Credit: Universal PicturesLast summer, Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) proved that dinosaur movies still have plenty of pull at the box office. While the film received negative reviews from longtime fans and critics, it still grossed $869.1 million worldwide.
Jurassic Park Is Out of Ideas
The seventh installment in the long-running film series, which started in 1993 with Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, was directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame) and Jonathan Bailey (Wicked). But while there is plenty of spectacle, Rebirth also proves that the series has run out of ideas.
Still, that won’t stop Universal Pictures from greenlighting another film. Although one is reportedly in early development, with Edwards and Johansson rumored to be in talks to return, the studio hasn’t announced anything. But while fans are always eager to see more from this franchise on the big screen, many are also asking: Where can they go from here?
Related: Next ‘Jurassic Park’ Will Restart Series, and Adapt Elements From Original Novel
Among its many problems, Rebirth undoes the events of its two predecessors, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), by wiping out the global dinosaur population and inexplicably limiting the series to an island setting again.
Unless Jurassic is willing to go down the prequel route, there’s no new territory it can explore. As for dinosaur movies in general, however—of which there have been very few since 1993—there’s plenty of untapped potential. And now, a new film unrelated to Jurassic is opting for something different rather than going down the old genetic engineering route.
A New “Jurassic” Era Is Beginning
While time travel can hardly be described as original, the upcoming film The End of Oak Street (2026) looks like a breath of fresh air, especially in a cinematic era that’s been dominated by Jurassic World films since 2015.
Directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows), the film—previously titled Flowervale Street—stars Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) and Ewan McGregor (Impossible) as a couple whose family, along with their home and street, is sent back to the prehistoric era.
“After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings,” the official synopsis from Warner Bros. reads.
The first trailer for the film premiered recently, giving us a closer look at what’s going on:
The End of Oak Street is produced by JJ Abrams’ company Bad Robot, which has given us some monstrous flicks over the years, including Super 8 (2011), Cloverfield (2008), and 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016).
Although the new film is in no way related to Jurassic, it could spell trouble for the long-running franchise, as audiences may be more willing to turn their attention to a dinosaur movie that’s daring to offer something completely different. Of course, a big-screen release without a lucrative brand like Jurassic attached to it is unlikely to outperform Rebirth, but there’s every chance it could “replace” that franchise as the new go-to dinosaur experience.
The End of Oak Street will be released on August 14, 2026.
Are you excited about The End of Oak Street? Are you glad we’re getting dinosaur movies that aren’t related to Jurassic Park? Share your thoughts!