The Jurassic World Franchise Wrote a Check That the Rebirth Trailer Refuses to Cash

2025's summer movie season is going prehistoric, with the arrival of the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. This seventh installment, and the first of a "new era" following the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard trilogy, hails from director Gareth Edwards and boasts a fresh cast including Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali. Adding to the anticipation is the return of original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp. However, the trailer hints at a potential misstep, seemingly retreading familiar ground instead of exploring the world-altering potential established in previous films. Where is the globally dispersed dinosaur population promised by Fallen Kingdom and teased again in Dominion?

Let's dissect the trailer and explore why Jurassic World might be missing a crucial opportunity.

The Jurassic World trilogy, while receiving mixed critical reviews, has consistently delivered blockbuster box office results. Global audiences clearly love dinosaurs, and despite Universal's initial plan to retire the original World cast, further installments were inevitable. The studio quickly assembled a new team, with Gareth Edwards (known for Godzilla and Rogue One) as a particularly intriguing choice. Edwards' skill in showcasing scale in VFX-heavy films, coupled with his CGI background, makes him a strong contender for directing this type of four-quadrant blockbuster.

The trailer showcases impressive dinosaur visuals; Edwards' attention to detail in lighting and proportions elevates the film above many recent visually underwhelming blockbusters. His achievement is even more remarkable considering the compressed production schedule—hired in February 2024 and already in production by June. While the trailer doesn't fully reveal the new cast's potential, the action sequences look promising, and ample dinosaur screen time is evident. (Remember the locusts from Jurassic World Dominion? No? We don't blame you.)

Despite cautious optimism, a significant concern looms: the trailer suggests a failure to capitalize on the "world of dinosaurs" concept teased since Fallen Kingdom.

The premise feels familiar: another island teeming with dinosaurs. While not Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna, Jurassic World Rebirth introduces a purported "research facility for the original Jurassic Park," a setting that clashes with established canon. The film retreats to the franchise's traditional tropical island setting, isolating the dinosaurs from civilization. Why revert to this formula when the previous trilogy concluded with dinosaurs inhabiting the globe? Universal's synopsis explains that five years after Dominion, the planet's ecology proves largely inhospitable to dinosaurs, confining them to isolated equatorial environments.

This feels like an unnecessary course correction. Why build towards a global Jurassic World only to abandon it? Similar to Dominion's reversal of Fallen Kingdom's ending, Rebirth discards the series' best new idea—a world overrun by dinosaurs. This creative choice undermines the relaunch with new characters and concepts, instead resorting to well-worn tropes.

The established lore also seems inconsistent. Dominion depicted dinosaurs in diverse global locations, from snowy regions to urban settings. If the world is so inhospitable, why did they thrive in the previous film? The Malta chase sequence in Dominion, featuring carnivores in a city, was arguably the film's best and most creative scene. The Jurassic franchise is a Hollywood safe bet; audiences consistently crave dinosaur-centric stories. Why not embrace risk and explore truly unique dimensions?

While Jurassic World Rebirth might hold surprises beyond the trailer, its original title, rumored to be Jurassic City, suggests potential environments not yet revealed. Regardless, the franchise needs to move beyond the tropical island trope. A complete shift to a Planet of the Apes style dinosaur world might be excessive, but a middle ground—dinosaurs in diverse settings—is surely achievable. We await Jurassic World Rebirth's release, hoping the franchise will prioritize innovation over repetition.

Jurassic World Rebirth - Trailer 1 Stills

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