Jurassic World Rebirth introduces Jonathan Bailey’s Dr. Henry Loomis, a paleontologist who joins a dangerous mission with Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett and Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid. But while the new movie is set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, Bailey has teased that there is a link back to the original Jurassic Park, and one character in particular.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the Wicked star hinted that his character had a history with Sam Neill’s beloved paleontologist. “I’ve always wanted to make Dr. Alan Grant proud,” the actor told the publication. “You’ll have to wait and see to see what sort of link there is between them.”
It hasn’t taken long for internet sleuths to try and work out exactly what he means by this, and fans think they’ve solved it. Posting on Twitter, several have wondered if this comment means that Bailey’s character may have appeared in the franchise before – specifically one early scene in Jurassic Park.
🚨BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) share a connection in Jurassic World Rebirth! 🚨•“I’ve always wanted to make Dr. Alan Grant proud,” Bailey says. “You’ll have to wait and see to see what sort of link there is between them.”•… pic.twitter.com/rKCSJGHCeeFebruary 4, 2025
When Neill’s Grant is first introduced in the iconic 1993 movie, he is telling a group about the connections between velociraptors and present day birds when a young boy interrupts and says, “That doesn’t look very scary”. In response, Grant shows him the dinosaur’s claw as he describes how they attack in packs with the power to rip open a human stomach and start eating them alive. “Try to show a little respect,” Grant quips as the shaken boy simply replies, “Okay.”
“Bailey, are you hinting you’re THAT kid from Jurassic Park,” one fan tweeted, as another shared a picture of them side-by-side adding: “Could It Be????” Meanwhile a third pointed out that this isn’t the first time fans thought the character would make a reappearance. “Some people are speculating that Jonathan Bailey’s character in Rebirth is the six-foot turkey kid from the first movie since he stated his character is linked to Alan Grant. I think this would be cool,” they shared. “I remember when people thought that kid grew up to be Owen.”
Jurassic World Rebirth hits theaters on July 2, 2025. For more 2025 movie release dates, check out our guides to all the upcoming movies you need to know about.