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Few moviegoers may be aware that one of Steven Spielberg’s most beloved blockbusters nearly ended up in the hands of another celebrated filmmaker, James Cameron. Before Steven Spielberg secured that project, James Cameron had envisioned a version that was much darker and more violent, nothing like the fun-filled adventure audiences know today. And the film that almost took this drastically different path was Jurassic Park.
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (via Comic Book), the Avatar filmmaker revealed that he came close to directing Jurassic Park before Steven Spielberg stepped in. He recalled receiving Michael Crichton’s novel and wanting to adapt it for the big screen the moment he reached the tense sequence where the children are trapped in the overturned vehicle, and the Tyrannosaurus rex licks the windshield, sensing them inside. However, when he contacted the agent to pursue the rights, he was informed that Steven Spielberg had already secured them.
How James Cameron’s Jurassic Park Would’ve Been Very Different?
When James Cameron finally watched Jurassic Park, he felt Steven Spielberg had been the right choice to bring the story to life. He later admitted that his own version would have been far more terrifying and R-rated, compared to the actual film’s PG-13 approach. And there lies the fundamental difference. James Cameron’s take may have been darker, wilder, and significantly more violent, with deaths portrayed in a brutal, gory manner reminiscent of Aliens. Instead of the family-friendly, fun-filled adventure audiences know, his adaptation might have leaned heavily into a more intense sci-fi horror territory.
