Doing what any responsible parent with a kid on the way would do, Jeff Goldblum has signed on to join the cast of the now-filming sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World.
Reprising his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm for the first time since 1997, Goldblum joins returning stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in director J.A. Bayona’s follow-up to Colin Trevorrow’s (Star Wars: Episode IX) franchise revival of two years past.
While Goldblum’s involvement may inspire hope for fans who were disappointed in the last film, we urge you to remember one thing: Independence Day: Resurgence exists, and Goldblum is in it. Though it’s reassuring that, unlike its predecessor, Jurassic World’s sequel hasn’t been rewritten by countless writers (credited and uncredited) during years of over-development, this also wouldn’t be Ian Malcolm’s first time dealing with a massive pile of dinosaur shit.
Either way, Goldblum is likely looking at a hefty paycheck, seeing as how Jurassic World raked in a massive $1.67 billion internationally and is the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. But before we see Malcolm’s return to the dinosaur-filled island where it all started, we’ll get chances to see him in both Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok this November and Wes Anderson’s recently announced Isle of Dogs next April.
The still-untitled Jurassic World sequel is due out on June 22, 2018.