(Updated 09/02/2024)
JURASSIC WORLD is coming back to life with an all-new movie. The franchise relaunch is scheduled for a summer 2025 release with star Scarlett Johansson, and it has a promising director set to work behind the camera.
Despite being set for release in less than 18 months there's still a lot we don't know about the new movie, called JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH, which is coming together very fast. Here's everything we do know so far.
What's the Jurassic World Rebirth Release Date?
While we often have to wait years for a major series relaunch like this, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is coming soon. Universal Pictures has set July 2, 2025 as the new JURASSIC WORLD release date.
Is There a Jurassic World Rebirth Trailer?
There is no trailer for JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH. The movie only began filming in June 2024, in Thailand. The production has moved to a couple of additional locations, and started studio work in London, with production expected to run through mid-October 2024. Is it too much to hope for at least a brief trailer timed for the release of Universal's WICKED? Maybe not! In the meantime, anything you see is fan-made.
Who's in the Jurassic World Rebirth Cast?
Universal has released a bit more info since the movie was first announced, so we know that Scarlett Johansson stars as Zora Bennett, "a skilled covert operations expert" with Mahershala Ali playing her team leader, Duncan Kincaid, and Jonathan Bailey as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis. Rupert Friend appears as a pharmaceutical company man, Martin Krebs, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays Reuben Delgado, a dad who has been shipwrecked with his children. Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda play Reuben’s kids.
What's the Plot of the New Jurassic World Movie?
The first word about JURASSIC PARK REBIRTH was that it will feature an "all-new storyline that is intended to launch a new era for the franchise," according to Variety.
Now, Universal has released an official synopsis that tells us a lot more:
Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
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.
Will Familiar Characters Return to Jurassic World?
Right now, we do not know. It would seem like JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION closed out the storylines for both the classic JURASSIC PARK characters and those from the new trilogy. But right now, there are only assumptions.
Who Is Making the New Jurassic World?
Here's where things get interesting. David Koepp, who wrote both JURASSIC PARK and sequel THE LOST WORLD, is writing the script for the new film. And as you would expect, Steven Spielberg is an executive producer.
Then there's the surprising part. Currently set to direct is Gareth Edwards, who made ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, and recently directed the impressive original sci-fi movie THE CREATOR. Movies by Gareth Edwards have a recognizable and pretty specific look and feel. They're not exactly "realistic," but they do have a more immediate sense of reality than your average blockbuster. While ROGUE ONE certainly looks like a Star Wars movie, it has many hallmarks that set it apart from all other movies in that series.
What Does the Gareth Edwards Style Mean for Jurassic World?
It's far too early to say for certain, but one thing is for sure: Edwards knows how to make a movie that leans very heavily on visual effects, but he also likes to film on location and knows how to make extensive digital effects feel like part of a world. See footage from THE CREATOR, just above, for an example.
It's exciting to think about what that might mean for JURASSIC WORLD. Steven Spielberg's original movie cast a magical spell through its standard-setting blend of digital effects, massive animatronics, and diverse other effects techniques. It's been a difficult feat to match. Could Edwards be the one to truly push the prehistoric series into the future?
JURASSIC WORLD opens on July 2, 2025.
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.