2. New Characters Or Familiar Faces
The biggest question mark surrounding the fourth film is whether or not any of the characters from the other JP films will return. There is a good point to be made for starting fresh. How many times are the same characters going to encounter dinosaurs? Are they really going to go to that island again? Are the dinosaurs really going to stampede down Broadway while Malcolm gets out of the subway? Will the raptors drop by Dr. Grants home with a nice bottle of wine? On the other hand, returning characters are important as the audience is already connected with them. They also serve to link up the new entry with the existing franchise, especially if the film heads toward a more unconventional route. More importantly, you could expand upon the mythology of the first film by involving the Hammond grandchildren, Tim and Lex, or even BioSyn and Dodgson (the guy who paid Nedry to steal the embryos). I do have a feeling Joseph Mazzello (Tim Murphy, the little boy from JP) will be involved in some way. After seeing his career take off, I always thought that if they did another Jurassic Park, it would be very logical to involve him. Apparently, Im not alone as many other fans have speculated similarly. However, the filmmakers run the risk of alienating fans if they dont put favorites such as Grant, Malcolm, or Ellie Sattler in some capacity. But, if they do place one of the aforementioned three characters in the lead, they run the risk of being criticized for unrealistic, repetitive choices.