Gareth Edwards, the director of the new “sequel” in theJurassic Worlduniverse,Jurassic World Rebirth, is confident that the film will begin a new chapter in the franchise established by Steven Spielberg’sJurassic Parkin 1993. Edwards hopes that Universal Pictures agrees with him and that his contribution becomes the first part of an entirely new trilogy.
Edwards spoke to Entertainment WeeklyaboutJurassic World Rebirth, and right from the start, he admits that his intention was to make a “back to basics” film. It’s not a coincidence thatDavid Koepp, writer ofJurassic ParkandThe Lost World, a.k.a.Jurassic Park 2is the writer of the new movie. Edwards also says that he pushed to make a movie that couldfeellike the beginning of a whole new trilogy:
I can’t speak for Universal [Pictures], but it did feel like a new trilogy, in a way. I’m not sure what their plans are, but it felt like the beginning of a brand-new chapter in this franchise.
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Edwards also expanded on his attempt to make the movie feel as close toJurassic Parkas possible. The previousJurassic Worldentries felt like a significant shift from what Spielberg achieved with his dinosaur blockbuster of the early 1990s: The action was excessive, the suspense was nowhere to be seen, and the characters weren’t as compelling. Edwards explains howRebirthalso feels like a tribute to the director and his storytelling language:
“To me, it’s a giant love letter to Steven Spielberg and his earlier films. There are moments in this movie that remind me very much ofJaws. It’s like little greatest hits of all those aspects of his films that I loved growing up as a child. It’s essentially a little adventure odyssey across this island, a survival story, really.”
Jurassic World Rebirthgets rid of the charactersfrom Colin Trevorrow’s previous trilogy and starts things off with a clean slate. Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey are a few of the new performers in the film, which hits theaters in July 2025. To save you the confusion with the title, we’ll give you a hand:Rebirthworks as a standalone sequel, and you don’t have to revisit the previousJurassic Worldfilms. You’re welcome.
Back to Basics: Could ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Be the Jurassic Sequel We Need?
Let’s be honest. AfterJurassic World Dominion, theJurassic Worldfranchise was at an all-time low. The last film was a $1 billion cash grab that capitalized on the nostalgic elements, but failed to impress anyone. The only way Universal Pictures could keep the franchise alive was to reboot, and give the dino-universe a fresh start. Well, that and a new vision from a new director. Enter Edwards, the director of solid films likeGodzilla,Rogue One,andThe Creator. There’s probably no one more excited about the film than Edwards himself. Coming from a visual effects background was crucial to understanding how he wanted tocapture the style of the 1993 film:
“Jurassic Parkdid lead the way with computer graphics, but I feel like we got lost along the way with the arms race to a spectacle.Jurassic [Park]actually only had just a few dozen VFX shots in it, and it’s such a powerful film. So, it was trying to go back to all those tricks and ideas that tease the audience, that creates suspense and tension that get you on the edge of your seat. I just wanted to create that feeling I had when I was young of being in awe of these things.”
