The Jurassic World franchise isn’t going extinct anytime soon. According to industry insider Jeff Sneider (via SFF Gazette.com), Universal Pictures has begun development on a sequel to this year’s Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh film in the long-running series.
The studio’s decision comes as little surprise. Despite mixed reviews due to its script, characters, and the retconning of its predecessor, Rebirth pulled in a colossal $868.6 million at the global box office, proving there’s still plenty of life in the Jurassic name.
Gareth Edwards, who’d previously helmed Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), is reportedly in talks to return to the director’s chair, while stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali are expected to reprise their roles as Zora Bennett, Henry Loomis, and Duncan Kincaid, respectively.
Since the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in 1993, the franchise has become one of Universal’s most valuable properties, with the film series alone having earned nearly $7 billion worldwide. Jurassic World (2015) reignited the series for a new generation, spawning a trilogy that concluded with Dominion in 2022. And although Rebirth was billed as a standalone entry, unsurprisingly, its financial success appears to have shifted studio plans.
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What direction the story will take next is unclear. Rebirth introduced genetically mutated dinosaurs, airborne hybrids, and a new cast of human characters in a story completely detached from any previous continuity. But the film’s setup — and its ambiguous ending — could provide the groundwork for a continuation.
Between the animated Netflix series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, whose fourth and final season streams later this month, and the upcoming first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival” from developers Saber Interactive, Universal seems intent on ensuring the franchise never goes extinct.
Jurassic World Rebirth is now available to stream at home. 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).
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