The Jurassic Park franchise is one of the largest to ever come from Universal, bringing in billions of dollars. While the franchise has changed a lot over the years, the fandom has remained the same, with many wondering where the dino-story will go next.
The Jurassic Park film series, based on Michael Crichton’s novels, is a cinematic journey that has captivated audiences with its thrilling blend of science fiction, adventure, and dinosaurs. The saga began with Jurassic Park in 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm, the film revolves around the disastrous events that unfold when a theme park showcasing cloned dinosaurs goes awry. Jurassic Park was a groundbreaking success, setting the standard for visual effects and earning three Academy Awards.
The success of the first film led to its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, released in 1997. Spielberg returned as director, and key cast members, including Jeff Goldblum, reprised their roles. The story takes the characters to Isla Sorna, a neighboring island, where dinosaurs roam freely.
Jurassic Park III, directed by Joe Johnston and released in 2001, sees Sam Neill returning as Dr. Alan Grant, embarking on a rescue mission on Isla Sorna.
After a hiatus, the franchise experienced a revitalization with Jurassic World in 2015, directed by Colin Trevorrow. Set 22 years after the events of the original trilogy, the film introduces a new theme park, Jurassic World, featuring Chris Pratt as Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing. The park’s genetically modified dinosaur, Indominus rex, wreaks havoc, echoing the perils of the original Jurassic Park.
The success of Jurassic World led to its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, directed by J.A. Bayona and released in 2018. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprised their roles, navigating the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding the treatment of cloned dinosaurs. The film ends with dinosaurs released into the wider world, setting the stage for Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). Dominion reunites original Jurassic Park cast members Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, along with Jurassic World leads Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, leading to an epic culmination of the franchise’s rich history.
The franchise re-released Jurassic Park this year for its 30th anniversary (which has been done in 2018 and 2020 as well), and even still the film grossed $2,970,355.
At Universal Orlando Resort, as well as other Universal theme parks around the globe, we can see the presence of both films.
Three years post the film’s release, Universal Studios Hollywood introduced the world’s inaugural Jurassic Park ride. Named simply as Jurassic Park: The Ride, it took the form of a water ride, guiding visitors through the fictitious theme park where they encountered Velociraptors, Stegosaurs, and other dinosaurs, culminating in a face-off with a Tyrannosaurus rex at the ride’s significant drop.
Simultaneously, Universal Studios Singapore offers a rapid iteration of the ride named Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, while Universal Studios Japan provides both Jurassic Park: The Ride and a steel flying roller coaster titled The Flying Dinosaur.
In its place emerged an alternative version inspired by the sequel series initiated by Jurassic World (2015). Unveiled in 2019, this rendition features appearances from the film’s stars, Chris Pratt (Owen Grady) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire Dearing), incorporating advanced effects and introducing new animatronic dinosaurs.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure has an entire land themed to Jurassic Park, with aspects of Jurassic World also included thanks to VelociCoaster, the park’s newest coaster. The theme park even opened an entire tribute store for the 30th anniversary this past summer, recreating sets and photo-ops for guests.
So what is next for the Jurassic Park / World franchise?
At the moment, Jurassic World 4 is still in question and has not been confirmed, but now, it seems there is someone eager to make the film, but it would be vastly different from the world that we have come to know and love.
Emerald Fennell is an actor, producer, and filmmaker who recently expressed interest in carrying out the franchise legacy in an interview.
Emerald has built her reputation through notable performances in films such as Albert Nobbs (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), The Danish Girl (2015), and Barbie (2023). Her breakthrough came with the lead role in the BBC One drama series Call the Midwife (2013–2017), and she achieved further recognition for her portrayal of Camilla Parker-Bowles in the Netflix drama series The Crown (2019–2020), earning her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
“I honestly feel that I’ve been so lucky. I’ve been able to make my dream projects already,” Fennell said. “But my favorite film of all time is ‘Jurassic Park,’ so I would love to get in on the dinosaurs. Well, first and foremost, it’s very erotic. I think humans and dinosaurs have gotten to that stage in their time together where things are starting to get quite thrilling. So, there’s a marriage between a man and a velociraptor and it’s basically a domestic drama.”
While Fennell has interest, and certainly is qualified to bring another Jurassic film to life, it would be shocking to see the studio greenlight an idea like this.
Would you be interested in seeing this erotic version of Jurassic Park come to life?