Jonathan Bailey reveals the wildest scene in 'Jurassic World Rebirth', and it involves Scarlett Johansson

I started hearing whispers late last year that the Jurassic franchise was coming back, which was incredibly exciting. When Gareth Edwards signed on, I knew it was going to be something brilliant. Then to my surprise, I was invited to read the script and was thrilled. As I read David Koepp’s work, I saw all the fundamentals that made Jurassic what it is: the heart and love of nature, the academic curiosity of Dr. Henry Loomis, and these big ideas about how we live today and how that affects the future. The idea of bringing back the past through DNA is endlessly fascinating. It chimed with my inner nerd—in the best possible way. By the time I finished reading, I was one hundred percent in.

Everyone has their Jurassic story. I was five years old, maybe a questionable parenting choice at the time—but I remember it so vividly. It felt spiritual. There was the vision, the fantasy, the awe of imagining what came before us and how that connects to our modern world. The characters were so vivid and playful, the writing was tight, and the whole thing was just a sumptuous, escapist delight. I was with my whole family, so there’s a deep emotional connection to it. And the score—I mean, how can you rank John Williams scores? But Jurassic Park might be number one.

He’s a scientist, but he leads with wonder. There’s this intellectual hunger paired with emotional awe, especially when he’s encountering the natural world. He’s not just looking at fossils; he’s seeing a bigger picture, how everything connects, and that really resonated with me.

It really questions humanity’s role in the natural world, especially considering scientific advancements. It asks that brilliant question: just because we can, should we? That’s the backbone of it. For anyone who loves the original Jurassic films—or just the natural world—and for anyone curious about where we’re headed as humans, this is for you. You’ll get physical goosebumps, and I think you’ll also leave with some big questions. I’m glad Henry Loomis is one of the characters asking those questions.

Jurassic World Rebirth is thrilling, but it’s also deeply thoughtful. It takes all the awe and adrenaline of the original franchise and pairs it with a modern urgency. The characters are so well-defined, and within these high-stakes discoveries—like extracting dinosaur DNA—we get to explore these profound questions in a way that feels grounded and epic, simultaneously.

If you’re working on one of James Clyne’s sets, you quickly stop asking what’s real and what isn’t. You just assume everything has been built from scratch—and it’s always extraordinary. We’d go into communities in Thailand and find entire bars constructed from the ground up. One day we were admiring a tree and someone casually mentioned it had been planted a few hours before. That’s the level of detail. Seeing the backlot, seeing the temple and the rookery, it all reinstates that sense of magic that makes filmmaking so special. Even as someone on the inside, I was constantly surprised by how real it all felt.

Zora is a powerhouse. She’s a bit bruised, a bit formidable—and Henry’s instantly intrigued. He’s never met anyone like her. He's quite empathetic in an animal sense, and he picks up on the fact that she’s been through some really dark things. And in the hands of Scarlett Johansson… she’s a bit of an icon. They really click—not just because they’re inherently good people, but because they start from these seemingly opposing motives. She’s in it for the money; he’s in it for the science. But they realise they’ve got way more in common than they thought.

Filming with Scarlett has been hilarious, full of joy and some mischief—all the best things. She’s got this innate charisma and wit, and you can tell she’s just savoring every moment of the Jurassic cinematic experience.
She’s also genuinely lovely and creates such a great working environment. But she’s truly absolutely hilarious. I’m learning that maybe American actors don’t really giggle on set, so it feels like I’ve been handed that job, but she’s brilliant in every way.

It was a dream, honestly. Once I knew I was on board, I read the script and thought, these characters are brilliant. Then the next question was: Where are we filming? Thailand. Malta. London. It was wild in the best possible way. In Thailand, there was one shoot where we stayed overnight on one island just so we could film on another the following morning. It felt like school camp, if you went to a completely ridiculous school. It was wonderfully chaotic: incredible locations, mudslides, torrential rain, and one beach where the tide came in so fast, we only had five hours to shoot. But the camaraderie was incredible. Malta had this cinematic weight. You could feel the history in the air. One of the wildest sequences was out on a boat with Scarlett. We had to rescue Skip, and we were getting blasted by water cannons. It was full-on action, and absolutely hilarious. Scarlett was, of course, completely brilliant through it all.

There was one moment with Scarlett that felt like pure cinematic magic—maybe the most Spielberg-esque three minutes of my life. We had four water cannons going, the boat rocking, Scarlett falling over the side, me pulling her back in. It was total chaos, but in the best way.
And what made it so fun was how everyone just threw themselves into it. Makeup, hair, crew, everyone was soaked, everyone was laughing. And Gareth was right there in it, operating with us. You really felt like you were part of something big.

I love Gareth. I actually told him that the next thing he needs to direct is a comedy, because his sense of humor is wild. He can totally boogie board any kind of dark comedic wave. In all seriousness, he’s brilliant. He’s incredibly specific and deeply visual. You can tell there’s a constant stream of ideas flowing through his mind. And yet, he’s also really good at creating space for everyone. That balance of precision and openness is rare.
He’s always up for a laugh, too, which just makes the set feel alive. I’m also deeply aware of how much work it is for him to helm something like this. As actors, we’re just a blip—like humans in the evolution of Earth. But Gareth? He’s thinking about every piece of the puzzle, and you feel that.

Yes! One of the animatronic creatures we worked with was called Dolores—and she was the sweetest. There's a sequence near the end of the film where I’m running behind her, and she’s looking back at me from this rucksack. It was just such a beautiful moment. One of my favorite days filming with her was when Gareth played this beautiful piece of music while we shot a scene together. It completely transformed the whole thing—it became genuinely emotional. Colin, the puppeteer inside the tube playing her legs, was incredible. I had to touch the “leg,” and I could literally hear him breathing inside as he moved it. That’s the kind of detail that brings Jurassic to life. Dolores wasn’t just a prop—there’s a kind of presence to her. That’s what made it so special. You could feel the puppeteers breathing life into her. Honestly, I think Dolores might be one of the most endearing creatures ever created for the franchise.

Gareth’s understanding of visual effects is second to none. He sees the whole film in his head, he’s building the frame in his mind while we’re blocking scenes. Then he sort of chess-pieces you into it, and you just trust that vision. There was never a sense of fear about how the dinosaurs would look. We trusted him completely. I have massive respect for the VFX teams, the artists who create these creatures. The pressure they’re under to make it all feel real, to bring that awe—it’s massive. And they’re brilliant.

It’s an incredible ensemble. What I love about this film—beyond the obvious cinematic experience—is how much life there is in the characters. David Koepp’s script gives all of us so much detail to work with, and you see that especially in the moments on the boat. You really feel the friendships, the tensions, the stakes. It’s a real sense of life, and I think it expands the world of Jurassic World Rebirth in a meaningful way. That’s down to the writing—and the cast, who bring so much to every scene.
And honestly, we were surrounded by Jurassic nerds in the best way. People who love this franchise and aren’t afraid to show it. That kind of energy lifts everything.

Costume is incredibly important to me—it tells you who the character is. I think we all just knew when we found the right shirt for Loomis. It was a total game-changer. From there, we built everything else around that look.
There’s a shared understanding on set about who this character is and who he could be. And yes, there are definitely a few subtle nods to classic Spielberg characters—though I’ll let the audience spot those.

It’s a new chapter because it honors the DNA of the franchise while forging something different. It’s more grounded. More emotional. You still get the spectacle—but also these rich character dynamics, this sense of awe that feels personal. The “rebirth” isn’t just about the dinosaurs. It’s about the people, the choices, the consequences. That’s what makes it feel fresh. It’s not just a continuation, it’s an evolution.