The man who brought chaos theory into pop culture is back where he belongs.
Jeff Goldblum will be returning to the “Jurassic Park” franchise with “Jurassic World 2.” The 64-year-old actor played a pivotal role in the 1993 original, and he came back for the mediocre sequel. His unique line deliveries, second perhaps only to Christopher Walken (and William Shatner?), make any movie better.
For the “Jurassic” franchise, though, the addition is a bona fide coup.
So what other stars should follow suit? We’re living in the age of the movie franchise, and almost any property can be turned into a “shared universe.” It’s the reason you’ll see Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll in the upcoming Tom Cruise film “The Mummy.”
Here are four other stars who should follow Goldblum’s path back to their original franchises.
1. Kurt Russell, “Escape from New York”
Yes, it’s hard not to forget how awful the film’s one sequel, “Escape from L.A.,” proved. That awful “surfing” sequence set special effects back a decade.
That was then. Hollywood treats these properties with more respect now. And Russell’s Snake Plissken gave us a legendary movie hero, the kind that doesn’t come around very often. The industry has been trying to remake the film for some time now with a younger star. Why not bring Russell back? If he’s hearty enough for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” he can rediscover his inner Snake one more time.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Predator”
His star doesn’t shine like it once did. And his return to his “other” franchise, the “Terminator” series, was met with a shrug. Yet Schwarzenegger still should be part of the upcoming “Predator” reboot. We haven’t seen enough of his character from the 1987 original. And it would tie in beautifully to our ’80s obsessions while granting the new film some gravitas.
Think of the scene we all need to see: Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, older but still carrying a grudge, looking into the face of the Predator one more time. Those moments are why we line up for popcorn movies in the first place.
3. Billy Dee Williams, “Star Wars”
How did this not happen already with “The Force Awakens”? Now that Harrison Ford has officially left the franchise (the hard way), why not bring ol’ Lando Calrissian back for “The Last Jedi”? Perhaps it’s too late already, but a Williams return simply makes sense. Episode IX, anyone?
More Lando means fleshing out the back story of some key “Star Wars” figures. And, with Donald Glover cast as the Young Lando for the Han Solo spinoff, featuring the older character in the new trilogy offers a way to tie all the films together.
4. Jamie Lee Curtis, “Halloween”
She’s Hollywood’s reigning Scream Queen, the star who made the best slasher film of all time that much better. Now that John Carpenter is revisiting his original shocker, why not bring Curtis back into the fold?
It would be good to see Curtis’ character, Laurie, alive and well and ready to get scared to death (again). She’s the original Final Girl, and one more round with the unstoppable Michael Myers makes sense.
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