Credit: Universal PicturesThe Jurassic Park franchise has been alive and well since 1993, and now, Steven Spielberg is ensuring that Jurassic World 7 stays that way.
The Jurassic Park franchise is an iconic series of science fiction adventure films centered around the concept of resurrecting dinosaurs through genetic engineering. The franchise began with Jurassic Park in 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. The film was a massive box office success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. Its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, was released in 1997, also directed by Spielberg and starring Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, and Vince Vaughn. While not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor, it still performed well at the box office, earning over $600 million globally.
The third instalment, Jurassic Park III, was released in 2001, directed by Joe Johnston and starring Sam Neill, William H. Macy, and Téa Leoni. Despite mixed reviews, it was a commercial success, grossing over $360 million worldwide, but still declining in profit. After a lengthy hiatus, the franchise was revived with Jurassic World in 2015, directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film was a massive box office hit, surpassing $1.6 billion in global ticket sales.
Its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, was released in 2018, directed by J.A. Bayona and starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jeff Goldblum. The film was another financial success, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. The latest instalment, Jurassic World: Dominion, released in 2022, with Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum returning alongside new cast members, bridging the gap between Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. The film also grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Now, Spielberg is speaking out on Jurassic World 7. The legendary director has now confirmed that he will be working very closely on the film to ensure that it does not fail. While not directing the movie himself (David Leitch will be in charge of that), he is an executive producer on the film.
YouTube channel Swrve (@SwreveYT) shared that, “🚨 Steven Spielberg is reportedly A LOT more hands-on with ‘Jurassic 7’ than to the previous movies 🚨 He wants to avoid the “Transformers Incident” from their movies.”
🚨 Steven Spielberg is reportedly A LOT more hands on with 'Jurassic 7' than to the previous movies 🚨
He wants to avoid the "Transformers Incident" from their movies. pic.twitter.com/9UF1UppoVO
— Swrve 🦖 'Jurassic' News Outlet & Content (@SwrveYT) February 6, 2024
The page also shared that, “🚨 ‘Jurassic 7 is expected to be a lot smaller than to the previous Jurassic World movies. Production, Story & Money wise 🚨 A great way to start fresh with a new Saga of this Movie Universe 🦖”, which goes hand in hand with why Spielberg will be so involved.
While Micheal Bay directed Transformers, and not Spielberg, the franchise is a good example of a film that allowed the storyline to get so big, that the next move was to eventually create a new universe, rebooting what fans loved entirely. By pulling back, Speilberg can return the film to its roots, putting more emphasis on the storyline and characters instead of creating an action-filled spectacle that hinders on special effects. Jurassic World already created a world in which it nearly left behind the characters of Jurassic Park. Now, Spielberg will ensure that the unified narrative is woven through all films.
At the moment, it has also been revealed that the movie is looking for a summer 2025 release, just three years after its previous box office hit, according to Deadline.
Related: Universal Immediately Removes ‘Jurassic Park’ Theming, Location Shut Down
As for the plot, we do not know what direction the story will take. Jurassic World: Dominion was set four years following the events depicted in Fallen Kingdom, the movie portrayed a scenario where dinosaurs coexist with humans across the globe. The film tracked the adventures of Owen Grady and Claire Dearing as they undertook a rescue operation while Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm strive to uncover a conspiracy orchestrated by the genomics corporation Biosyn.
This next film could very well play off the ramifications of what has happened now that dinosaurs exist in the wild, and if Spielberg is looking to bring the film back to its roots, possibly return them to Isla Nublar.
Are you excited to hear of this Jurassic World 7 directional change?