Scarlett Johansson Reveals Why She Hid Her ‘Weird Stalker’ Jurassic Park Obsession From Steven Spielberg

Scarlett Johansson shares why she kept her Jurassic Park obsession hidden from Steven Spielberg during their first pitch meeting.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 05, 2025 | 08:48 PM IST | 6.4K

Scarlett Johansson via Getty Images

Scarlett Johansson reveals that her fangirling for the Jurassic Park franchise might have left Steven Spielberg with an impression of her being a stalker upon their first meeting. Johansson portrays Zora Bennett in Jurassic World Rebirth, arriving in theaters on July 2, 2025.

While Johansson is no alien to blockbuster franchises, landing this role in Jurassic World Rebirth marked more than another career check on the lists for her. It was the fulfillment of a childhood fantasy.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Johansson commented on her ingrained love affair with Jurassic Park and how hard it was for her to curb the excitement of talking with Spielberg about a new installment of this film series.

A lifelong fan of the 1993 classic, Johansson said she was so fascinated by the movies as a child that, for a year, she slept in a Jurassic Park-themed pup tent. "I was really crazy about the film," she said.

Though faithful, she wanted to keep some of the fangirling to herself during the meet-and-greet with Spielberg. During the discussion about the movie, she acknowledged her passion for the franchise when Spielberg finally brought up the topic, but in a nervous attempt to hide her childhood stories, she kept quiet and was reserved in her expression.

The Black Widow star said, "I was like, ‘He’s going to think I’m this weird stalker.’ I thought, ‘Just be professional. Don’t seem desperate. Don’t mention the tent.’"

Reflecting upon that meeting, in hindsight, Johansson said, "I probably should have just told him."

As she recalled, she noted that she could have been more expressive about it. Now playing the role of stealth operations specialist Zora Bennett in Jurassic World Rebirth, Scarlett Johansson, joined by Mahershala Ali, a black-ops logistics expert, and Jonathan Bailey, a paleontologist, heads a recovery team sent to extract dinosaur DNA for humanitarian reasons.