'Jurassic Park' Finally Gets R-Rated Treatment With New Short Film

An R-rated Jurassic Park reboot based directly on the original novel could happen.

With Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) just months away, fans are wondering what direction the long-running franchise will take, especially with a director like Gareth Edwards at the helm, who gave us the sci-fi indie flick Monsters (2010), the Godzilla (2014) reboot, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).

Will the film be as goofy and light-hearted as it looks in the trailer, or is the mutant dinosaur indicative of how dark it will be? The filmmakers themselves have even promised that the film will recapture the tone of Jurassic Park (1993).

Meanwhile, there’s another sequel in the works, a first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival,” set directly after the original film while returning to the dark  themes that made the 1993 blockbuster so suspenseful. Then there’s the third season of the animated series, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, which looks to be the darkest yet.

If the latter two projects are anything to go by, it seems things may finally get dark for Jurassic Park. But are these projects what many fans have been clamoring for for years in terms of a darker approach, or will they still be too family-friendly for their own good?

While the first two films, Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), are no strangers to moments of real horror (from Jurassic Park III onwards, the series feels far more popcorn action), they still have that “Spielbergian” family-friendly appeal.

However, if you turn our attention to the two novels by Michael Crichton — “Jurassic Park” (1990) and “The Lost World” (1995), which the first two films are based on — you’ll realize the franchise started life as an incredibly violent sci-fi horror. But, off the back of that first best-seller, the original 1993 film has already been given the R-rated treatment it deserves.

Related: CONFIRMED: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Set Before ‘The Lost World’ Still Happening

Last year, InGen 2D, a Jurassic YouTube fan channel, uploaded a short animated film titled “Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park ANIMATED — The Fate of Dennis Nedry,” which brings to life the scene in which Dennis Nedry is trying to reach Isla Nublar’s East Docks in his gas jeep during the thunderstorm before encountering the deadly Dilophosaurus.

However, this is not based on the scene from the film but, just as the title says, on the scene from Michael Crichton’s novel. Nedry’s last moments in live action are disturbing enough (he’s squirted in the eyes with the Dilophosaur’s blinding venom before its older brother attacks him moments later inside the jeep), but the book is far more graphic.

Check out the short film below:

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ TV Reboot: Could These Actors Live up to the Originals?

This short film certainly gives food for thought where an adaptation more closely linked to Crichton’s best-selling novels is concerned. Clearly, we aren’t the only ones wanting Jurassic Park to go dark — Jurassic World (2015) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022) director Colin Trevorrow even hinted at the possibility of a future film in the series being R-rated.

With all that said, it’s doubtful the franchise would take this route as the films are, in part at least, family-friendly blockbusters that have collectively grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date, which has a lot to do with their accessibility. Either way, a separate continuity, perhaps a television series targeted towards older audiences, would probably do very well.

Be sure to check out InGen 2D’s other Jurassic Park short animated films.

When Can I Watch Jurassic World Rebirth?

Jurassic World Rebirth will be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.

Watch the trailer below:

 

The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), 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), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Movies, television shows, and video games aren’t the only way to get up, close, and personal with Jurassic‘s dinosaurs. There’s Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Jurassic World Live Tour, and Universal Studios theme park attractions such as Jurassic Park River Adventure and Jurassic World: The Ride.

Chaos Theory Season 3 premieres on Netflix on April 3.

Would you like to see the Jurassic franchise get the R-rated treatment? Let us know in the comments down below!