Jeff Goldblum describes the return of Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World 2!

Two weeks ago, it was revealed that Jeff Goldblum would be returning to the role of Ian Malcolm for Jurassic World 2. This will be his third appearance in the series, and makes Malcolm the second most recurring character after Dr. Henry Wu. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Goldblum was asked what he looked forward to for his return to the franchise. Goldblum replied:

"Off I go in a few weeks to London, where they’ve been hard at work, and I’ll try to contribute something to the plate of dino-entertainment. I like my character. I think my character is a saucy, sassy man of some integrity and deep thinking."

It appears that Goldblum has yet to film his scenes in London yet, although filming has been ongoing for a few months. This information does raise the possibility of a reduced screen time or extended cameo for Ian Malcolm in the film.

It would also appear that Malcolm has lost none of his trademark wit from the first Jurassic Park film. The twenty years that will have elapsed since The Lost World could possibly have brought another personality shift to the character due to his being proven right about the existence of dinosaurs. Ian Malcolm also profited off of his experiences as seen in the easter egg of his book that was visible in the Jurassic World control center.

Goldblum also discussed his familiarity with Director Juan Antonio Bayona's work:

"I talked to the director, J.A. Bayona, over the phone. I enjoyed his movie The Impossible with Naomi Watts, and he’s something else. I didn’t realize he was a good friend of a friend of mine, a director I worked with a while ago in Spain named Fernando Trueba, who’s just fantastic. Knowing that the two of them are brethren and brotherly in their friendship makes me feel very good, too"

It is encouraging to know that Goldblum is familiar with Bayona's body of work, and also had a connection to him through his network of friends. Initial conversations between Bayona and Goldblum have already begun as well.

Goldblum also went on to reassure fans that the sequel would explore the same complex moral questions found in Jurassic Park:

"Even though some might say it’s popcorn-y entertainment (top-notch, of course), in our conversation he was very focused on the serious issues of greed as it oftentimes comes up in those movies, and the marvels of science and reason and the very fascinating point at which our species finds itself both in real life and in this imaginary world too. I’m very interested in that myself, so I’m looking forward to this. I’ve got a few things to do. I’m nothing if not conscientious, so I’m enjoying working on it every day."

Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt will be returning as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, respectively. The cast of the film currently includes Ted Levine, BD Wong, Rafe Spall, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, Justice Smith and Geraldine Chaplin.

Source: Entertainment Weekly