Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) was supposed to prove the Jurassic Park franchise could survive without relying on its original cast members. Instead, it may have proven the exact opposite.
By introducing a new ensemble led by Scarlett Johansson and moving entirely away from the characters who carried both the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World trilogies, Universal effectively began a new chapter. But after the film’s divisive reception, there’s now an argument that the studio shouldn’t stop halfway. It should go all the way and completely reboot the franchise.
That idea has suddenly become even more poignant following the recent passing of Sam Neill.
Neill, who sadly died on July 13 at the age of 78 after battling a rare form of blood cancer, spent over 30 years playing Dr. Alan Grant, appearing in Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). While there was no indication Grant would return after Dominion, many fans always believed another appearance remained possible.
Now, that possibility is gone forever.
Universal could attempt to continue the current timeline while simply retiring Grant from the screen, but that creates another problem. Alan Grant is one of the franchise’s defining characters, and recasting him would almost certainly prove controversial.
Starting over would eliminate that issue entirely.
Related: New ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Finally Brings Back an Original Character After 33 Years
How Will Universal Handle Sam Neill’s Passing in Jurassic Park?
Reboots are often criticised for replacing beloved films, but they don’t have to.
Warner Bros. is taking exactly that approach with HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television series, which isn’t erasing the original films but adapting J.K. Rowling’s novels for a different medium. Jurassic Park now has the opportunity to do something remarkably similar.
Michael Crichton’s novels contain far more material than the films ever adapted, making them ideal candidates for a long-form television series that could revisit Isla Nublar without being constrained by existing continuity. There’s another benefit, too.
A reboot would allow Universal to quietly move on from Jurassic World Rebirth, whose decision to abandon Dominion‘s global dinosaur status quo frustrated many longtime fans.
Rather than spending another film trying to repair that storyline, the studio could simply begin again with a faithful adaptation that celebrates what made Jurassic Park so special in the first place.
Another sequel is reportedly in development, with Scarlett Johansson and Gareth Edwards said to be in negotiations to return. But if Universal is already looking toward the future, perhaps the boldest decision isn’t making another sequel at all—it’s going back to the beginning.
How do you feel about the idea of rebooting Jurassic Park? Or do you think the film series should continue without Sam Neill? Share your thoughts in the comments.
