Parasaurolophus (/ˌpærəsɔːˈrɒləfəs, -ˌsɔːrəˈloʊfəs/; meaning "near crested lizard" in reference to Saurolophus) is a genus of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 76.5–73 million years ago.[2] It was an herbivore that walked both as a biped and as a quadruped. Three species are universally recognized: P. walkeri (the type species), P. tubicen, and the short-crested P. cyrtocristatus. Additionally, a fourth species, P. jiayensis, has been proposed, although it is more commonly placed in the separate genus Charonosaurus. Remains are known from Alberta (Canada), New Mexico and Utah (United States), and possibly Heilongjiang, (China). The genus was first described in 1922 by William Parks from a skull and partial skeleton found in Alberta. Parasaurolophus was a hadrosaurid, part of a diverse family of Cretaceous dinosaurs known for their range of bizarre head adornments. This genus is known for its large, elaborate cranial crest, which at its largest forms a long curved tube projecting upwards and back from the skull. Charonosaurus from China, which may have been its closest relative, had a similar skull and potentially a similar crest. Visual recognition of both species and sex, acoustic resonance, and thermoregulation have been proposed as functional explanations for the crest. It is one of the rarer hadrosaurids, known from only a handful of good specimens.
In January 2024, a new installment was revealed to be officially in development. David Koepp will return as screenwriter while Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley once again serve as producers. Steven Spielberg will serve as executive producer, with the project being seen as a joint-venture production between Amblin Entertainment and Universal. Development of the project had been underway for some time, with several drafts already written by Koepp. The producers had also done some pre-production work, including dinosaur designs, meaning that any creative input from the eventual director would be minimal. The position was reportedly described as being "more shooter than auteur", as the producers sought to have more creative control compared with Dominion. David Leitch was briefly in talks to direct the film during early February 2024, but negotiations broke down after several days, as the project's progress up to that point left little room for his creative input. Soon after Leitch's departure, Gareth Edwards was announced to direct the film, with Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey in talks for the lead roles. Paleontologist Steve Brusatte will return from the previous film as dinosaur consultant. Filming is scheduled to begin in June 2024, at Sky Studios Elstree in the United Kingdom. Filming will also take place from July to September at the Malta Film Studios in Kalkara, Malta. The untitled film is scheduled for a July 2, 2025 release.
