Sam Neill reunited with his Jurassic Park costars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum for Xfinity’s Super Bowl commercial, which recreates memorable scenes from the original film. The reunion brought back memories for Neill, especially given the distance separating them now, as well as their shared experiences on set.
Neill acknowledges the rarity of their gatherings, saying,
“That’s always a pleasure. It doesn’t happen enough,”
and adds,
“We’re good friends, but when you think about it, we couldn’t live further apart. I’m in New Zealand, Jeff is in Italy, and Laura is in L.A. now. I don’t think you can spread out the world more than that,”
highlighting how their lives have since scattered across the globe.
Surviving Hurricane Iniki During Jurassic Park Filming in Hawaii
While filming Jurassic Park in Hawaii in September 1992, the cast faced one of their most challenging moments when Hurricane Iniki struck the islands. Neill, who portrayed Dr. Alan Grant, remembers arriving on set only to be told they would not be working that day due to the approaching storm.
“We’d been working in Hawaii for a week or 10 days, and we went down to report for duty at 6:30 in the morning or whatever it is,”
he says.
“And they said, ‘We’re not going to work today…There’s a hurricane coming.’”
The atmosphere became eerie and quiet as the tide receded. Neill recalls a conversation with Laura Dern on the beach, where she nervously asked,
“Do you think we might die today?”
to which he replied, “I think that’s entirely possible.”
The cast spent several hours sheltered in the ballroom of their resort.
“Because it traveled very fast, it wasn’t a very damaging hurricane, but it did a lot of damage when it was right over the top of us,”
Neill remembers.
“It destroyed our sets, and it meant we had to travel back to L.A. in two or three days when a plane could actually land — ’cause the airport was covered in dead trees and things.”
Bonding During Unplanned Downtime with Steven Spielberg and Cast
During the days waiting for flights home amid the aftermath of the hurricane, Neill recalls close moments between himself, Dern, Goldblum, and director Steven Spielberg. The group had little else to do but keep each other entertained.
“Steven Spielberg — who can be very, very entertaining,”
Neill says,
“had nothing to do except entertain each other.”
Reflecting on the experience, Neill admits it was their closest brush with danger during any of his film projects.
“I’ve been through a few semi-disasters on films, but that’s the closest we actually came to death,”
he adds, underscoring the intensity of their shared ordeal.
The Super Bowl Commercial Imagines a Safer Jurassic Park
The upcoming Xfinity Super Bowl commercial features Neill reprising his role as Dr. Alan Grant, with Laura Dern as paleobotanist Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum as chaos theory expert Ian Malcolm. The ad imagines a version of Jurassic Park where reliable Xfinity Wi-Fi prevents the catastrophic dinosaur escapes, allowing guests to enjoy their time without incident.
The trio filmed the commercial in California, with Xfinity collaborating closely with NBCUniversal to replicate the original movie’s costumes, sets, music, and scenes. Neill clarifies,
“Nothing I was wearing [in the ad] was original,”
since he had auctioned off many iconic props, including his Timberland boots and Dominion hat, for charity.
“So they made me a new uniform. I did not keep it this time, just in case they want another reunion.”
Sam Neill’s Views on the Jurassic Franchise’s Latest Chapter
Neill also spoke about the 2023 Jurassic World Rebirth, calling it “a family affair” due to his past connection with Scarlett Johansson, who stars as special-ops expert Zora Bennett in the film. Having played Johansson’s onscreen father in 1998’s The Horse Whisperer, Neill shared admiration for her talents, stating,
“I feel like my daughter, she’s capable of kicking any ass. She gets it from me.”
Significance of the Reunion and Shared Experiences
The Super Bowl commercial marks more than a nostalgic trip, serving as a rare opportunity for Neill, Dern, and Goldblum to reconnect after decades apart. Their survival of life-threatening situations during filming, such as Hurricane Iniki, deepened their bond and made their Jurassic Park experiences unforgettable. The commercial’s playful alternate history highlights how a disaster like Iniki could have changed everything on set and within the story.
Moving forward, this reunion could open doors for future collaborations, as Neill hinted by not keeping his new costume in preparation for possible subsequent projects. Meanwhile, his reflections on the franchise’s ongoing legacy reveal a blend of nostalgia and respect, especially with the newer generation of cast members continuing to expand the Jurassic universe.
