Iconic writer Michael Crichton passed away in 2008 while working on another adventure novel in the mould of his best-known work, Jurassic Park. Another author finished that story based on his notes, and the result was Micro, published in 2011. Last year, Dreamworks purchased the film rights, and today that film now has a potential director.
The cover of Micro. Image: HarperCollins
The director is Joachim Rønning, who co-directed next month’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He’s in talks with Amblin and Dreamworks to join the film, which is about a group of scientists who are flown to Hawaii on a mysterious mission. They’re then shrunk and cast into the jungle to fend for themselves.
It kind of sounds like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids with adults, so I’m all about that. Plus, Crichton is hot again with Westworld becoming so popular and Jurassic World, a return to the story he began with Jurassic Park, blowing up so big (with a sequel on the way). There are only so many more Crichton stories to make it to the big screen, and this sounds like a fun one. Plus, after people see Pirates 5, they’re going to feel good about Rønning helming another big action movie.
Darren Lemke, the writer of the Goosebumps movie, is attached to adapt the screenplay, but no timeline has officially been set.
[Variety]