Jurassic World is really up and roaring after giving itself a name and a release date last month. The past week has seen quite a bit of casting news, with some of the child actors signing on, and Josh Brolin starting negotiations to star. Brolin and the previously cast Bryce Dallas Howard will surely be joined by at least two or three more big names, seeing as how this is sure to be one of the biggest movies of 2015, and gigantic blockbusters are no stranger to British actor Idris Elba, who is rumored to be in talks with Universal and director Colin Trevorrow to join the film. I shall refrain from jumping up and down with glee at least long enough to point out that it’s unsubstantiated hearsay at best, but the “news” appears in two different places that seem to have nothing to do with each other. At least coincidences are on our side.
Jurassic World Movie News recently reported that a source “whose fairly close to Jurassic World’s development” said Elba's name was in the running.
In addition, the website Acting Auditions recently posted a casting notice for Jurassic World, calling for actors and crew in Louisiana, where the film will partially be filmed. Elba’s name is mentioned not just once, but twice, as being part of the cast. They even have “in talks” next to Brolin’s name, but Elba is listed as if it’s a no-brainer that he’s already signed on. Both Nick Robinson (The Kings of Summer and Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3) are noted as well, though nothing is said of the previously rumored Jake Johnson (New Girl).
So is this just a mistake or what? I went and looked through the website for a few minutes and nothing was amiss with any of the other notices I read. And to really drive it home, Jurassic World is already on Elba’s filmography list on Wikipedia. Maybe if we all got together and chanted for a while, it would turn out to be true.
2013 could be considered the “Year of Elba,” as he was seen cancelling apocalypses in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, presiding over South Africa in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and solving murders in the brilliant third season of the BBC’s Luther. He’ll also be seen in a few weeks for Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World, in which he’ll reprise his role of Heimdall.
We’re taking the news with a grain of salt, but with the hopes that our futures will all include Elba chasing down and punching a CGI dinosaur. I mean, Isla Nublar even kind of sounds like Idris Elba if you’re got a mouth full of food.
