10 Things You Never Knew About Jurassic Park

Crichton Wrote The Movie First

The novel actually came second. Crichton first dreamed up Jurassic Park as a screenplay in the 1980s and then locked in the film rights himself with a fixed $1.5 million price tag to dodge a bidding war and guarantee it would get made.

Spielberg Found It While Pitching ER

Spielberg only heard about the manuscript in May 1990 during a meeting with Crichton about a different screenplay that would eventually become the TV series 'ER'.

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

Cameron Missed It By Hours

James Cameron tried to buy the rights but arrived too late, learning Spielberg had snagged them just hours earlier. He later claimed his version would have been much nastier, more like 'Aliens'.

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

A Land-Based Jaws With Apes

Spielberg pitched the film as a land-based sequel to 'Jaws' and leaned on 'King Kong' and 'Hatari' for its spectacle and man-versus-nature energy.

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

Schindler's List Was The Trade

Sid Sheinberg, president of Universal's parent company, only let Spielberg direct 'Schindler's List' on the condition he make Jurassic Park first.

The Production Designer Wrote With Crichton

Rick Carter came aboard as production designer about two years before cameras rolled and even sat in story meetings with Crichton while the screenplay was being written.

Crichton Was Burned Out

Crichton was exhausted by his own material and reluctant to adapt it, openly describing his fatigue with the story and its characters before finally taking the screenplay on.

First Draft Was Too Fast

Crichton's September 1990 first draft landed badly for jumping straight to action instead of building tension like the novel. He then rewrote it in 40-page chunks.

Crichton Asked For Help

Crichton told Spielberg up front he would only deliver a preliminary draft and that another writer would need to polish the characters, a rare and surprising offer from a writer.

The Designer Rewrote Hammond

After Crichton left the script, production designer Rick Carter made major edits, adding Hammond recruiting Grant and Sattler and reshaping Hammond's entire character arc.