1. Steven Spielberg first learned about Jurassic Park during a meeting in 1989, with the book’s author, Michael Crichton. The two had actually met to discuss a screenplay he had written for what would eventually become the TV series ER.
Fact via: Entertainment Weekly
2. High-profile directors who were also interested in adapting the book into a movie included James Cameron, Richard Donner, and Tim Burton.
Crichton's agents circulated the book to various studios and directors, ultimately Spielberg was able to acquire the rights to the book.
Facts via: Entertainment Weekly
3. Harrison Ford turned down the role of Dr. Alan Grant.
4. Spielberg famously lured acclaimed British director Sir Richard Attenborough out of a 14-year acting retirement and cast him as John Hammond. But Jurassic Park was actually the third film Spielberg had asked him to appear in.
5. In 1983, Attenborough's film Gandhi beat out Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Academy Award for both Best Picture and Best Director.
6. Jim Carrey auditioned for the part of Ian Malcolm, and according to the casting director, Janet Hirshenson, he did a terrific job.
7. Both Helen Hunt and Gwyneth Paltrow were considered for the role of Dr. Ellie Sattler.
Fact via: Today Show
8. Ian Malcolm's famous line “Don't you mean extinct?” was actually inspired by something special visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett said to Spielberg when he was told CGI and not stop-motion would be used to animate the dinosaurs.
9. Tippett inspired this famous meme:
10. Because of the long amount of time necessary for post-production, George Lucas took over the post-production responsibilities so that Spielberg could go to Europe to begin shooting Schindler’s List.
11. Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern began a romantic relationship after meeting on set — they were engaged for two years before calling it quits.
12. The idea to have Mr. DNA explain the science behind Jurassic Park was a fluke.
13. Actor Whit Hertford, the creepy and annoying kid from the beginning of the film, went on to be the voice of Hyp in The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving.
Fact via: IMDb
14. There is a reason Malcolm wears all black and Hammond all white: It symbolizes how diametrically opposed the two characters are.
Fact via: IMDb
15. Joseph Mazzello, who played Tim Murphy, originally auditioned for Spielberg's Hook — he was turned down for being too young for the role of Jack Banning. But Spielberg promised to cast him in his next movie.
Fact via: Entertainment Weekly
16. Easter egg: Jaws is playing on one of Nedry's computer screens.
17. In order to create the ripple effect in the glass of water, a guitar string was attached to the underside of the dashboard of the jeep and strung.
18. The screams in this scene are genuine — the animatronic T. rex was not supposed to break the plexiglass.
19. Sam Neill injured himself with the flare he uses to distract the T. rex. According to Neill, "It dropped some burning phosphorous on me and got under my watch and took a chunk of my arm out."
20. Easter egg: In the final scene, the Jurassic Park logo on the jeep is covered in mud and spells out "UR ASS PARK," a subtle joke that "you're lucky to get out with your ass in one piece."
21. The movie has a running time of 127 minutes — but includes only 15 minutes of actual dinosaur footage.
