While the character of John Hammond, played by the late Richard Attenborough, appeared in both of the first two Jurassic Park films, it comes as a slight surprise that he does not make any kind of appearance in Jurassic Park 3. Introduced in 1993’s Jurassic Park, John Hammond quickly became a fan-favorite character, thanks to his kind and curious disposition, despite his age, and the wonder and care he expresses for the dinosaurs of the park. Hammond makes his debut as the good-natured CEO of the InGen Corporation and the founder of Jurassic Park. When the facility’s security/specimen containment measures are sabotaged by Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), he does all he can to ensure his guests’ and employees’ safety and assured escape from Isla Nublar.
He made his next appearance in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where he urges Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcom to help document the dinosaurs inhabiting Jurassic Park Site B on Isla Sorna, which thus kicks off the film’s story from there. Due to the fact that, up until then, Hammond had appeared in both the first and the second Jurassic Park films, it would have been logical to have him appear in the third movie. Unfortunately, while Jurassic Park 3 was able to bring back original characters like Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler (played by Sam Neill and Laura Dern respectively), other characters, John Hammond in particular, were strangely absent from the film’s story.
In the case of Jurassic Park 3, the story is strictly about a family hiring Dr. Alan Grant to help them find their lost son on Isla Sorna. No theme parks are mentioned, and no dinosaurs are in any danger whatsoever. Essentially, John Hammond’s inclusion in the film would have been wholly unnecessary since there was no mention or appearance of InGen or any other corporate entity that had involvement in creating the dinosaurs. However, Attenborough was still acting at the time of the film’s release in 2001, with his final film role taking place a year later. Several years before his death, Attenborough did express interest in returning to reprise his role. He could very well have made a small cameo at some point during the film (especially considering he was still acting). However, his addition to the story would be considered a moot point, given that the story has nothing to do with his character.
What Happened To John Hammond After Jurassic Park & His Legacy In Jurassic World
Hammond realized that his Jurassic Park idea was much too risky to make a reality due to the amount of lives that would be at risk if an incident were to occur. In The Lost World, it is revealed that he has been fired from his position as CEO at the InGen Corporation, which is on the verge of bankruptcy after the Isla Nublar Incident. He was replaced by his nephew, Peter Ludlow, who served as the main antagonist of the second film. As a result, Hammond settles into retirement, during which time his health slowly declines. It is revealed about eighteen years later, in the first Jurassic World, that Hammond sadly passed away shortly after the events of The Lost World, whereas Attenborough’s actual passing occurred in 2014, one year before Jurassic World‘s release.
In spite of past events, Hammond’s dream of opening a fully-functional dinosaur theme park came to fruition with the opening of Jurassic World in 2005, which prospered for ten years before it has its own incident involving the Indominus Rex. The park’s dinosaur cloning facility is called the Hammond Creation Lab to honor his memory and his original idea for bringing dinosaurs back to the world. Jurassic World even goes so far as to add a bronze statue bearing his likeness, in front of the laboratory entrance, as a reminder of how both the franchise and the park itself came into existence. Although he was not present for the story in Jurassic Park 3, John Hammond’s name and legacy continue to live on throughout the entire Jurassic Park franchise, regardless of how many movies he has appeared in.
