The Jurassic franchise has always been about more than just rampaging dinosaurs. It’s the awe, the danger and the fragile relationship between humanity and nature that make the films among some of the best science fiction movies of all time. Gareth Edwards, the director of the seventh installment in the series, the upcoming Jurassic World: Rebirth, is now aiming to return to the iconic film series’ roots and, as an OG fan, I’m pumped!
When I heard Edwards, the creative force behind Godzilla and The Creator, dropped everything to helm the next Jurassic flick, I couldn’t help but wonder: could he take us back to the tension-filled roots that made Jurassic Park one of the best movies of the 90s? Turns out, that was his goal. In an interview with Empire, the filmmaker revealed his approach to revitalizing the franchise with the recently wrapped Jurassic World 4. He also delved into how the new installment will nod to Steven Spielberg’s original 1993 film:
It goes back to what I loved about the original, with an embarrassment of riches of different set-piece-type scenarios and tense, fun action moments. There were a lot of opportunities as a filmmaker to have a lot of fun and try and play games with the audience.
This is music to my raptor-loving ears. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been yearning for a return to the suspense, discovery, and emotional weight that defined the OG Jurassic Park. Don’t get me wrong—the spectacle of Jurassic World was jaw-dropping, but that creeping sense of dread when the power goes out in the original park? That’s what truly gets the blood pumping.
The upcoming movie is set five years after Jurassic World Dominion’s ending. Rebirth picks up in a world where dinosaurs roam free though, due to the ecosystem, many of the giant creatures are dying. Gareth Edwards, working from a script by original JP writer David Koepp, is bringing back some fan-favorite dinos while introducing new faces—human and prehistoric alike. Scarlett Johansson leads the charge (who has been jockeying for a role in the franchise for years) as Zora Bennett, a former military operative on a high-stakes mission to hunt down crucial dino-DNA. Edwards teased her arc:
She’s looking for meaning in her life after leaving the military… and this opportunity comes along where [after it] basically she’d never have to work again. But through that journey, she starts to question the ethical rights and wrongs of what they’re doing.
Scarlett Johansson’s character already sounds like she’s poised to carry the kind of emotional and narrative weight that the Jurassic Universe legacy characters had. Steven Spielberg’s classic didn’t just serve up jaw-dropping dino spectacle—it introduced a cast of richly developed characters who felt real and grounded in their responses to the madness around them.
That’s what made the mix of humanity and prehistoric chaos so compelling. And let’s be real here: while the Jurassic World trilogy delivered plenty of popcorn-worthy moments, it didn’t quite stick the landing when it came to giving us characters as layered as Dr. Grant, Ellie Sattler or Ian Malcolm. If Rebirth is indeed going back to that storytelling sweet spot, we could be in for a major return to form.
As an OG fan, I couldn’t be more excited for a director with Gareth Edwards’ pedigree to guide the franchise forward. He’s proven he can balance large-scale spectacle with deeply personal stakes. (Rogue One, anyone?)
The promise of more tension-driven set pieces has me hoping we’ll get some edge-of-your-seat sequences that rival the T. rex breakout or the raptors stalking Lex and Tim in the kitchen. You can check out Jurassic World: Rebirth when it finally stomps into theaters and on to the 2025 movie schedule on July 2.