# The Lost World: Jurassic Park
**The Lost World: Jurassic Park** is a 1997 American science-fiction adventure film directed by [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg), the first sequel to *Jurassic Park* (1993) and an adaptation of [Michael Crichton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-crichton)'s 1995 novel *The Lost World*. It stars [Jeff Goldblum](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-goldblum) as mathematician Ian Malcolm, who joins an expedition to a second island where dinosaurs roam free, and it earned $618,638,999 worldwide against a production budget of $75,000,000.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) • [2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | May 23, 1997 (domestic), distributed by Universal Pictures; PG-13 rating[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119567/) |
| Director / writer | Steven Spielberg; screenplay by David Koepp, based on the novel by Michael Crichton[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) |
| Principal cast | Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard, Richard Attenborough, Vince Vaughn, Vanessa Lee Chester, Peter Stormare, Harvey Jason, Richard Schiff[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) |
| Setting | Isla Sorna ("Site B"), a second island where InGen's bred dinosaurs run wild, four years after the Isla Nublar disaster[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) |
| Box office | $229,086,679 domestic, $389,552,320 international, $618,638,999 worldwide; opening weekend $72,132,785[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29) |
| Budget | $75,000,000 per The Numbers; Box Office Mojo lists $73,000,000[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29) • [3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119567/) |
| Critical scores | 57% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (153 reviews), 52% audience score; Metascore 59 on Metacritic[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lost_world_jurassic_park) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lost-world-jurassic-park/) |
| Recognition | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects; effects by Industrial Light & Magic[6](https://vfxhq.com/1997/lostworld.html) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
The film is set four years after the disaster at [Jurassic Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurassic-park) on Isla Nublar. Its action moves to a remote second island, Isla Sorna, known as "Site B," where the hurricane-devastated breeding labs have been abandoned and the dinosaurs now range freely. Two groups with opposed motivations, preservation and exploitation, race to determine the fate of the island's prehistoric inhabitants.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/)
Ian Malcolm is drawn back into John Hammond's orbit when he learns that his girlfriend, the behaviorist [Sarah Harding](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-harding) ([Julianne Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/julianne-moore)), has traveled to Site B to observe and document the dinosaurs. Malcolm mounts a rescue mission, but the interference of Hammond's profiteering nephew and a team of mercenary big-game hunters hired to capture animals for exhibition brings chaos to the island.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) The cast also includes [Pete Postlethwaite](https://www.edgepedia.org/pete-postlethwaite) as the hunter Roland Tembo, Arliss Howard as Peter Ludlow, Vince Vaughn as Nick Van Owen, Richard Schiff as Eddie Carr, and Richard Attenborough returning as John Hammond.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) • [7](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-1997)
## From novel to film
Crichton's novel *The Lost World*, published in 1995, is the only sequel he ever wrote, and he described it as a challenge. The title references [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-conan-doyle)'s 1912 novel of the same name, and Crichton borrowed a further trick from Doyle's sequels: he brought a character back to life, reviving Ian Malcolm, who had died in the first book, much as Doyle resurrected [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/sherlock-holmes) after the [Reichenbach Falls](https://www.edgepedia.org/reichenbach-falls). Crichton said Malcolm returned because he needed his "ironic commentator" on the action, the character who keeps explaining why things will go wrong.[8](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/the-lost-world/)
Crichton said the project originated with readers, who sent letters asking for a sequel from the first book's publication, and he later stated it was the only project he had worked on where he knew in advance that a movie would be made.[8](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/the-lost-world/) • [9](https://reviewsfrommycouch.com/2015/01/books/jurassic-park-flashback-michael-crichtons-the-lost-world-novel-1995/) The 1997 film, however, is an incredibly loose adaptation of the novel; commentators have noted that viewers who know only the film do not know the story Crichton wrote.[10](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-movie-changes-from-the-novel) • [9](https://reviewsfrommycouch.com/2015/01/books/jurassic-park-flashback-michael-crichtons-the-lost-world-novel-1995/) Spielberg came up with the film's theme at the end of a meeting with [David Koepp](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-koepp), screenwriter of the first *Jurassic Park*, who returned to write the sequel's screenplay.[11](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C986362-4%2C00.html) • [12](https://apnews.com/article/0251484dd44300ee64b9436a2af75a59)
## Production and visual effects
Spielberg reassembled much of the creative team from the first film: producers Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson (with Kathleen Kennedy also credited), editor Michael Kahn, composer [John Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-williams), and production designer Rick Carter. The one key newcomer was cinematographer [Janusz Kamiński](https://www.edgepedia.org/janusz-kaminski), Spielberg's *Schindler's List* collaborator, who gave the sequel a darker look.[1](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/) • [13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-23-ca-61490-story.html)
The dinosaurs were again created by [Industrial Light & Magic](https://www.edgepedia.org/industrial-light-and-magic), under visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren, with live-action creatures by Stan Winston Studios. The film was nominated for the [Academy Award for Best Visual Effects](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-visual-effects).[6](https://vfxhq.com/1997/lostworld.html) • [14](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/06/even-for-a-sequel-20-years-removed-jurassic-parks-vfx-casts-a-legendary-shadow/) Reviewers consistently treated the creatures as the film's strongest asset. Roger Ebert, the longtime Chicago Sun-Times critic, wrote that the dinosaurs "look amazingly real" and seem to "transcend any visible signs of special effects," while faulting the story as written "on autopilot."[7](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-1997) The Los Angeles Times likewise called the dinosaurs "utterly convincing and irresistible" while judging the thrills below the original's.[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-23-ca-61490-story.html)
The film's scientific adviser told *The Independent* that when science and the demands of the plot conflicted, "the plot won," and that neither *Jurassic Park* nor *The Lost World* was made to show what dinosaurs were like.[15](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/spielberg-epic-loses-sight-of-science-1251036.html)
## Reception and box office
Released wide on May 23, 1997, the film opened to $72,132,785 domestically, about 31.5 percent of its eventual $229,086,679 domestic gross, in 3,281 theaters.[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29) International receipts of $389,552,320 brought the worldwide total to $618,638,999, 8.2 times the listed production budget.[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29)
Critical response was markedly cooler than for the original. The Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus states that the film "demonstrates how far CG effects have come in the four years since *Jurassic Park*" while proving "how difficult it can be to put together a truly compelling sequel."[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lost_world_jurassic_park) Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 59, based on 18 critic reviews, against a user score of 7.1.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lost-world-jurassic-park/) Reviewers singled out set pieces such as the research trailer dangling over a cliff and the raptor chase through tall grass as high points.[16](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rotten-tomatoes-is-wrong-about-the-lost-world-jurassic-park/) Time later described the film as one of the franchise's less successful installments, one that "both critics and fans agreed fell far short of Steven Spielberg's original."[17](https://time.com/3915788/jurassic-world-honest-trailer-lost-world/)
## Legacy
The film's standing within the franchise has remained contested. A scholarly survey of the franchise notes that Spielberg was famously unhappy with *The Lost World* and that it caused him to withdraw from directing any further *Jurassic* films; he did not direct another entry in the series.[18](https://cinergie.unibo.it/article/download/18352/17332/74559) Its plot elements have been reused: the 2025 release *Jurassic World Rebirth* was described by *The Atlantic* as nearly a mashup of *The Lost World* and *Jurassic Park III*, and screenwriter David Koepp returned to the franchise with it after not writing a *Jurassic* movie since this sequel.[19](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/jurassic-world-rebirth-movie-review/683430/) • [12](https://apnews.com/article/0251484dd44300ee64b9436a2af75a59) Retrospective looks back at the film also praise its artistry: one essay treats it as an example of how hard it is to build a follow-up to a movie whose central feat, the initial convincing portrayal of dinosaurs as living creatures, was impossible to duplicate.[20](https://sightlines.media/film/330/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-1997)
## References
1. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Amblin Entertainment](https://amblin.com/movie/lost-world-the-jurassic-park/)
2. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Lost-World-The-Jurassic-Park-%281997%29)
3. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119567/)
4. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lost_world_jurassic_park)
5. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lost-world-jurassic-park/)
6. [VFX HQ: The Lost World: Jurassic Park](https://vfxhq.com/1997/lostworld.html)
7. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-1997)
8. [The Lost World, Michael Crichton official site](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/the-lost-world/)
9. ['Lost World' (1995) shows dinosaur novels not extinct, Reviews from My Couch](https://reviewsfrommycouch.com/2015/01/books/jurassic-park-flashback-michael-crichtons-the-lost-world-novel-1995/)
10. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park's Biggest Movie and Book Differences, Syfy Wire](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-movie-changes-from-the-novel)
11. [Cinema: Peter Pan Grows Up but Can He Still Fly?, Time](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C986362-4%2C00.html)
12. ['Jurassic World' needed a restart. Steven Spielberg knew who to call, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/0251484dd44300ee64b9436a2af75a59)
13. [They ARE Back, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-23-ca-61490-story.html)
14. [Jurassic Park's VFX legacy still casts a shadow, Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/06/even-for-a-sequel-20-years-removed-jurassic-parks-vfx-casts-a-legendary-shadow/)
15. [Spielberg epic loses sight of science, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/spielberg-epic-loses-sight-of-science-1251036.html)
16. ["Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong" About… The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Rotten Tomatoes editorial](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/rotten-tomatoes-is-wrong-about-the-lost-world-jurassic-park/)
17. [Before You See Jurassic World, Watch The Honest Trailer For The Lost World, Time](https://time.com/3915788/jurassic-world-honest-trailer-lost-world/)
18. [Franchising Jurassic Park: Introduction, Cinergie](https://cinergie.unibo.it/article/download/18352/17332/74559)
19. [This Summer's Most Pointless Sequel Is Here, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/jurassic-world-rebirth-movie-review/683430/)
20. [The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Sightlines](https://sightlines.media/film/330/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-1997)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 1990s › Released 1996 to 1999*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license