Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) is just under two months from its theatrical release. But while attention for the seventh film in the Jurassic series is ramping up, there appears to be something missing. Is it the absence of characters like Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard)? Or is it everything that isn’t missing that’s the problem?
Directed by Gareth Edwards (2014’s Godzilla remake, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), with a screenplay by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park), and starring Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Jonathan Bailey (Wicked), and Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Jurassic World Rebirth centers on a top-secret expedition to retrieve life-changing genetic material from three colossal dinosaurs on an abandoned InGen island in South America, where several “mutant dinosaurs” await.
There’s no denying that the summer is looking bright for Jurassic World Rebirth. After all, the film series has grossed over $6B globally so far. Not to mention all the revenue the films have generated from all the tie-in media and Universal Studios’ theme park attractions.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of each film’s box office success worldwide:
- Jurassic Park (1993) — $1.058B
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) — $618.6M
- Jurassic Park III (2001) — $368.8M
- Jurassic World (2015) — $1.671B
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) — $1.31B
- Jurassic World Dominion (2022) — $1.004B
Going by the series’ continued success, Jurassic World Rebirth is almost guaranteed to break the bank in a similar way, whether it soars past the $1B mark or comes in just shy.
However, whenever a new Jurassic film is just around the corner, there’s a massive buzz in the air (no, we aren’t talking about a horde of flying locusts). But this time, it just doesn’t seem to be there. Will the upcoming sequel become a global success like its predecessors, or will it become the first film in the iconic long-running series to struggle in movie theaters?
Related: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’: Everything Wrong With the Plot and the New Trailer
Why Rebirth Could Fail To Repeat the Commercial Success of Its Predecessors
The Jurassic Branding Doesn’t Guarantee Success
There are many reasons why Jurassic World Rebirth could be destined to fall short of its predecessors’ commercial successes.
Firstly, the seventh film in any film series has its work cut out. Of course, Jurassic is a reliable brand, like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Marvel, each of which has an incredibly successful seventh film under its belt: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One ($960.9M), Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens ($2.07B), and Iron Man 3 ($1.26B), respectively.
But, on the other hand, no heavyweight franchise is immune to box office flops (by their respective studios’ standards). And each of those franchises has their own: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) grossed $407.2M against its $200M budget; Solo: A Star Wars Story (2016) grossed $393M against a budget of at least $275M; and The Marvels (2023) grossed $206.1M against a gross production budget of $374M.
However, Jurassic is yet to deliver any underperforming flicks. Even the last two films in the Jurassic World trilogy grossed over $1B worldwide each, despite receiving negative reviews.
A Case of Jurassic World Fatigue
Another challenge is Jurassic fatigue. Though there are no glaring signs, if you spend some time scrolling through the comment sections on any Jurassic video or social media post, a lot of fans appear to be “done” with the series, with many criticizing Rebirth specifically due to its “underwhelming” trailer and plot. Although the majority of those who aren’t excited by the film will most likely end up buying theater tickets like the pro-Rebirth crowd anyway.
The biggest issue with Jurassic World Rebirth is the film itself. The trailer might have left many fans surprised, but it failed to ignite the fanbase in the same way all six previous films did with their initial teasers. Even Jurassic World Dominion, which is the sixth film in the series, had fans excited with its promise of focus on dinosaurs living among humans.
But even with a powerhouse star like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Scarlett Johansson leading the charge, Rebirth seems unable to fire up the crowd like previous entries have.
The Plot and Its “Mutant” Dinosaurs
Then there’s the plot. Not only is the film re-treading the expedition-on-a-remote-jungle-island formula, which the Jurassic series committed to leaving behind forever in Fallen Kingdom by blowing up Isla Nublar, it will unveil the franchise’s first-ever “mutant dinosaurs”, which has now been officially revealed in an Empire exclusive as the “Distortus Rex” (a horribly mutated Tyrannosaur) following its tease in the trailer, and the “Mutadons” (flying velociraptors…), creatures that feel so far removed from Jurassic, even in a series whose last three films dealt with genetic hybrids, human clones, and super locusts.
Understandably, this has left many fans rolling their eyes in disbelief. While the idea of mutant dinosaurs is certainly an interesting one, as genetic engineering would undoubtedly lead to abominations of some kind, at seven films in, it just screams unoriginality.
No Clever Rebranding Like Jurassic World
Jurassic World Rebirth has seemingly made little to no effort to distance itself from the World trilogy, either, instead lazily opting for the same overarching title while slapping an extremely derivative subtitle that may as well have been “resurrection” or “the return”.
Jurassic World (2015) was a total rebranding of the entire franchise. Not only that, but the film was everywhere before and during its theatrical run thanks to an excellent marketing campaign. Yet, while marketing is certainly starting to ramp up for Rebirth, it doesn’t feel anywhere near as robust or exciting as the 2015 blockbuster or its two sequels.
The new film is also leaning heavily on nostalgia (a lazy marketing ploy), with the cast and crew promising over and over that it has the same “feel” and “tone” as the original 1993 film, which seems at odds with everything we know about it. Between the humor-laden trailer and the mutant dinos, the majority of fans just might not fall for that kind of promise this time.
With all of that said, the film is titled Rebirth and promises to usher in “a new Jurassic era,” so it’s hardly surprising that it’s starting to introduce some very different creatures this time around. As such, fans are curious to see what direction the sequel will steer the series in. And though there are some challenges standing in its way, if the last 32 years since the original film’s release have taught us anything, it’s that the Jurassic franchise always finds a way.
When Is Jurassic World Rebirth Out?
Jurassic World Rebirth releases in theaters on July 2. The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).
Watch the trailer below:
Are you excited about Jurassic World Rebirth? Let us know in the comments down below!
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