Credit: Universal PicturesIt’s hardly a mystery that last year’s Jurassic World Rebirth failed to impress fans, audiences, and critics, despite grossing a whopping $869.1 million worldwide. Clearly, the franchise still has plenty of pull at the box office, but the seventh film in the long-running series is quite a mess.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Film Series Unlikely To Return, as New Announcement Shared
Criticism was largely aimed towards the script by David Koepp (who worked on the screenplay for the first two films in the series), which essentially ignored the global dinosaur premise established in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Jurassic World Rebirth follows an expedition to a third abandoned InGen island named Île Saint-Hubert, where they must retrieve life-changing DNA from three dinosaurs. However, not long after arriving, they encounter the facility’s terrifying genetic mutant experimentations.
Will There Be Another Jurassic World Rebirth?
According to reports, a sequel is expected to begin shooting this year, with a release window set for 2028; however, Universal Pictures has not announced anything. Meanwhile, other rumors point towards director Gareth Edwards and Scarlett Johansson being in negotiations to return.
Whether the next film will continue the storyline from Rebirth remains to be seen, but it has now been confirmed that the lore from that film is being expanded away from theaters in an upcoming DLC pack for the park management simulation game Jurassic World Evolution 3.
On June 9, an overview trailer showcasing Jurassic World Evolution 3: Rebirth Expansion was revealed. Releasing on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S from June 16, the pack includes “top-secret campaigns,” locations from ÃŽle Saint-Hubert, dinosaurs from the film like Titanosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus, and mutant dinosaurs such as Distortus rex and the Mutadons.
Watch the new announcement trailer below:
Related: New ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Sequel Confirmed, but Cast From 2025 Movie Won’t Appear
While the expansion will offer fans some familiar Rebirth content to sink their teeth into, what’s particularly intriguing about the upcoming DLC is that it’s a prequel to the 2025 blockbuster film.
“Delve into a game expanding narrative inspired by the dramatic events of Jurassic World Rebirth as you experience an original story set prior to the blockbuster movie,” the website’s description states. “Take control of three top-secret locations and come face-to-face with four new dinosaurs, including the terrifying Distortus rex!”
It adds: “Inspired by Jurassic World Rebirth, push the boundaries of science and develop the top-secret facility on ÃŽle Saint-Hubert before its downfall in 2010. Experience a flexible campaign structure as you prioritise Assignments, expand an island-wide Geothermal Power network and manage a shared cash balance across three locations: Main Facility, Ancient Valley, and Riverside Lab.”
The New Expansion Is a Prequel That Will Answer Many Questions
Another point of criticism in Jurassic World Rebirth was how many questions were left unanswered, largely those relating to the newly introduced island and its abandoned facility.
While the film’s opening sequence suggests that InGen scientists were forced to abandoned the site after the Distortus rex escaped containment, viewers were still left with several unresolved questions about this new addition to the long-established Jurassic lore after the credits rolled.
Now, Jurassic World Evolution 3 will fill in some of those blanks by offering fans a prequel story.
It will also offer more insight to the ancient structures that appear in the film with no explanation, stating: “Uncover the mysteries of Mayan architecture on the island with towering temples and decorations, keeping your locations feeling natural and un-touched by the progress of science.”
Here’s hoping the Rebirth Expansion will also bridge the gap between the 2025 film and the wider franchise, with which it feels very disconnected, largely through a number of major continuity missteps, particularly with the inclusion of an island that was never mentioned in any previous film.
Visit the official Jurassic World Evolution 3 website to find out more about the Rebirth DLC.
Are you excited about the new Rebirth DLC? What do you think the next Jurassic World movie should be about? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
