Nine hundred million dollars. That’s the magic number that gets sequels greenlit faster than you can say “clever girl.” And so here we are again, watching Universal Pictures dust off the amber and prepare to extract more DNA from the Jurassic World Rebirth corpse—excuse me, franchise. The InSneider reports that director Gareth Edwards is in final negotiations to return, bringing Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali along for another prehistoric joyride. Because if there’s one thing Hollywood loves more than originality, it’s a sure thing with teeth.
Let me be clear: I don’t blame them. Not really. When a film grosses $900 million worldwide on what was reportedly a much leaner budget than the bloated Dominion, you’d be insane not to double down. Edwards, who inherited the project after David Leitch departed over “creative differences” (Hollywood speak for “this script is a disaster”), somehow managed to turn David Koepp‘s workmanlike screenplay into one of the year’s biggest hits. That’s… impressive. Depressing, but impressive.
The original Rebirth picked up five years after Dominion’s exhausting finale, in a world where dinosaurs exist in scattered pockets and humanity has supposedly learned to coexist. Johansson’s Zoe Bennett, a covert ops expert (because of course she is), led a mission to extract DNA from the three largest creatures across land, sea, and air. The genetic material was meant to unlock medical breakthroughs. Naturally, things went sideways. They always do in these films. It’s practically contractual.
What’s fascinating—and I use that word loosely—is how Ali’s character was originally scripted to die at the film’s end. Someone, somewhere, made the decision to keep him alive for sequel potential. That gamble has now paid off spectacularly. It’s the kind of forward-thinking that passes for creativity in modern franchise filmmaking: don’t kill anyone important, because you might need them for the inevitable follow-up. Remember when characters could just… end? When their stories had actual conclusions? Those were the days.
The secondary storyline, involving Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s father character and his daughters, received mixed reactions. No word on their return, which suggests Universal might be learning something from audience feedback. Though given this franchise’s track record, they’ll probably be replaced by an even more unnecessary B-plot. Maybe this time it’ll be a divorced couple learning to love again through dinosaur trauma. Or a plucky kid who speaks raptor. Nothing would surprise me anymore.
The Exhausted Roar of a Dying Franchise
Here’s the thing that nobody wants to say out loud: it’s been 32 years since Jurassic Park, and we’ve never once recaptured that magic. Not once. Spielberg’s original wasn’t just about dinosaurs; it was about wonder colliding with hubris, about the dangerous allure of playing God. Every sequel since has mistaken bigger for better, louder for more impactful. Even The Lost World, which was critically savaged upon release, looks like Citizen Kane compared to the dreck we’ve endured lately. At least Spielberg was still behind the camera. At least there were ideas, even if they were half-baked.
Edwards is a capable director—The Creator proved he can handle sci-fi with genuine vision, and Rogue One showed he could play in someone else’s sandbox while maintaining his voice. But even he couldn’t fully elevate Rebirth beyond its franchise obligations. The action was competent, the effects were fine, the performances were… present. But where was the awe? Where was the terror that made us grip our armrests in 1993?
The new sequel will reportedly see Edwards developing the story from scratch this time, rather than inheriting someone else’s vision. That’s… something. Maybe without the pressure of fixing another director’s work mid-stream, he can craft something with actual teeth. But I doubt it. The franchise demands certain beats, certain moments, certain levels of merchandisable mayhem. Steven Spielberg will return as executive producer, his name another talisman meant to ward off creative bankruptcy.
What We Know About the Jurassic World Rebirth Sequel
Edwards Gets Full Control This Time
Unlike the first film where he came in late, Edwards will develop this sequel from the ground up. Whether that means creative freedom or just earlier exposure to studio notes remains to be seen.
The Core Trio Returns
Johansson’s covert ops expert Zoe Bennett will anchor the story again, with Bailey and Ali confirmed to return. Ali’s survival was a calculated bet that’s now paying dividends.
No Script or Release Date Yet
While the director and cast are locked, there’s no word on who’s writing or when we’ll see it. Smart money says David Koepp returns, though maybe someone else deserves a crack at this fossil.
Budget Conscious Success
Rebirth proved you don’t need Dominion’s bloated budget to make bank. Expect Universal to keep this lean formula for the sequel.
Secondary Cast in Limbo
The divisive subplot involving Garcia-Rulfo’s family remains unconfirmed for return. Their absence might streamline the sequel’s focus.
FAQ
Will this sequel finally kill the Jurassic franchise?
As long as these films keep printing money, they’ll keep making them. The franchise survived Dominion, it survived Fallen Kingdom, it’ll survive this. Quality stopped being a factor around 2001. We’re in pure commercial territory now, where $900 million buys you infinite sequels regardless of artistic merit.
Is Gareth Edwards the right director for this franchise?
He’s competent and visual, which is more than some recent entries have managed. But the real question isn’t whether Edwards is right for Jurassic—it’s whether anyone can breathe life into this fossilized formula. The franchise needs a full reimagining, not just a new director playing with the same broken toys.
Why do people keep watching these movies if they’re creatively bankrupt?
Dinosaurs, friend. Simple as that. There’s something primal about watching prehistoric predators chase humans that bypasses critical thinking. Plus, nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Every new Jurassic film promises to recapture that original magic, and we keep buying tickets hoping this time will be different. It never is.
Should Spielberg direct another Jurassic film himself?
God, no. Let the man rest. He gave us the original and a flawed but interesting sequel. His legacy doesn’t need another lap around this increasingly tired track. If anything, the franchise needs fresh blood with no reverence for what came before—someone willing to truly reinvent rather than regurgitate.
Look, I’ll probably watch the Jurassic World Rebirth sequel. We all will. That’s the devil’s bargain we’ve made with Hollywood: they’ll keep serving reheated prehistoric leftovers, and we’ll keep consuming them while complaining about the taste. But maybe—just maybe—with Edwards building from the ground up this time, we’ll get something more than another soulless cash grab.
I’m not holding my breath though. After three decades of diminishing returns, I’ve learned to keep my expectations extinct.
For more details on the sequel development, check out The InSneider’s original report.
