James Cameron Almost Directed JURASSIC PARK and It Would’ve Been “Aliens With Dinosaurs”

As you may or may not know,James Cameron actually came close to directing the original Jurassic Parkmovie, and in a recent interview he opened up about why he believes the right person ultimately brought dinosaurs back to life on the big screen.

This is a cool bit of Hollywood what if history. Cameron once pursued Jurassic Park, but he’s now sharing why he thinks Steven Spielbergwas always the better choice for the job.

Cameron told Empire: "He was the right guy to make it. Not me, because I would have made it too terrifying and R-rated. It would have been Aliens with dinosaurs."

Back in 2012, Cameron shared that he actually tried to buy the rights to Michael Crichton’s novel. Spielberg secured them only hours earlier, and the rest became blockbuster history.

When Jurassic Park hit theaters in 1993, it kicked off a major franchise that eventually led to this year’s Jurassic World Rebirth. The original film featured Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum as scientists touring a dinosaur theme park that turns out to be far more dangerous than advertised.

And you know what? Spielberg’s Jurassic Park was actually pretty intense and had some great scares, especially for a PG-13 movie! It has some pretty crazy stuff in it! The movie also did have an “Aliens with Dinosaurs” vibe.

Cameron went on to release the action hit True Lies in 1994 with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which carved out its own place in awesome ‘90s cinema.

Cameron is now focused on the next chapter of his sci fi saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash. This time Jake, Neytiri, and their family encounter a new Na’vi faction known as the Ash People, a volcanic and fiercely aggressive clan led by Varang.

New cast members joining the film include Oona Chaplin as Varang and David Thewlis as Peylak, the Na’vi leader of the Wind Traders. Avatar: Fire and Ash arrives in theaters on December 19.

Cameron’s take on Jurassic Park will remain one of Hollywood’s great alternate timelines, but it is clear he has no regrets. Spielberg delivered a classic film hat defined a generation, and Cameron continues expanding his own cinematic universe on Pandora.