Welcome To A New Era Of The Jurassic Franchise

It’s been just two and a half years since “Jurassic World Dominion” brought the latest “Jurassic” trilogy to a close, but it’s already time for a new era full of dinosaurs and humans trying to co-exist. Universal Pictures has now revealed the first trailer for this summer’s “Jurassic World Rebirth.” As the title implies, this is viewed as a fresh start for the franchise, complete with new human characters and a new director — and yes, new dinosaurs. You can watch the trailer for yourself above.

The director in question is Gareth Edwards of “Godzilla” and “Rogue One” fame, who seems perfect for the “Jurassic” franchise. Noticeably absent are any familiar faces, including Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady or Sam Neill’s Alan Grant. Instead, Universal has lined up a new, all-star cast led by Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow”) as Zora Bennett. Even though there is a lot of new stuff on the table here, this sequel does take place in the same timeline as the other “Jurassic” films and is not a full-on reboot.

Instead, “Rebirth” picks up five years after the locust-filled puzzling chaos that was “Dominion.” The “twist” here is that the planet’s ecology has proven inhospitable to dinosaurs, so gone are the days of them existing just about everywhere. The surviving creatures now live in isolated environments with climates resembling Earth circa 65 million years ago, and the three biggest dinos around hold the key to a drug that can have life-saving benefits for humankind. That’s where Zora and her team come in.

Most interesting of all, David Koepp, who wrote Steven Spielberg’s original blockbuster classic “Jurassic Park,” has returned to the franchise to pen the screenplay for this latest entry. He hasn’t been involved with this franchise since 1997’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” With Koepp putting pen to paper, and with a guy like Edwards at the helm, this truly could be the start of something new for the series. Not only that, but both Koepp and Edwards have also made comments in the press about trying to bring things back to that original “Jurassic Park” feel. Here’s hoping. 

The official “Jurassic World Rebirth” synopsis reads as follows:

Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

While certain moviegoers may roll their eyes, from Universal’s perspective, a new “Jurassic World” movie makes every bit of financial sense. To date, the franchise has grossed more than $6 billion at the global box office. Even “Dominion,” a maligned movie, made just over $1 billion. If the studio and the creative team can course-correct, the “Jurassic” property can still be a cash cow for years to come.

Joining Johansson in the stacked “Rebirth” cast are Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”), Jonathan Bailey (“Wicked”), Rupert Friend (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (“6 Underground”). The film’s ensemble also includes Luna Blaise (“Manifest”), David Iacono (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”), Audrina Miranda (“Lopez vs. Lopez”), Philippine Velge (“Station Eleven”), Bechir Sylvain (“BMF”), and Ed Skrein (“Deadpool”).

“Jurassic World Rebirth” hits theaters on July 2, 2025.