When you think of dinosaurs on the big screen, Steven Spielberg is usually the first name that pops into your head. It makes sense. He's the guy who made us believe a T-Rex could actually flip a Ford Explorer in 1993. But by the time the franchise reached its third outing in 2001, the director's chair looked a little different. Joe Johnston is the man who directed Jurassic Park 3, and honestly, he took on a job that most directors would have run away from screaming.
It wasn't a hostile takeover or anything like that. Spielberg simply felt he had said everything he needed to say with The Lost World. He wanted to produce. He wanted to watch from the sidelines. Johnston, who had already proven he could handle high-concept adventure with Jumanji and The Rocketeer, stepped up to the plate.
But here’s the thing. Johnston didn't just inherit a movie; he inherited a production that was basically a runaway train.
Why Joe Johnston Was the Only Choice
Most people don't realize how deep the connection between Johnston and Spielberg actually goes. Johnston wasn't just some random hire. He was a veteran of the original Star Wars trilogy, a guy who literally helped design Boba Fett's armor and the Millennium Falcon. He had "VFX DNA" in his blood.
He actually asked Spielberg about directing a sequel back when the first film was still in theaters. Spielberg told him that if there ever was a third one, it was his. He kept that promise. Johnston brought a very specific, gritty, "creature feature" energy to the project that was a massive departure from the awe-filled, philosophical tone of the first two films.
The Script That Didn't Exist
You've probably heard the rumors about the script for Jurassic Park 3. They’re true. Most of them, anyway. Johnston and his team threw out the original screenplay—which involved teenagers stranded on an island—just weeks before production was set to begin.
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Imagine that. You have a multi-million dollar budget, a massive crew, and an expectant studio, but you don't have a finished story.
They started filming with only a partial script. Basically, Johnston was building the plane while he was flying it. This led to a movie that feels lean. It’s fast. It’s only about 90 minutes long, which is a blink of an eye compared to the epics we get today. David Koepp, who wrote the first two movies, wasn't around. Instead, Johnston worked with Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor. Yes, the same Alexander Payne who did Sideways. It was a weird mix of talent for a movie about a Spinosaurus eating people.
The Spinosaurus vs. The T-Rex Debate
The biggest legacy of Joe Johnston’s direction is undoubtedly the Spinosaurus. He wanted a new "villain." He felt the T-Rex had been "done" and that the audience needed a fresh threat. This decision still divides the fanbase today.
By making the Spinosaurus the apex predator, Johnston took a huge risk. He worked closely with the legendary Stan Winston to build a massive, 25-ton animatronic beast. It was the largest animatronic ever built at the time. It was powerful enough to actually destroy the T-Rex animatronic if they weren't careful.
Johnston’s background in practical effects was the saving grace here. He knew how to frame these giant puppets to make them look terrifying. While the CGI in 2001 was getting better, the "meat" of the movie is the tactile, slimy, physical presence of the dinosaurs. That’s pure Johnston.
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A Different Kind of Alan Grant
When you're the person who directed Jurassic Park 3, you also have to manage the return of legacy characters. Sam Neill came back as Alan Grant, but he wasn't the same guy we saw in the first film.
Johnston steered Neill toward a performance that felt world-weary. Grant was now a man haunted by his past, someone who explicitly said he would never go back to those islands. The way Johnston frames Grant’s reluctance makes the character feel more human. He’s not a hero; he’s a survivor who’s been tricked into a nightmare.
The Kirby family—played by William H. Macy and Téa Leoni—added a layer of "everyman" chaos that Spielberg usually avoided. They weren't scientists. They weren't experts. They were just desperate parents. Johnston used them to ground the movie in a more frantic, less "majestic" reality.
The Pteranodon Birdcage Sequence
If there is one sequence that proves Johnston was the right man for the job, it’s the birdcage. This was actually a concept Spielberg had wanted to use in the previous films but never could quite get right.
Johnston executed it perfectly.
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The atmosphere in that scene is incredible. The thick fog, the rusted catwalks, the sudden realization that they are in a giant enclosure. It’s claustrophobic. It’s scary. It highlights Johnston’s ability to direct tension without needing a 20-minute setup. He gets in, scares the life out of you, and gets out.
The Critical Reception and the "What If"
Critics weren't exactly kind to the film when it dropped. Many felt it lacked the "soul" of the Spielberg entries. And yeah, it’s a B-movie at heart. But it’s a great B-movie.
Over the years, the film has seen a massive resurgence in popularity. Fans have come to appreciate the brisk pacing and the incredible practical effects. Johnston didn't try to be Spielberg. He didn't try to make a grand statement about the ethics of cloning. He made a survival horror movie with dinosaurs.
- Production Time: The film was notorious for its rushed schedule.
- Budget: Despite the script issues, it cost around $93 million.
- Legacy: It paved the way for the Jurassic World soft reboot years later.
Johnston’s work on Captain America: The First Avenger years later showed the same trait: he is a master of the "adventure" genre. He knows how to handle iconic IP without letting the weight of the brand crush the fun.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you're revisiting the franchise or studying film history, here is how you can better appreciate what Joe Johnston did with the third installment:
- Watch for the Practical Effects: Pay close attention to the scenes with the Spinosaurus in the water. That is a physical machine interacting with real water, which is incredibly hard to film.
- Compare the Pacing: Watch The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 back-to-back. You’ll see the shift from Spielberg’s slow-burn suspense to Johnston’s rapid-fire action.
- Check the Credits: Look at the names involved in the creature shop. It was the swan song for some of the best practical effects artists in Hollywood before CGI took over completely.
- Listen to the Score: Don Davis took over for John Williams. He used Williams’ themes but added a darker, more frantic layer to the music that matches Johnston’s visual style.
The story of who directed Jurassic Park 3 is ultimately a story about a filmmaker who stepped into a chaotic situation and delivered a tight, entertaining creature feature that has stood the test of time better than anyone expected in 2001. It’s not the masterpiece the original was, but it’s a masterclass in professional, high-stakes directing under pressure.
To truly understand the evolution of the series, look at Johnston's film as the bridge between the "Naturalist" era of Spielberg and the "Spectacle" era of the modern sequels. He found the middle ground in the mud and the fog of Isla Sorna.