It may not be entirely surprising, but Universal Pictures is making another “Jurassic World” movie. This past summer saw the release of “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the overall seventh entry in the long-running franchise that began with Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster classic “Jurassic Park” in 1993. It was a big hit and, as a result, the studio is getting the band back together for another dino-filled romp. It’s understandable that some may feel cynical about such news, but like it or not, this is a downright necessary move that goes beyond Universal’s bottom line.
According to a report from The InSneider, which was later backed up by several other major outlets, director Gareth Edwards is in talks to return for the untitled “Jurassic World 5” after helming “Rebirth.” The core cast, including Scarlett Johansson (Zora Bennett), Jonathan Bailey (Henry Loomis), and Mahershala Ali (Duncan Kincaid), are all expected to return as well. While “Rebirth” didn’t explicitly set up a sequel, it did gross nearly $870 million at the global box office. Universal appears to be taking the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach.
Plot details remain under wraps, but “Rebirth” did introduce us to a new dinosaur island in Ile Saint-Hubert, which helped to open up the “Jurassic” universe a bit. It also sort of walked things back after “Dominion” let dinosaurs loose all over the Earth, with the prehistoric beasts once again confined to specific areas around the globe. Whether that makes it easier or harder to find another story worth telling remains to be seen, but, either way, money dictates that another one of these stories must be told. One could even argue it’s for the greater good of the movie industry.
The Jurassic World movies keep making money
As mentioned, “Jurassic World Rebirth” pulled in close to $870 million, including just shy of $340 million domestically and a whopping $529 million overseas. It was a huge, global hit, and those are very hard to come by these days. Case in point, only three other films released in 2025 have made more money overall, including “A Minecraft Movie” ($958 million), “Lilo & Stitch” ($1.03 billion), and the unexpected Chinese animated smash hit “Ne Zha 2” ($2.15 billion).
Indeed, the box office has been on rocky ground ever since the Covid-19 pandemic upended the industry in 2020. Fewer people are going to the movies and fewer films, in general, are finding success. That has left theaters in a precarious situation, particularly as studios continue to prioritize streaming profits and VOD. October 2025 was the worst October at the box office in nearly 30 years. There were bombs and disappointments left and right. It’s tough out there.
In other words, sure things are very hard to come by. Critics have been unimpressed with the last several “Jurassic World” movies but audiences continue to show up in droves. The “Jurassic” franchise was already a $6 billion property before “Rebirth.” Now, it’s closer to $7 billion, so making another one of these films is a no-brainer.
So, for as much as one might see people on social media expressing surprise or frustration that we are once again going to see human-made dinosaurs running amok, it’s worth taking this perspective into account. This is not only a logical move for Universal, but theaters straight-up need reliable moneymakers such as these to stay afloat. At worst, it’s a necessary evil. Then again, there is a massive audience for these movies. There’s no sense in yucking someone’s yum.
Jurassic World 5 has one big advantage over Rebirth
When it comes to the creative side of things, for what it’s worth, there’s reason to potentially be optimistic for the next “Jurassic World” film. Recall that “Rebirth” came together very quickly since Universal needed to get a marquee blockbuster on its calendar for summer 2025. Thus, Edwards was brought in to execute a script quickly and efficiently. He did his job.
Edwards, the man behind “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” 2014’s “Godzilla,” and “The Creator,” has proven himself a very capable and often impressive blockbuster filmmaker. Moreover, he ought to have a little more time to properly develop the next “Jurassic World” sequel. Where “Rebirth” was completely devoid of practical dinosaur effects, its follow-up could go the opposite route while also allowing Edwards to tell a story he truly wants to tell. That’s not to say he was merely a gun-for-hire on “Rebirth,” but he notably wasn’t involved in its development from the very beginning.
So, creatively, “Jurassic World 5” could proved to be another improvement. “Dominion” put a lot of viewers off, but “Rebirth” was received better by both general moviegoers and some critics. There’s room to build, and the audience will be there. So, again, you don’t have to like it, but we can’t pretend there’s no reason to make another “Jurassic” movie. Really, there are hundreds of millions of them, not to put too fine a point on it.
The as-of-yet untitled “Jurassic World 5” doesn’t have a release date yet, but stay tuned.
