Scarlett Johansson is officially stepping into the prehistoric universe with Jurassic World Rebirth and she didn’t do it without a warm welcome from one of the franchise’s most beloved stars.
In an exclusive with People, the Oscar-nominated actress revealed that Bryce Dallas Howard reached out to her with a supportive and heartfelt email after learning she’d been cast in the new instalment of the legendary franchise.
"When I first got cast, Bryce Dallas Howard reached out to me and was so excited," Johansson said. "She wrote me a whole long email about her experience and how wonderful the fans were and how that was part of the excitement, joining the Jurassic family and having these fans for life."
Johansson, 40, stars as Zora Bennett, a highly skilled mercenary on a daring mission to recover dinosaur DNA for medical breakthroughs. She’s joined by Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis, Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid, and a fresh ensemble of characters in Jurassic World Rebirth, which hits theatres July 2.
The film marks the seventh chapter in the dino-saga that began with 1993’s Jurassic Park. Bryce Dallas Howard, who portrayed Claire Dearing in the last trilogy alongside Chris Pratt, called the new cast “absolutely fantastic” and confirmed she’ll be watching it in theaters “opening day.”
Johansson also shared that Marriage Story co-star Laura Dern was “so pumped” to see her join the dino-verse. And as it turns out, Scarlett has worked with nearly every member of the original Jurassic cast — from Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill to Samuel L. Jackson.
Co-star Jonathan Bailey echoed Johansson’s excitement, saying Jeff Goldblum — his Wicked castmate — encouraged him to “just have a great time” in the role. “They’re all just incredible, iconic actors,” Bailey said.
For Johansson, joining the Jurassic legacy fulfils a childhood dream. “It’s surreal,” she said. “As a huge fan of the movie, I’m just excited for Jurassic nerds to see it… I hope other 10-year-olds have the same experience I did when I saw the first Jurassic in theatres – where they can just be completely carried away for two hours. It makes you dream.”