Can we go back to calling the franchise Jurassic Park or do we have to stick to referring to the IP as Jurassic World?
We're banking that this upcoming entry will likely kick off a brand new trilogy and we'll be calling the franchise something else by the time we get to the third film- how about Jurassic Aftermath or Jurassic War?
Either way, The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards has confirmed the recent reports that he's signed on to helm the next installment in the franchise.
There's no word on whether the film is a continuation or reboot but it's been confirmed that neither Chris Pratt nor Bryce Dallas Howard are expected to return. The original Jurassic Park cast, who returned in the latest trilogy, are also said to be absent in this latest iteration.
It was also just confirmed that the next installment is set for release on July 2, 2025, despite the fact that the project was just recently announced. It seems Universal proceeded with VFX and other pre-production work without a director on board.
David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) was originally set to direct the film but departed as he felt that the looming release date and the fact that so much work had already been completed meant that he would be unable to put his own ideas and thoughts into the film.
Enter Gareth Edwards.
At a recent, For Your Consideration screening of The Creator (the film is nominated for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects at this year's Oscars), Edwards shared how excited he was to get the call.
"I tried my damnedest to contact my mum and tell her before it got on the internet and I did the same with my sister. I woke my sister up to tell her. I've left a message for my dad, but because of the time difference he's asleep. So hopefully he won't look on the internet when he wakes up.”
He went on to add, "I was about to take a break and I started writing my next idea for a film and this is the only movie that would make me drop everything like a stone and dive right in. I love Jurassic Park . I think the first movie is a cinematic masterpiece…so this opportunity is like a dream to me. And to work with Frank Marshall and Universal and David Koepp, who's writing the script, I think they're all legends. So I'm just very excited."
David Koepp is reportedly putting the final touches on the screenplay for the newest entry. That should excite fans of the original film as Koepp wrote the original scripts for Jurassic Park (1993) and Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997).