Beyond the Indiana Jones series, Steven Spielberg, in his extensive and acclaimed career, has only ventured into directing one sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This film saw Jeff Goldblum returning to his role as the chaos theorist Ian Malcolm, alongside Julianne Moore.
Based on Michael Crichton’s bestselling novel, The Lost World garnered mixed reviews and is generally regarded as one of Spielberg’s less successful endeavors. Interestingly, it’s one of those rare cases where both the critical consensus (53%) and audience score (51%) on Rotten Tomatoes are closely aligned.
Steven Spielberg Wasn’t A Fan Of Sequels
While Steven Spielberg has crafted numerous crowd-pleasers throughout his illustrious career, his six decades of Oscar nominations place him in the same league as Martin Scorsese, vying for the title of the “greatest living filmmaker.” Nevertheless, The Lost World failed to strike the same chord with audiences as the original Jurassic Park. Fortunately, Spielberg acknowledges where he went wrong with the sequel.
According to Spielberg, the overwhelming success of Jurassic Park, which turned into a cultural sensation and one of the highest-grossing films in history, might have influenced his mindset when he embarked on creating The Lost World. During an interview with The New York Times in 2016, while promoting his Roald Dahl adaptation The BFG, Spielberg made this candid admission.
“Confidence is my enemy and it always has been. My sequels aren’t as good as my originals because I go onto every sequel I’ve made and I’m too confident. This movie made a ka-zillion dollars, which justifies the sequel, so I come in like it’s going to be a slam dunk and I wind up making an inferior movie to the one before. I’m talking about ‘The Lost World’ and ‘Jurassic Park.'”
Certainly, one of the standout elements of The Lost World: Jurassic Park is its conclusion, in which a cargo ship transports the Tyrannosaurus rex to the mainland, setting the stage for the dinosaur’s destructive rampage through San Diego.
Steven Spielberg Knew Uncertainty Can Be Beneficial
Spielberg’s film, by its very title, pays homage to Harry O. Hoyt’s 1925 silent film The Lost World, in which explorers transport a brontosaurus to London, resulting in its destructive rampage. Hoyt’s movie served as an inspiration for King Kong, which, in a ripple effect, left its mark on Godzilla. The concept of prehistoric creatures causing chaos in modern society has been a recurring theme in cinema, with the upcoming 2022 legacy sequel, Jurassic World Dominion, following suit.
Spielberg’s reflection on The Lost World hints at the idea that the uncertainty of a movie’s success can sometimes be beneficial for the creative process. This perspective contrasts with the current trend of relying on established intellectual properties with a guaranteed fanbase for blockbuster films. Perhaps this perspective played a role in Spielberg’s decision to step away from directing Indiana Jones 5.
The Lost World is available for streaming on TNT and Peacock.
Source: NY Times
