Jeff Goldblum will reprise the role of Dr Ian Malcolm in forthcoming video game Jurassic World Evolution. Goldblum stole the show as the cocky mathematician in Jurassic Park, providing much needed comic relief when things got too intense. Malcolm was promoted to lead for The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where he very reluctantly undertakes a rescue mission to the original dinosaur testing site to rescue his girlfriend.
Despite audience love for Goldblum, it seemed somewhat unlikely he’d be dragged back for a third round of running from dinosaurs, so the character was missing from the third and fourth movies. Goldblum will make a cameo in the forthcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, with the trailer hinting he’ll likely only appear in one scene.
Fans disappointed about the lack of Goldblum in the movie can take solace with video game Jurassic World Evolution, with Universal announcing that Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm will act as a guide for players throughout. The actor himself appears in a short trailer promoting his role, and stating the game gets “10 Goldblums out of a possible 10 Goldblums. That’s my highest rating.”
Jurassic World Evolution puts players in charge of operations on Isla Nublar, where they can build new attractions and engineer new dinosaur breeds – something that didn’t work out so well in Jurassic World. Malcolm will be there to advise players during construction and given his level of experience with failed dinosaur parks, his insight should prove useful. The title is being developed by Frontier, who previously worked on the RollerCoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon games.
The Jurassic Park series was stagnant for a long time prior to 2015’s Jurassic World, with the fourth movie being stuck in development hell for over a decade. Jurassic World’s simple premise about an opening and functioning dinosaur park going wrong was an interesting twist, and the movie went on to become a massive success. That said, the movie drew criticism for its flat characters, nostalgia pandering and the especially mean-spirited death of a supporting character.
Critiques aside, the series is back and stronger than ever, and a third Jurassic World movie is already scheduled for June 2021. Evolution won’t be the only tie-in title, with mobile game Jurassic World Alive allowing players to trap dinosaurs and collect DNA on their smartphones.
More: Jurassic World Getting Pokemon Go-Style AR Mobile Game
Jurassic World Evolution is released for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in summer 2018.
Source: Universal
- Jurassic World 2 Release Date: 2018-06-22