Laura Dern: what did Jurassic Park star say about Sam Neill age gap - are they in Jurassic World Dominion?

Shortly before the release of Jurassic World Dominion, Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern (Marriage Story, Little Women) and Sam Neill (Peaky Blinders, Thor: Love and Thunder) have reflected on the 21-year age gap, stating that, at the time, it was “a completely appropriate age difference”.

Neill was 44 in Jurassic Park, whereas Dern was just 23. This is what you need to know about what the two said - and if they’re starring together in the new Jurassic World Dominion film.

What did Laura Dern say?

Dern and Neill addressed the age gap in an interview with the Times, after Neill brought up Dern’s age when she was cast in the first Jurassic Park film.

Neill said: “Laura was a tender age. I’m guessing… 23? And she was already an exciting actor - she had done David Lynch films.

“It was no surprise she was asked. But I was completely baffled to be called by [director Steven Spielberg]. I didn’t get it.”

Neill continued: “I am 20 years older than Laura! Which at the time was a completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady!

“It never occurred to me until I opened a magazine and there was an article called “Old geezers and gals”. People like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acting with much younger people.

“And there I was, on the list. I thought, “Come on. It can’t be true”.”

Dern added: “Well, it felt completely appropriate to fall in love with Sam Neill. And it was only now, when we returned in a moment of cultural awareness about the patriarchy, that I was, like, “Wow! We’re not the same age?””

Are Laura Dern and Sam Neill in the new Jurassic World film?

Both Dern and Neill are reprising their respective roles of Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr Alan Grant for the newest instalment of the Jurassic World films, as well as Jeff Goldblum as Dr Ian Malcolm.

Jurassic World Dominion is the third, and final, part of the Jurassic World trilogy, and the sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise.

The official synopsis for the film says: “Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world.

“This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.”

Alongside Dern, Neill and Goldblum, Jurassic World Dominion sees Chris Pratt (Super Mario Bros, Get Organised) and Bryce Dallas Howard (50/50, The Help) also return to the screen as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing.

Jurassic World Dominion also welcomes new cast members including:

• DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It, Shots Fired)
• Mamoudou Athie (Archie 81, Sorry for Your Loss)
• Dichen Lachman (Severance, Animal Kingdom)
• Scott Haze (Child of God, Antlers)
• Campbell Scott (WeCrashed, Billions)

When is Jurassic World Dominion out in the UK?

Following delays lasting a whole year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jurassic World Dominion will hit UK cinemas on Friday 10 June.

If you want to catch up on the previous Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films before seeing Jurassic World Dominion, this is where you can watch them:

• Jurassic Park (1993): available to stream with a NowTV cinema pass, or to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store       
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): available to stream with a NowTV cinema pass, or to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store
• Jurassic Park III (2001): available to stream with a NowTV cinema pass, or to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store
• Jurassic World (2015): available to stream with a NowTV cinema pass, or to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): available to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store