After talks with David Leitch and his producing partners fell through, Universal Pictures and executive producers Steven Spielberg & Frank Marshall were on the hunt for a new director for the next Jurassic World film, and it looks like they have found their match: Gareth Edwards (director of 2010’s Monsters, 2014’s Godzilla, 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and 2023’s The Creator) is in final negotiations to direct the new film!
‘Jurassic World’: Gareth Edwards Tapped To Direct New Movie For Universal And Amblin https://t.co/rw8kA4kcP3
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 21, 2024
Executive producer Steven Spielberg, along with producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, will spearhead the project under Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Sara Scott and Jacqueline Garell will oversee production on behalf of Universal.
While specific plot details for the untitled Jurassic World sequel remain under wraps (other than ‘militarized dinos’ are not featured), the film is rumored to kickstart a “new Jurassic era” hinting at a fresh new, dinosaur-filled adventure – likely with no returning characters from past films. That’s right – anyone is fair game to be dinosaur food, as the character armor wielded by actors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum will no longer be directly related.
The script penned by Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp is reported to be ‘leaner and meaner’, invoking vague similarities to John Carpenter’s ‘Escape from New York’. It has been reported that Spielberg and the studio are very happy with the script, which is several drafts in, and as such are very protective of it and do not want the story meddled with. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Jeff Sneider, Spielberg is more involved this time as he does not want a repeat of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, and became worried the series would follow the trajectory of the Transformers films becoming bigger and dumber with each installment.
Pre-production is expected to begin at Sky Studios in the UK at the end of this month, with filming starting in June. The movie is slated for release July 2nd, 2025.
Stay tuned to Jurassic Outpost, as more news is sure to be hatching soon.