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Credit: Universal PicturesThe Jurassic Park film series, which consists of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 original, the 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and the 2001 threequel Jurassic Park III, is extinct.
Though there are two Jurassic sequels officially on the horizon, it looks like the Jurassic Park film series is over. While that might be hard to hear, there’s no escaping the fact that there will likely be no further big-screen continuations for that side of the franchise.
Instead, Universal Pictures is committed to moving forward with the World side of things. And now, according to insider Jeff Sneider (via SFF Gazette.com), the studio is moving forward with a sequel to this year’s summer blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh big-screen entry in the franchise.
It’s hardly surprising, considering Rebirth devoured $868.6 million worldwide, despite being mauled by audiences and critics for its shoddy script and underdeveloped characters.
Related: All 4 Upcoming ‘Jurassic Park’/’Jurassic World’ Sequels Explained
Details of the report include Gareth Edwards being in talks to return to the director’s chair, with Rebirth‘s stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali also expected to reprise their roles as Zora Bennett, Henry Loomis, and Duncan Kincaid, respectively.
Jurassic World, which grossed over $1.6 billion in 2015, spawned its own trilogy, with Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Dominion (2022) each subsequently taking one-billion-dollar-plus bites out of the global box office. While Rebirth failed to cross that threshold, $868 million is still a pretty gargantuan success, and one Universal Pictures obviously isn’t willing to ignore.
Related: Next ‘Jurassic World’ Sequel Confirmed to Be Last Entry in the Series
But where the series can go from here is unclear. The cast and crew of Rebirth have said on many occasions that the film is “standalone”, and they’re not wrong. Not only does the new sequel retcon the events of its 2022 predecessor Dominion, but at the same time, it completely writes itself into a corner, leaving opportunities for future stories very limited.
One thing’s clear, though: the Park era is extinct — at least in film. Now, it’s all about World, which has proven to be incredibly lucrative for the studio since 2015. It’s also worth noting how far removed from the original films Rebirth is. Heck, it’s even far-fetched compared to the Jurassic World trilogy, which introduced things like genetic hybrids and human clones.
The latest entry, however, brings mutant dinosaurs (some of which even have wings), Baby Yoda-wannabe dino-pets, and Snickers bar wrappers that possess the ability to dismantle a hi-tech facility, into the fold. What’s next? Human-dino hybrids? Jurassic World in Space?
Universal Pictures has yet to announce an official Jurassic World Rebirth follow-up.
Fortunately, fans keen to revisit Jurassic‘s golden and far more grounded era can do so in Universal and Saber Interactive’s upcoming first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival,” which is expected to release on major consoles in the near future:
Those looking to sink their teeth into new Jurassic content sooner rather than later have Chaos Theory Season 4, which premieres on Netflix on November 20. Check out the trailer:
Jurassic World Rebirth is now available to watch at home.
It 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).
How do you feel about another Jurassic movie? Let us know your thoughts!