The summer movie season of 2025 is set to take us back to the prehistoric era with the release of the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. As the seventh installment in the iconic Jurassic Park franchise and the inaugural film of a "new era" following the conclusion of the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard-led trilogy with Jurassic World Dominion, this latest addition is helmed by director Gareth Edwards. Featuring a fresh cast including Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, and with the return of original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, expectations were high. However, the trailer suggests a narrative that feels like a regression for the series. Where is the promised world of dinosaurs that Fallen Kingdom hinted at and Dominion further teased?
Let's dive into what the trailer reveals and conceals, and why the Jurassic World series might be missing its golden opportunity.
**Back to the Cretaceous** --------------------------The Jurassic World trilogy garnered a mixed reception from critics, yet it remains one of the most financially successful blockbuster franchises over the last decade. Dinosaurs continue to captivate global audiences, and Universal wasted no time in assembling a new cast and crew for further adventures. The choice of Gareth Edwards, renowned for his work on 2014's Godzilla and Rogue One, stands out. His expertise in crafting large-scale visuals in VFX-heavy films, coupled with his CGI background, positions him uniquely to elevate this blockbuster genre.
However, the trailer's failure to embrace the 'world of dinosaurs' concept teased since Fallen Kingdom is a glaring omission. Despite this, the dinosaurs appear stunningly lifelike in motion, a testament to Edwards' skill in capturing detail and scale. Remarkably, he achieved this on a tight timeline, having been hired in February 2024 and beginning production by June. While the trailer doesn't give us much insight into the new characters, the action sequences and dinosaur screen time are promising, a stark contrast to the forgettable evil locust subplot from Jurassic World Dominion.
Though there are reasons to remain cautiously optimistic about Rebirth, the absence of the promised 'world of dinosaurs' looms large over the trailer.
AnswerSee Results**An Island? Again?!** ----------------------It seems we're revisiting the familiar trope of an island teeming with dinosaurs, yet this one isn't Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna but a supposed "research facility for the original Jurassic Park." This setting feels like a retreat to the franchise's traditional roots, placing the action on a tropical island isolated from civilization. This choice seems puzzling given the previous trilogy's conclusion, which suggested dinosaurs coexisting worldwide.
According to Universal's official synopsis, "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." While this rationale is plausible, it feels like an unnecessary step back. Why build up to a global Jurassic World only to abandon it? Just as Dominion scaled back the dinosaur presence to a contained preserve in the Italian Alps, Rebirth now discards one of the series' most innovative concepts: dinosaurs freely roaming the world post-Fallen Kingdom.
Moreover, this decision doesn't align well with the established lore. Dominion depicted dinosaurs thriving in diverse environments, from snow to urban settings. If the world was so inhospitable, why did they appear to adapt so well in the previous film? The Malta chase in Dominion, showcasing carnivores rampaging through a city, was a highlight of that movie. Given the Jurassic franchise's reliable draw at the box office, why not embrace the opportunity to explore new and uncharted territories?
It's possible that Jurassic World Rebirth has more surprises in store than what the first trailer reveals. There were rumors that the movie was initially titled Jurassic City, suggesting a different setting that might be intentionally obscured. However, it's time for the Jurassic franchise to break free from the tropical island motif. While a full-scale Planet of the Apes-style world takeover by dinosaurs might be ambitious, there's certainly room for exploring new environments. We await to see how Jurassic World Rebirth unfolds, but we hope the franchise will finally embrace the value of innovation over repetition.
Jurassic World Rebirth - Trailer 1 Stills
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