Credit: Universal StudiosJurassic World 4 is officially underway. The seventh film in the long-running franchise that started with Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993) has been setting the Internet ablaze recently, but we finally have some real information about the upcoming film.
Many Jurassic fans don’t know that there are two other sequels in development, one of which will ignore every film in the series except the 1993 original. That’s not the only liberty it takes — it has also brought a character presumed dead in that film back to life.
But back to Jurassic World 4.
Things didn’t get off to a great start for the upcoming film when Deadpool 2 (2018) and Bullet Train (2022) director David Leitch exited the project just days after it was announced he was in talks with Universal Pictures, but the movie now has a new name at the helm.
Gareth Edwards, best known for Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), is now attached to the project. Universal is eyeing a July 2, 2025 release for the new installment, which starts filming in the Sky Studios site in Hertfordshire, UK this summer.
Marvel star Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks with Universal Pictures to lead the film. While she would most likely be playing a new character, it’s possible the film has recast an original legacy character from the 1993 film.
It’s also rumored that the film is titled Jurassic City, with a premise involving “human-dinosaur hybrid serum.” No official plot details have been confirmed by Universal, but it’s fair to say the script — whatever it is — is already better than Jurassic World Dominion‘s.
Here’s why.
Gareth Edwards Breathed New Life Into Godzilla
Fans are thrilled at the prospect of seeing a Jurassic film from the man who breathed new life into the Godzilla franchise (with Godzilla x Kong inbound, Legendary’s MonsterVerse is still going strong) and delivered the best Star Wars movie of the modern era with Rogue One.
What Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One have in common is a sense of realism — Edwards is an expert at grounding otherwise unbelievable concepts. Without contest, Godzilla is the most realistic film in the franchise, and, for the most part, Rogue One feels like a gritty war movie.
It’s not just fans who are excited to see Edwards at the helm, though — the director himself recently told Collider that he “dropped everything” to be involved with the film, saying:
“I was about to take a break and I started writing my next idea for a film and this is the only movie that would make me drop everything like a stone and dive right in. I love Jurassic Park. I think the first movie is a cinematic masterpiece… so this opportunity is like a dream to me. And to work with Frank Marshall and Universal and David Koepp, who’s writing the script, I think they’re all legends. So I’m just very excited.”
Whether or not Jurassic World 4 turns out to be good remains to be seen, but either way, Edwards is a far better choice than David Leitch, who’s known for his high-octane, outlandish action movies (it begs to question why he was even approached — unless the rumored script involving “human-dinosaur hybrids” actually holds some merit).
Related: ‘Jurassic World’ Star Breaks Silence on New Movie ‘Jurassic City’
Jurassic World 4 May Be Inspired by Monsters
Before moving on to Hollywood blockbusters, Edwards was best known for the indie flick Monsters (2010), a brilliant sci-fi drama that pits two strangers together as they try to escape Mexico’s “Infected Zone” — home to giant extra-terrestrial creatures that landed years ago.
There are many films where aliens have rendered parts of the world “infected” or “quarantined,” but to see them relegated to the background — there only to serve the film’s themes — while the lens is focused on an entirely human story, is refreshing.
Forget Godzilla and Rogue One — imagine a Monsters-inspired Jurassic film. Sure, it would be a massive departure from all the other entries — including the original 1993 film — but aren’t long-running film franchises like Jurassic Park/Jurassic World supposed to evolve?
Conceptually, there are some similarities between Edwards’ Monsters and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Is it possible the rumored title Jurassic City holds some stock, suggesting a film similar to the 2010 indie flick, with dinosaurs perhaps having rendered an urban metropolis a “no-go zone”? Despite how poorly received Dominion was, which was largely due to its lack of focus on dinosaurs living among humans, it still leaves the door open for many stories of this nature.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Confirms Return of Character Presumed Dead in 1993 Film
Jurassic World 4 Will Take Things Back to Basics
There has been no official word on how the new Jurassic film will fit into the wider franchise. Most have assumed it’s a sequel and nothing has been stated otherwise. Beyond Edwards’ involvement and Universal’s targeted release date, we know that several franchise veterans are back: David Koepp (Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park screenwriter), Frank Marshall and Patrick Cowley (Jurassic World trilogy producers), and Steven Spielberg (director of the first two films and EP on the last four). World-renowned paleontologists Steve Brusatte and Jack Horner are also back onboard.
But word on the street is that the creatives are keen to go back to basics. The last two sequels, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion, might have each grossed over $1 billion worldwide, but they failed to impress fans and critics. So, it’s reasonable to assume that Universal is keen to take a different route with Jurassic World 4.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Finally Gets R-Rated Treatment With New Short Film
We also know that no legacy actors are expected to return, whether it’s the Jurassic Park gang or the Jurassic World ensemble (DeWanda Wise and Bryce Dallas Howard have already confirmed they haven’t been approached). As such, whether the film is a sequel or a prequel, it will likely introduce a new generation of characters.
Prequels are also something Edwards is no stranger to, having directed Rogue One, which acts as a close proximity precursor to Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977). A prequel could be a smart move for the Jurassic franchise, and the idea was already explored a few years ago in the form of some concept art depicting a John Hammond-led origin story.
So whether Jurassic World 4 draws inspiration from Monsters, Godzilla, or Rogue One, or all three, it’s fair to say it will be much better than Dominion. While the sixth film isn’t the worst entry in the series like many fans and critics will have you believe (that honor goes to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), it still suffers from some very weak storytelling.
Through all its marketing, which even included a short film titled Battle at Big Rock (2019) that focused on a family being attacked by an Allosaurus while on a camping trip, Dominion promised to deliver a strictly-dinosaurs-on-the-mainland affair, but it turned out to be anything but.
With the film mostly taking place in a Biosyn jungle facility — which may as well have been an island — the series needn’t have bothered destroying Isla Nublar in Fallen Kingdom.
Ultimately, Dominion failed to deliver what it set out to, and felt like a somewhat underwhelming “end to the Jurassic era.” That said, it’s still an exciting action romp with plenty of dinosaurs, and it’s great to see characters from both sides of the franchise finally interact.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel May Bring One of These Characters Back From the Dead
The Jurassic franchise is here to stay. In addition to the new film, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020 — 2022) is getting a follow-up in the form of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024), which is heading to Netflix later this year. The upcoming first-person, action-adventure video game Jurassic Park: Survival (TBA), which takes place directly after the 1993 film, is also expected to arrive this year.
Most of these projects don’t have official release dates, but you can still immerse yourself into the world of Jurassic while you wait by checking out real-world experiences such as Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Jurassic World Live Tour, and Universal Studios theme park attractions like Jurassic Park River Adventure and Jurassic World: The Ride.
What do you think Jurassic World 4 will be about? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!