Jurassic Park may have roared its way across the silver screen in 1993, but will it ever find itself stomping onto the theater stage in a full-fledged production? With stage adaptations of blockbusters like Back to the Future and Stranger Things making waves, we wonder whether the iconic dinosaurs of Jurassic Park will get their moment under the theater lights.
While the comedy stage play Hold On To Your Butts is now bringing a hilarious, lo-fi parody of Jurassic Park to London’s West End this holiday season, it’s far from a “proper” adaptation of Spielberg’s classic. The show, which features two actors and a Foley artist recreating the entire movie on stage with clever props and sound effects, is a love letter to the original but clearly leans into humor and satire rather than a serious retelling. It’s been a hit at Edinburgh Fringe and is now headed to the Arcola Theatre, but for those hoping to see a more traditional adaptation of Jurassic Park, this isn’t it.
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So, what’s holding Jurassic Park back from getting the full stage production treatment that other films have received? One obvious hurdle is the sheer scale of the film’s premise. Spielberg’s groundbreaking use of animatronics and CGI to bring dinosaurs to life set a new bar for Hollywood, and replicating that magic on stage without making it feel gimmicky would be a major challenge. After all, a few actors in dino suits might not exactly capture the same awe-inspiring effect as a 20-foot-tall T-Rex terrorizing a theme park.
That said, the success of productions like King Kong on Broadway, which featured a massive, lifelike puppet version of the giant ape, shows that it’s not impossible. High-tech puppetry, combined with clever stagecraft, could theoretically bring Jurassic Park’s iconic dinosaurs to life in a way that would captivate theatergoers—if done right.
Related: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ May Force Several Fans To Exit Movie Theaters in Blind Rage
Another obstacle could be the storyline itself. Jurassic Park is filled with fast-paced action sequences, car chases, and jungle environments that would need to be condensed or re-imagined to fit a stage. Adapting the sprawling chaos of the movie into a coherent, two-act narrative might pose difficulties for creators looking to preserve the tension and excitement that fans expect.
Still, with the popularity of movie-to-stage adaptations growing, it’s not impossible to imagine Jurassic Park following suit. The key would be finding the right balance between the technological marvels of the original film and the unique strengths of live theater. And if other seemingly impossible adaptations (Back to the Future: The Musical, anyone?) can find success, who’s to say that we won’t eventually see dinosaurs terrorizing a Broadway stage?
For now, though, fans will have to be content with Hold On To Your Butts and the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth, hitting theaters in 2025. But as technology continues to evolve, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Jurassic Park could one day take a bite out of the theater world.
Check out the official trailer for Hold On To Your Butts below:
A UK tour is expected to begin sometime next year after the West End run is over. Tickets to the London show are on sale now — visit the official website for more information.
Jurassic World Rebirth will be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.
Directed by Gareth Edwards (2014's Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Jurassic World Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).
Will you be checking out Hold On To Your Butts? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments down below!
