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Credit: Universal StudiosJurassic World: Dominion (2022) rampaged through movie theaters this weekend, not unlike the tyrannosaurus rex in the movie’s epic prologue. The sixth installment in the hugely popular Jurassic Park franchise devoured $143 million+ at the US box office, and $389 million at the global box office, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2022 so far.
But while audiences have flocked to the theaters in droves, critics haven’t been as kind, with the movie’s screenplay and overall premise being the most heavily criticized elements. With that said, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) was also met with a prickly reception, but went on to gross over $1.3 billion worldwide nonetheless, and, of course, get a sequel.
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Jurassic World: Dominion, which is directed by Colin Trevorrow, takes place four years after the world-changing events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in which dinosaurs are released into the North American wilderness, following a black-market auction gone terribly wrong at Lockwood Manor. In that time, dinosaurs have been populating all over the country and beyond.
The film sees the return of original Jurassic Park (1993) characters Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), who team up with Jurassic World characters Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), and Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), in an attempt to thwart a bioengineering company’s nefarious plans.
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As per the Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment website, here’s the official synopsis for Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion:
Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live — and hunt — alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.
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Universal Pictures spared no expense when it came to marketing the film — promotion popped up in all shapes and sizes, whether it was cross-promotion with the 2022 Winter Olympics or the official Jurassic World: Dominion prologue that was uploaded to YouTube by Universal. Meanwhile, director Colin Trevorrow has been vocal about many elements of the film.
Jurassic Park fans have been hungry for the sixth and final chapter in the Jurassic franchise for some time, and the movie’s delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic only left them more ravenous. Originally set for release on June 11, 2021, Jurassic World: Dominion was delayed for a full year, but it looks like no harm has been done to the film’s success.
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So, while the movie is on track to be one of 2022’s biggest blockbusters, is a fourth Jurassic movie inevitable? Whether it’s Jurassic Park 6 or Jurassic World 4, or something else altogether (a new trilogy titled Jurassic Era, perhaps?), can fans expect yet another installment, or does Jurassic World: Dominion well and truly ensure “the end to the Jurassic era”, as promised in the trailers?
Well, without going into spoilers, the latest sequel hardly makes it impossible for future movies to happen. While certain storylines and character arcs are inevitably wrapped up, Jurassic World: Dominion, as you might expect, leaves the gates open for future sequels. After all, dinosaurs are now out in the open, and as such, there is undoubtedly a plethora of untold stories.
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A few months ago, producer Frank Marshall even discussed the possibility of future installments:
“I think Dominion’s going to wrap up this trilogy, but we’re not resting on our laurels,” Marshall said. “We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to see what the future is. We have that wonderful series, Camp Cretaceous, on Netflix. We obviously want to make quality, good movies with great storytelling, great writers and directors, but we’re definitely looking to do more in the Jurassic world.” The producer continued, “I’m really just focused on the movies. So I haven’t really thought about that. There’s been no discussion of that. As I say, we have the animated series. I think that’s plenty for now.”
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However, much more recently, Chris Pratt suggested the opposite, saying that Jurassic World: Dominion is indeed the last movie in the franchise. On the Today show, Chris Pratt was asked by the host, “Is this [Jurassic World: Dominion] really the end?” The actor replied, saying:
“I really do think it’s the end, yeah. You got the legacy cast back –Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum — plus the cast of Jurassic World, all our storylines converging in a way that is very much a finale.” The actor went on to say, “Thirty years in the making — this is the sixth Jurassic film, and it’s the end of this franchise.”
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Where Jurassic Park (or Jurassic World, depending on your preference) goes from here remains to be seen. Even the Netflix show Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020) is due its fifth and final season, which airs on July 21. But given just how highly lucrative the Jurassic brand is, we find it hard to believe that Universal intends to call it a day for the franchise.
While critics seem to be talking about how the series is long overdue its own extinction, we happen to think, and many fans will agree, that there’s still a lot of untapped potential, with some really exciting directions Jurassic Park could take in future movies. Or perhaps even a live-action TV series, a treatment many major IPs have already been given in recent years.
Is Jurassic World: Dominion really the end to the Jurassic era, or is it just the beginning?
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What did you think of Jurassic World: Dominion? And do you think we’ll get a Jurassic World 4? Let us know in the comments down below!