Sam Neill, who played paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park when it first premiered in 1993, recently shared his excitement about Scarlett Johansson joining the franchise.

The 78-year-old told Entertainment Weekly that the 2025 installment, Jurassic World Rebirth, felt like a “family affair.”

He also went on to express his admiration for Johansson’s talent and energy, noting how thrilled he was to see her bring her skills to the dinosaur-filled world.

“I’m very fond of Scarlett,” Neill told the outlet.

Scarlett Johansson in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth.’.Universal Pictures

In the film, Johansson stars as Zora Bennett, a special-ops expert hired to retrieve dinosaur DNA for a pharmaceutical company. The movie, which hit theaters in July 2025, also featured Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Luna Blaise and Rupert Friend.

Before joining the Jurassic universe, Neill and Johansson worked together on the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer, where he played her father, and she portrayed Grace, a young girl recovering from a serious injury.

“We were with Kristin Scott Thomas and Robert Redford, and we were out in Montana, and I was playing her dad,” Neill recalled. “So I feel like my daughter, she’s capable of kicking any ass. She gets it from me.”

Scarlett Johansson adn Sam Neill in ‘The Horse Whisperer.’.Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock

Neill, along with former costars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, also returned for a new Xfinity Super Bowl commercial.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the ad recreates iconic scenes and costumes from Jurassic Park, imagining a park that runs perfectly thanks to reliable wifi.

Sam Neill in ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993).Amblin/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

Since he has passed on his old props for charity, Neill told Entertainment Weekly, “Nothing I was wearing [in the ad] was original,” but he still enjoyed revisiting the characters.

The commercial, which reunites the beloved trio in a fun, modern twist on the original story, will air on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, during Super Bowl LX.