. His sensibility was right for that film, I'd have gone further, nastier, much nastier."

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) 3 years ago

I've heard this story before.

Cameron's idea sounds interesting enough, but it's good that the rights went to Spielberg. I don't need to see Aliens with dinosaurs. I already saw it with aliens.

Spielberg's family-friendly take on the story was a real winner and he created one of the greatest movies of all time -- a film that exudes charms, elicits wonder, and is interminably rewatchable.

I will cry no tears for Cameron missing out.

[–] sonans (1568) 7 months ago

That is not what he meant. He meant his version is more of a horror movie, more scary like Aliens.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) 7 months ago

Yes, quite obviously. And what I am saying is that the direction Spielberg went was better. While Spielberg's film has moments of effective tension and horror, it never goes too far in that direction and those moments are balanced out by moments of wonder as well as comedy.

Cameron's take sounds like it would've been a hard-R survival movie and I think that would've been a bad direction to go in. It would be the wrong tone entirely.

[–] rateater (10075) 3 years ago

that's an interesting what if? scenario. i remember hearing tim burton was also interested in making it.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) 3 years ago

Burton is an odd thought. Not sure what role Johnny Depp would be right for.

[–] GetWokeGoBroke (764) 3 years ago

Depp would've been easily cast as Ian Malcolm

[–] bjensen4 (1281) 3 years ago

HBC would have played one of the velociraptors.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I’m glad Spielberg made the first movie, though I would’ve been fine if the sequel was done by Cameron.

“Jurassic Parks” sounds like it would’ve been pretty cool 😄 Imagine a Hudson-like character complaining how smart the Raptors are when they’re just animals.

[–] RedVIII (76) 3 years ago

Funnily enough we did get "Aliens with dinosaurs" by way of Carnosaur 2.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

Wow, while I can see how 8 year olds would enjoy Jurassic Park, it is most definitely a film for adults.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) 7 months ago

I would not agree with that. I think it's a true enjoyable-for-all-ages family film. Whether you are 10-years-old or 60, you should enjoy the movie.

[–] strangenstein (683) 3 years ago

The Crichton novel is much nastier than the movie we got from Spielberg. The terror and dread in the novel never really materialize in the movie. It’s a fun popcorn movie, but it would’ve been interesting to see Cameron’s take.

[–] bjensen4 (1281) 3 years ago

Still irritates me that he killed Ian in the first novel and then he comes back in the second novel because “much movie profits”

[–] sonans (1568) 7 months ago

What? The second novel is not a sequel to the first novel but a sequel to the first movie?

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) 7 months ago

You know there is that saying, "The book is always better than the movie." Well I think Jurassic Park is a rare example where that's not true. I read the book a few years ago and, while interesting, it didn't have nearly the impact on me that the film did.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (17850) 3 years ago

That's what I would expect. And Cameron's right, the movie need broader appeal than that. Not that the movie doesn't have its gruesome moments.

[–] damocci (1514) 3 years ago

He apparently wanted to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr Alan Grant! No thanks. I cannot buy Arnie as an intellectual. In fact, I cannot buy Arnie as anything other than a soldier or warrior type, full stop.

[–] avigalidou (611) 2 years ago

BS.Probably Michael Biehn would have played Dr.Grant...Arnie would have been a Teutonic(germanic) version of Muldoon and with more scenes of course.Anyway Cameron should have done the Sequel to Jurassic Park he would have invigorated the franchise like Aliens,Spielberg was bored and fed up in Lost World and it shows...Cameron would have made a Jurassic World War movie probably starring Michael Biehn Arnie and Linda Hamilton (a Terminator reunion) ...Sounds pretty epic better than the mediocre Lost World

[–] damocci (1514) 2 years ago

No, as much as your Michael Biehn suggestion makes sense, James Cameron wanted Arnie as Alan Grant, probably because Arnie was the biggest movie star in the world at the time:

James Cameron said in an interview he wanted to do the movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Grant, Bill Paxton as Malcolm, and Charlton Heston as Hammond.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/trivia/

His casting choices suck but he definitely would have done a better job with a Jurassic Park 2 than what we got from Spielberg.