Jeff Goldblum rejects calls for Jurassic Park return

Jeff Goldblum has dismissed the idea of returning to the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise.

The 71-year-old actor played Dr. Ian Malcolm in the first two instalments of the series, as well as the legacy sequels ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ and ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, though has now admitted his time in the franchise is over.

He told Total Film: "I think Ian Malcolm may have ridden off into the sunset. Maybe."

Even though the ‘Independence Day’ actor thinks he has parted ways with the series for good, he’s excited to see the next entry in the franchise, ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’, which features Scarlett Johansson and his ‘Wicked’ co-star Jonathan Bailey.

Goldblum added: "This next one – my friend Scarlett Johansson and my new friend Jonathan Bailey from ‘Wicked’, I think, are taking up the reins. And I can’t wait to see what they do. I think that’s a good idea."

The upcoming film - which is being helmed by ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ director Gareth Edwards and is due to hit cinemas in July 2025 - is set five years after the events of ‘Dominion’, and will follow a team of scientists who race to extract DNA samples from three dinosaurs in an effort to find a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

Previously, Johansson admitted she had been fighting for a role in the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise for 15 years.

During an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, the 39-year-old actress told the host: "I have been trying to get in the franchise for like 15 years, like, really to do anything at all. I mean, I would happily die immediately."

The ‘Avengers: Endgame’ star added she has been an "enormous" fan of the series ever since she was a youngster and said the experience of watching the original film in 1993 was "life-changing and mind-blowing".

Speaking to ComicBook.com she said: "I am an enormous ‘Jurassic Park’ fan.

"It is one of the first movies I remember seeing in theatres. I remember it so vividly. It was life-changing and mind-blowing. I cannot express how excited I am."