Universal picks newcomer Trevorrow to direct "Jurassic Park 4"

Derek Connolly (L), writer and producer of ''Safety Not Guaranteed,'' nominated for best first feature and for best first screenplay, arrives with the film's director, Colin Trevorrow, at the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California February 23, 2013.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood newcomer Colin Trevorrow was named the director of the long-awaited fourth installment of dinosaur movie franchise "Jurassic Park" on Thursday.

Universal Pictures said that Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two movies in the $1.9 billion worldwide franchise, would be the executive producer of "Jurassic Park 4," but he would not direct.

Trevorrow, 36, is little known in Hollywood. He made his feature film directorial debut with the independent time travel comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed," shown at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and has made a TV movie and documentary.

Universal said "Jurassic Park 4" would be made in 3D and was scheduled for release on June 13, 2014.

Spielberg announced in 2011 that a fourth film was in development, and speculation had been rife about whether he would direct it.

"Jurassic Park III," directed by Joe Johnston, was released 12 years ago, but its $368 million worldwide box-office take was well below that of the first two films.

The original "Jurassic Park," first released in 1993, will return to U.S. movie theaters in April in a 3D conversion.

Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp, gave no details of casting or the plot for "Jurassic Park 4."

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Dan Grebler and Peter Cooney)