Editing Jurassic Park (film) (section)

===Development===
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| footer = [[Michael Crichton]]'s book attracted the attention of director [[Steven Spielberg]] (right) even before it was published. The author was also responsible for the film's first scripts.|
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[[Michael Crichton]]'s 1990 novel ''[[Jurassic Park (novel)|Jurassic Park]]'' was originally conceived as a screenplay in the 1980s, and went through numerous changes before being published as a book.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jurassic Park|url=http://www.michaelcrichton.com/jurassic-park/ |website=MichaelCrichton.com |access-date=February 3, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |people=Crichton, Michael |title=Michael Crichton on the Jurassic Park Phenomenon |medium=DVD |publisher=Universal |year=2001}}</ref> In the late 1970s, a bidding war began for the film rights to Crichton's then-upcoming novel ''[[Congo (novel)|Congo]]'', which would not be made into [[Congo (film)|a film]] until 1995. With ''Jurassic Park'', Crichton hoped to avoid another bidding war and the same protracted outcome by offering the film rights at a fixed price of $1.5 million, as he was primarily concerned with ensuring that a film actually be produced; he was less interested in receiving a top offer.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=6}}

Crichton submitted the ''Jurassic Park'' [[manuscript]] to his publisher in May 1990. Director [[Steven Spielberg]] learned of the novel that month while he was discussing a screenplay with Crichton that would become the television series ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''. Spielberg had a life-long fascination with dinosaurs and expressed interest in ''Jurassic Park''. After reading the [[Galley proof|galleys]], he committed to direct the film adaptation.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=6–7}} He liked the novel's sense of adventure and its scientific explanation for dinosaur resurrection,{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=12}} saying it provided "a really credible look at how dinosaurs might someday be brought back alongside modern mankind".<ref name=dawn/>

Crichton was represented by an agent at [[Creative Artists Agency]]. Spielberg recalled that "the agency got ahold of it; and they, of course, encouraged a bidding war, even though Michael had kind of promised me the book privately."{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=6–7}} Major studios bid for the film rights, each with a director in mind. This included [[Warner Bros.]] and [[Tim Burton]], [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[Richard Donner]], and [[20th Century Fox]] and [[Joe Dante]].{{sfn|McBride|1997|p=416–9}} Crichton spoke with each director and endorsed Spielberg as the most likely candidate to get the film made, noting it would be "a very difficult picture" and calling Spielberg "arguably the most experienced and most successful director of these kinds of movies".{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=7–8}} [[Universal Pictures]], also backing Spielberg as director, acquired the rights in May 1990,<ref name="Production notes">DVD Production Notes</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hammer |first=Joshua |title=The Blockbuster Game |url=https://www.newsweek.com/blockbuster-game-206218 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Newsweek |date=June 24, 1990}}</ref> less than a week after they were offered for sale and six months before the novel's publication.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=1, 7}}

[[James Cameron]] revealed in 2012 that he had tried to purchase the rights, only to discover that Spielberg had acquired them a few hours prior.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=September 11, 2022|author=Frost, Caroline|date=September 11, 2012|publisher=Huffington Post|title=Titanic Director James Cameron Reveals He Wanted 'Jurassic Park', But Steven Spielberg Beat Him To It|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/07/titanic-director-james-cameron-jurassic-park-steven-spielberg_n_1864996.html}}</ref> Cameron said his version of ''Jurassic Park'' would have been "much nastier", comparing it with his 1986 film ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]''. He realized he was not the right director for ''Jurassic Park'' after seeing the finished product, commending Spielberg for making a film which could be enjoyed by children.<ref>{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Travis |title=James Cameron says Steven Spielberg beat him to the 'Jurassic Park' rights by a few hours — and his version would have been 'much nastier' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/james-cameron-tried-to-buy-the-jurassic-park-book-rights-2018-4 |website=Business Insider |access-date=February 5, 2025 |date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> Dante also praised it, but disagreed with Spielberg's decision to make Hammond more of a protagonist, a departure from the novel.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scobel |first1=Peter |last2=Gilchrist |first2=Todd |title=How director Joe Dante would have made Jurassic Park |url=https://www.avclub.com/how-director-joe-dante-would-have-made-jurassic-park-1849491490 |website=AV Club |access-date=February 5, 2025 |date=September 2, 2022}}</ref>

[[Storyboard]]s and sketches were already being produced weeks after the rights were acquired.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=9}} Because of the island setting and abundance of dinosaurs, Spielberg believed it would be advantageous to hire a production designer as soon as possible, choosing [[Rick Carter]] about two years before the start of filming. They read the galleys and held many meetings to discuss which scenes would work best in the film adaptation.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=11-12}} Spielberg said that with ''Jurassic Park'', he "was really just trying to make a good sequel to ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', on land."<ref>{{cite news |last=Macnab |first=Geoffrey |title='Fear was part of the pleasure': How Steven Spielberg mined his dark side to make Jurassic Park |url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/jurassic-park-steven-spielberg-anniversary-b2398089.html |access-date=February 7, 2025 |work=The Independent |date=August 25, 2023}}</ref> He was also heavily inspired by the 1933 film ''[[King Kong (1933)|King Kong]]'',{{sfn|Mottram|2021|p=17}} calling it the "high-water mark" for special effects and for imagining "what it would be like to do a ''King Kong'' of today."<ref name="Earl doc">{{cite video |title=The Making of Jurassic Park |author=[[James Earl Jones|Jones, James Earl]] (Host) |medium=VHS |publisher=Universal |year=1995}}</ref> He cited the 1962 film ''[[Hatari!]]'' as another inspiration, calling it "the high-water mark of man versus the natural in a feature film."{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=16}} Spielberg described the 1956 film ''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters!]]'' as the most masterful dinosaur film of his youth, because it made him and viewers believe it was really happening.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=15, 17}}{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=15}} Although he did not set out to make a dinosaur film better than any others, he did want ''Jurassic Park'' to be "the most realistic of them all."{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=15}}

It eventually became clear to Spielberg that ''Jurassic Park'' would require more time in development, in order to determine [[#Effects|the effects needed to create the dinosaurs]]. He shifted focus to his 1991 film ''[[Hook (film)|Hook]]'', while continuing to monitor progress on ''Jurassic Park'', including script revisions. The art department went on an eight-month hiatus from ''Jurassic Park'' to work on ''[[Death Becomes Her]]'', another Universal film.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=23–24}} After completing ''Hook'', Spielberg wanted ''[[Schindler's List]]'' to be his next film. [[Sid Sheinberg]], president of [[Music Corporation of America]] (Universal's parent company at the time) gave the [[greenlight]] to ''Schindler's List'' on the condition that Spielberg make ''Jurassic Park'' first.{{sfn|McBride|1997|p=416–9}} Set designs began to be finalized in January 1992; a hotel was among locations at the fictional park that would be cut from the film.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=42–43}}

[[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], who co-founded [[Amblin Entertainment]] with Spielberg, would serve as a producer on ''Jurassic Park'' alongside [[Gerald R. Molen|Gerald Molen]], who had worked with Amblin in the past.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=10}} Kennedy handled the creative aspects of the project, while Molen managed production-related elements.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=67}} [[Dean Cundey]], the [[cinematographer]] for ''Hook'', would rejoin Spielberg for ''Jurassic Park'', signing on to the project relatively late in [[pre-production]]. However, he had followed the film's progress through an association with Carter;{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=68}} both had worked on ''Death Becomes Her''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Drew |title=5 Versions Of 'Jurassic Park' You Never Saw |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/06/5-versions-of-jurassic-park-you-never-saw-97110/ |website=IndieWire |access-date=February 8, 2025 |date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> Cundey described his cinematography as "a realistic, crisp, color-saturated look," aligning with Spielberg's vision for the film.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=68}} [[Michael Kahn (film editor)|Michael Kahn]], Spielberg's longtime [[film editor]], would also return for ''Jurassic Park''.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=59}}