Jeff Goldblum passes 'Jurassic Park' torch to Jonathan Bailey

Jeff Goldblum, who famously played mathematician and chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm in several Jurassic Park movies, will be passing the torch to Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, who will play paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis in the franchise’s upcoming seventh film, Jurassic World: Rebirth — and Goldblum couldn’t be happier.

Goldblum tells Variety, "The hope of the world resides, and I can think of no better baton receiver to carry on the 'da da da da da,'" referencing John Williams' classic Jurassic Park theme. "It's Jonathan Bailey! It's like no other!"

“I had the invitation to join the 'Jurassic' world, to join the conga line led by Jeff,” adds Bailey, sharing that he and Goldblum discussed the role on the way to CinemaCon earlier this year. “The original film was a seminal cinematic moment, purely because of Jeff, but also, I went with my family, and the multi-sensory experience of going to see a film so perfectly realized.”

"There's so much that I am so proud to join. But obviously ... there is a sense of responsibility," says Bailey. "And if I can match half of what Jeff and Sam Neill and Laura Dern achieved, I'll be very lucky."

Jurassic World: Rebirth takes place five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, per Universal Pictures. "The planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived."

However, "The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind."

Bailey stars opposite Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Homeland alum Rupert Friend and The Lincoln Lawyer's Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

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