The $1.5 Million Gamble That Forced Spielberg to Make Dinosaurs First

A Fixed-Price Gamble

Michael Crichton wanted his dinosaur idea on screen so badly he tried to engineer it. He had first conceived Jurassic Park as a screenplay in the 1980s before it became a novel, and he deliberately offered the film rights at a fixed $1.5 million to avoid a bidding war and ensure a film would actually get made.

Steven Spielberg first learned about the manuscript in May 1990 while discussing a different screenplay with Crichton that would become the television series ER. The timing was tight. James Cameron attempted to purchase the rights but discovered Spielberg had acquired them just hours before, and later said his version would have been much nastier, comparable to his film Aliens. Spielberg himself described Jurassic Park as an attempt to make a land-based sequel to Jaws and cited King Kong and Hatari as major inspirations for the film's approach to spectacle and man-versus-nature themes.

A Reluctant Author

Crichton was not eager to return to the material. He initially felt exhausted by Jurassic Park and reluctant to write the screenplay, describing his fatigue with the story and its characters before ultimately taking on the task.

His first screenplay draft, completed in September 1990, was poorly received because it jumped too quickly to action rather than building tension like the novel, prompting him to rewrite the script in 40-page increments. Crichton explicitly told Spielberg he would write only a preliminary draft and that another writer would be needed to polish the characters, an offer that surprised Spielberg since writers rarely make such an admission.

Jurassic Park Ford Explorer at Brussels Auto Show 2024 — Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Schindler's List Condition

The project also became a bargaining chip for Spielberg's own ambitions. Sid Sheinberg, president of Universal's parent company, approved Spielberg's request to direct Schindler's List only on the condition that Spielberg make Jurassic Park first.

Botanical Gardens Kauai, Hawaii — Michelle Maria, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Design Takes the Pen

Production designer Rick Carter was hired approximately two years before filming began and held story meetings with Crichton during the screenplay writing process. After Crichton's departure, Carter made significant edits to the screenplay, introducing key elements including Hammond recruiting Grant and Sattler, and reshaping Hammond's character arc. The film that emerged was less a solo authorial vision than a negotiated one, built from a priced-to-move rights deal, a tired writer's first pass, and a designer who ended up rewriting the story.

David Koepp author photo. — Claudette Barius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.