For some time, the very thought of another entry into the Jurassic Park franchise has seemed like a minor joke being played upon fans. At one point, there was a notion that it would be about weaponizing dinosaurs with lasers. Or something along those lines. In recent years the project has been everything from a few little tidbits from Steven Spielberg to the actual hiring of screenwriters in the middle of last year. But that was so June 2012, they can’t possibly still be working on Jurassic Park 4, can they? They are. And as of today the project has signed on a very interesting choice to direct.

Universal Pictures has just announced that their Jurassic Park IV will hit theaters on June 13, 2014. And, yup, that’s pretty much it. Beyond that, we only know that Steven Spielberg will produce, it will likely be in 3D, and it (may possibly?) come with a script by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. That’s right, there’s no word on plot details, who could star in it (or even what sort of roles they are looking to cast), and who will direct it. The summer of 2014 is already shaping up to include a monster (very sequel-heavy) lineup, with May seeing the release of The Amazing Spider-Man sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that new Godzilla, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; June featuring both How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Transformers 4; with July set to feature both The Hobbit: There and Back Again and X-Men: Days of Future Past; and August already slated for that Guardians of the Galaxy opening. Geez, save your movie-going dollars now, people. This has been Friday news. [Universal Pictures]

The past couple years have been a rocky road for Universal Studios. Long strings of costly box office flops like The Wolfman, Cowboys and Aliens, and Your Highness have not been completely balanced by their hits. Even this year, the success of The Lorax and Snow White and the Huntsman don’t completely wipe out the red numbers on the books from Wanderlust, The Five-Year Engagement, and most recently Battleship. Oddly enough, their DVD and Blu-ray releases of catalogue titles have been causing the most buzz. The studio’s 100th Anniversary Blu-ray releases of E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial and Jaws are making as much noise as their releases of Back to the Future and Jurassic Park box sets. Plus, Jurassic Park is getting a high profile re-release in 3D next summer. It only makes sense that the studio goes back to these popular franchises for a new hit. Deadline Isla Nublar is reporting that Universal has found writers for the long-awaited Jurassic Park 4. Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who are best known for penning last summer’s prequel hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its upcoming sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will be tackling the script for the high-profile dinosaur adventure.

In an interview with Empire Online, legendary director Steven Spielberg talked about the development of future sequels for two of the biggest properties he has ever launched, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. While both of these franchises are huge name brands, and future sequels will probably rake in boatloads of cash no matter what, they’ve also both had some less than stellar installments already. So, artistically, if Spielberg is going to get us movie geeks to buy into the fact that more movies in these series are necessary, he’s got some explaining to do. Spielberg seems to readily admit that Jurassic Park 3 was a B-level film unworthy of carrying his weighty name in its credits, because he comes right out and assures us that a fourth installment won’t resemble that film in any way. He said, “The screenplay is being written right now by Mark Protosevich. I’m hoping that will come out in the next couple of years. We have a good story. We have a better story for four than we had for three…” Protosevich has been the writer on films like Thor, I am Legend, and the remake of Poseidon, so probably you can judge how much you trust Spielberg to get his story told correctly based on how you feel about those films.

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Sure, the rides were a little bumpy, and there weren’t always dinosaurs visible in the dinosaur park, but Jurassic Park was always fun for the whole family. If you’re like me, Jurassic Park was the film that changed the game for you. A large scale spectacle done right with just the right amount of heart (No Tim!!!) and the right amount of completely forgivable cheesiness. The sequels headed down the Slide of Diminished Returns (a ride at the park they shut down due to lawsuits), but maybe starting fresh is exactly what the franchise could use. That might be what it’s getting, because The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Steven Spielberg has been having meetings with writer Mark Protosevich to toss around ideas on how to make Jurassic Park 4 a reality.

The last time we were talking about a fourth Jurassic Park movie, we were all excited about its ridiculous premise. And now its dead… Insert sad face here.