Jurassic Park is in an interesting place right now.
No one could have predicted that the franchise was due a second heyday following the release of the original ground-breaking masterpiece in 1993, which transformed the cinema landscape and created a kind of “Dino-Mania” throughout the ’90s, giving us a sequel four years later and waves of toys, video games, and comic books in that time. But somehow, Jurassic World (2015) made it happen.
After the 2015 film grossed $1.7B worldwide, the franchise was well and truly back on the map.
Now, almost a decade later, there are InGen dinosaurs at every turn. Jurassic World has two sequels, two animated shows, and two short films under its belt, as well as several Universal Studios theme park attractions such as Jurassic World: The Ride and VelociCoaster. And let’s not forget Jurassic World: The Exhibition and the live tour.
Now, we’re on the verge of the franchise’s third heyday. But this time it looks like we’ll finally be going back to where it all started: Jurassic Park.
One of the main talking points of the franchise is the upcoming film Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025), which is being directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and stars Scarlett Johansson (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez).
It will be the seventh installment in the film series, following Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic Park III (2001), Jurassic World, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). The official synopsis reveals that Jurassic World: Rebirth takes place five years after the events of the 2022 sequel:
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived.
The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
Academy Award (R) nominee [Scarlett] Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetical material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs.
When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.
While Dominion grossed over $1B worldwide, it received mixed reviews due to some of its storytelling decisions. Either way, the new synopsis confirms that the upcoming film is set to acknowledge the events of its predecessor, serving almost as a direct continuation of sorts.
Related: New Jurassic Park Theme Park Experience To Replace ALL Universal Attractions
There are several Jurassic projects in the works. Aside from Jurassic World 4, we can expect the second season of the animated series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024) in October, and a third entry in the “Jurassic World Evolution” video game series before May 2026.
But there’s one project that already has fans “holding onto their butts” in anticipation: the first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival” (TBA) which ties in directly with the events of the original 1993 film by director Steven Spielberg.
Watch the jaw-dropping cinematic trailer for “Jurassic Park: Survival” below:
Set 24 hours after Jurassic Park, the game finds InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi trying to survive genetically engineered dinosaurs and “other surprising threats” on Isla Nublar.
But while you might think of the upcoming title as something of an inconsequential media tie-in entry, the vast majority of Jurassic fans already consider its place on the timeline of equal importance as any one of the six films (soon to be seven with Jurassic World: Rebirth).
After all, not only is it an official sequel, it’s the first proper sequel to the original film.
Currently, The Lost World: Jurassic Park is the only immediate follow-up to Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film, but it isn’t a direct sequel as it’s set four years later and takes place on a different island (Site B), meaning we never learn the fate of Isla Nublar.
Related: Universal’s Jurassic Park Likely To Be Permanently Demolished in 2025
Jurassic Park III also dodged Isla Nublar, once again inviting audiences back to Site B. In fact, it took the franchise 22 years to return to that original island. It wasn’t until 2015’s Jurassic World — the film that breathed new life into the franchise — which takes place on Isla Nublar, that we finally have some understanding about what happened to the first park.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World reveals that the remnants of John Hammond’s failed theme park resides in an area designated “The Restricted Zone.” But while we get to see the Visitor Center — which has been long reclaimed by the jungle — that’s about it. We still don’t know what happened to Jurassic Park after InGen abandoned Isla Nublar in 1993.
Related: All 4 Upcoming ‘Jurassic Park’/’Jurassic World’ Sequels Explained
But “Jurassic Park: Survival” is set to change all of that.
Created exclusively for the new game, the character Dr. Maya Joshi will be our eyes and ears to see exactly what happens on Isla Nublar the day after the park collapsed, detailing a chain of events that never originally transpired once the credits rolled on the 1993 blockbuster.
While it remains to be seen what happens to the park, the island, and the dinosaurs in the days, weeks, months, and years thereafter, the game will still offer fans an alternate continuation of the film.
Familiar dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Velociraptors, and the Dilophosaurus will return, however, Universal and Saber Interactive have told IGN that there will also be “special dinosaurs” which didn’t exist off-screen in the 1993 film.
But the game has already broken canon by bringing the Raptor that Lex Murphy (Ariana Richards) and Tim Murphy (Joe Mazzello) locked in the kitchen freezer back to life. It also features a separate pack of three Raptors, presumably from a different part of the island.
Speaking of which, while the game will give players the chance to explore familiar locations like the Visitor Center, it will also introduce never-before-seen areas, some of them that existed in Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel and off screen in the film, and some entirely unique to the wider Jurassic franchise.
But, of course, exploring Isla Nublar won’t just be a walk in the park.
Not only will you need to “use your ingenuity through distraction and stealth” and “all the resources at your disposal” to “navigate intense and unforgettable encounters” and “to find intelligent solutions to endure the many threats lurking on Isla Nublar,” per the official website, the game will also feature enemies of the human variety, even though it’s understood that when Isla Nublar was abandoned in 1993, no one set foot on the island until the Masrani Corporation decided to build Jurassic World several years later.
Taking all the above into account, the game will completely change how we see the first film,
Per the official website, here’s the synopsis for “Jurassic Park: Survival”:
Return to Isla Nublar the day after the events of the beloved 1993 Jurassic Park film in an original adventure 65 million years in the making.
Survive thrilling first-person action as InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was unable to evacuate Isla Nublar, in this single-player action-adventure game and discover a never-before-told story.
Through thrilling encounters, experience the wonder and danger of dinosaurs, each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors brought to life by John Hammond’s vision.
When Can I Play “Jurassic Park: Survival”?
“Jurassic Park: Survival” will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. There’s no release date for the game. Visit the official website for more information.
Are you excited about “Jurassic Park: Survival”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!