Why Glen Powell Turned Down ‘Jurassic World’ Sequel

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Glen Powell revealed the surprising reason why he turned down a starring role in the upcoming Jurassic World sequel, despite the original being one of his “favorite movies” and having wanted to make an installment in the franchise for “my whole life.”

Powell has been acting since age 13, when he took his first role in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over; and, though he had memorable turns in The Dark Knight Rises and Hidden Figures, his star didn’t earnestly begin to rise until he played Hangman, the attitudinal cadet who saves the day in Top Gun: Maverick. With the release of last year’s surprise rom-com hit Anyone But You, Powell became every producer’s top choice for a leading man.

But the star, who recently moved from Hollywood back home to Texas, isn’t about to take any project just because it’s offered to him. Powell even turned down the lead role in the new Jurassic World sequel, but not for the reason you might expect.

“I’m not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, ‘My presence in this movie doesn’t help it,’” Powell explained.

Before anyone could get the wrong idea, Powell reiterated that the decision had to do with his career rather than the quality of the film.

“The script’s great. The movie’s going to f---ing kill,” Powell said. “It’s not about that. It’s about choosing where you’re going to make an audience happy and where you’re going to make yourself happy.”

The next Jurassic World film, intended to be a soft reboot of the revitalized series, is set to star Scarlett Johansson and Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey. Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards is directing, while original director Steven Spielberg is producing under his Amblin banner. The yet-to-be-titled sequel is primed for release on July 2, 2025.