Steven Spielberg Explains Why The Lost World: Jurassic Park Wasn’t A Hit

Steven Spielberg talks about why The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn’t work, citing his own overconfidence. Fresh off the critical success of West Side Story, Spielberg’s legacy as one of Hollywood’s most successful directors speaks for itself through his many classics such as Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Jurassic Park. Spielberg has received 19 Academy Award nominations for his work, including two wins for Best Director.

Released four years after the original, The Lost World: Jurassic Park follows Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) as he travels to the island of Isla Sorna, finding that a rogue mercenary team has come to take the dinosaurs genetically engineered there back to the United States. Upon its release, The Lost World was praised for its top-of-the-line CG effects but was panned for its writing and characters. In the years since, the film’s reputation has worsened, with many criticizing the darker tone and lack of wonder present in the first film.

Talking with The New York Times, Spielberg takes responsibility for the film’s critical failure, blaming his own pride. He says that the first film’s success gave him too much of an ego and that he didn’t put the level of craft he normally does into the subsequent movie. He also notes that he isn’t good at making sequels in general, saying that they’re fueled by the success of the first film rather than artistic inspiration. Read his full quote below:

My sequels aren’t as good as my originals because I go onto every sequel I’ve made and I’m too confident. This movie made a ka-zillion dollars, which justifies the sequel, so I come in like it’s going to be a slam dunk and I wind up making an inferior movie to the one before. I’m talking about ‘The Lost World’ and ‘Jurassic Park.’

With The Lost World often cited as one of Spielberg’s weakest films, as well as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s no surprise he considers some of his sequels as less than stellar. It’s almost ironic how Spielberg’s confidence from the success of the previous picture mirrors John Hammond’s own confidence in the dinosaur theme park of the first film, with both coming up short due to hubris. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull remains Spielberg’s last sequel to date.

With so many movies under the legendary director’s belt, it’s no surprise that a few are going to miss the mark. His less highly regarded projects like The Lost World and Crystal Skull show that even the most talented creators in Hollywood can have off days. Regardless, with West Side Story scoring 7 nominations at the Oscars, Spielberg has again proved that he still has the magic that will help audiences forget about bumps like The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Source: The New York Times

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