‘Jurassic World Rebirth’s’ Sequel Just Lost Its Director
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ turned into one of last year’s biggest box office surprises, reviving a franchise that many assumed had run out of gas. Universal’s initial ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy, anchored by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, launched with 2015’s ‘Jurassic World’ and wrapped with 2022’s ‘Jurassic World Dominion,’ with all three films topping a billion dollars globally. That success made a follow-up to ‘Rebirth’ feel inevitable almost as soon as the credits rolled.
Behind the camera for that revival was Gareth Edwards, the filmmaker known for ‘Monsters,’ ‘Godzilla,’ ‘Rogue One’ and ‘The Creator.’ Edwards made his feature debut with the indie sci-fi horror film ‘Monsters,’ which he both wrote and directed, and that project led directly to him landing 2014’s ‘Godzilla.’ His genre pedigree made him a natural fit to helm a new era of dinosaur chaos, and fans largely expected him to stick around for whatever came next.
That expectation no longer holds. According to Culture Crave, citing Deadline, Edwards is no longer directing ‘Jurassic World 5,’ with the outlet reporting he left the project over creative differences while Universal now searches for a new director. Sources told Deadline that Universal and Amblin are gearing up for the next ‘Jurassic World’ installment but will need a new filmmaker after Edwards declined to return, with insiders pointing to creative differences as the reason behind the split.
Universal addressed the departure directly rather than staying silent on it. The studio released a statement saying, “We had an incredible experience working with Gareth on Jurassic World Rebirth,” according to a report from Deadline. Edwards is expected to shift his focus toward original projects he has in development rather than continue with the franchise.
The sequel itself is still moving forward despite the shakeup. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali are expected to return, with production hoping to begin shooting in 2027, and David Koepp has already turned in the latest draft of the script. Their individual schedules are reportedly still being worked out, but as of now all three leads remain attached.
This kind of last minute directorial swap is nothing new for the ‘Jurassic’ franchise. Before Edwards came aboard, David Leitch was originally set to direct ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ but exited over creative differences of his own, clearing the path for Edwards to take over. While Steven Spielberg and producer Frank Marshall have remained the series’ guiding creative forces throughout, the franchise has shifted directors and casts repeatedly across its various eras.
The numbers behind ‘Rebirth’ explain why Universal is so eager to keep the momentum going. The film landed a 50 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes despite mixed reviews, yet still pulled in 869 million dollars worldwide. With that kind of box office pull and a cast this stacked, the pressure is now on Universal to find a replacement who can keep the new trilogy roaring. Do you think Edwards’ exit is a red flag for the next ‘Jurassic World’ movie, or could a fresh director be exactly what this dino-sized franchise needs next?
