This Was Officially the End of an Era for Jurassic Park

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For over thirty years, Jurassic Park has been a major force in popular culture. Steven Spielberg’s film, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, was a huge success that changed how movies were made, and it led to several sequels – though some believe the story would have been best as a single film. After the first movie, two more – The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III – were released in 1997 and 2001. The franchise then went on hold for almost fifteen years before making a strong comeback.

The movie Jurassic World came out in 2015, reimagining the idea of a fully functioning dinosaur theme park. Like the original Jurassic Park from 1993, it was a huge box office success and led to more sequels. Four years ago, on June 10, 2022, Jurassic World Dominion was released, and it largely signaled the conclusion of the main storyline for the franchise.

Jurassic World Dominion Needed to Close a Chapter of Jurassic Park History

Look, everyone goes to see Jurassic Park for the dinosaurs, obviously! But what really stuck with me about the first movie, and even the early sequels, were the characters. Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant were fantastic. When they decided to reboot things with Jurassic World, though, they wisely brought in some new faces. Chris Pratt, who was really starting to become a big name after Guardians of the Galaxy, and Bryce Dallas Howard were perfect as the leads. They carried the story through all three Jurassic World films, and Dominion felt like a good place to wrap up their chapter.

The Jurassic World films were consistently successful at the box office – each of the first three movies earned over $1 billion. However, by the time Dominion was released, many felt it was time to end this chapter of the franchise. The films received increasingly negative reviews: Jurassic World scored a respectable 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Fallen Kingdom dropped to 47%, and Dominion landed at just 28%. Beyond the exciting dinosaur action, the World movies faced criticism for their storylines, especially as the sequels introduced elements like human cloning and insect plagues. While Jurassic Park wasn’t known for complex storytelling, it still delivered a compelling and thought-provoking narrative. The Jurassic World films, unfortunately, never reached that same level of satisfying depth.

One key reason for the shift in performance is that the new characters in Jurassic World didn’t resonate with audiences as strongly as the original trio of Grant, Malcolm, and Ellie Sattler. While Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing worked well enough for a big summer movie, they felt somewhat underdeveloped and lacked the depth to truly capture viewers’ interest (aside from Owen’s connection with the velociraptor Blue). Despite Jurassic World’s success at the box office, Universal seemed to realize the new characters weren’t fully connecting with fans, which is why they quickly brought back Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm in Fallen Kingdom as a way to tap into nostalgia. Even though Goldblum’s role in that film was small, marketing materials heavily emphasized his appearance to generate excitement.

With Dominion, the filmmakers really played on fans’ love for the original Jurassic Park by bringing back Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. This reunion felt like a farewell to the classic era of Jurassic Park, and it’s likely this was the last time those actors will lead a new Jurassic movie – which is probably a good thing, as franchises can’t rely on nostalgia forever. While it was enjoyable seeing the original cast back, Dominion unfortunately didn’t deliver the satisfying return that many fans hoped for, at least in terms of its story.

A New Era of Jurassic World Is Here (But What Is Its Future?)

Although Jurassic World Dominion concluded the story arc for the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World series, the franchise isn’t over. Because the films consistently earn over $1 billion globally, the studio quickly began working on a new installment. Last summer brought Jurassic World Rebirth, introducing a fresh group of characters facing off against dinosaurs. The filmmakers assembled a star-studded cast, including Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, Marvel star and Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson, and rising talent Jonathan Bailey. With Rogue One director Gareth Edwards leading the project, both in front of and behind the camera, the film boasts a highly skilled team.

Despite a fresh start, Jurassic World Rebirth faced similar challenges as other films in the series. Critics gave it mixed reviews, with a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes – a slight improvement over Dominion, but not a major success. The story was again considered the weakest part of the film, lacking depth and with characters who didn’t quite fit with the impressive visuals and large-scale settings (Edwards consistently excels at creating a sense of scale). Rebirth also earned $869.1 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing of the World films. While still profitable, this is a significant drop from the over $1 billion earned by previous installments.

Shortly after Jurassic World Rebirth came out, rumors started about a fifth movie with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and DeWanda Wise reprising their roles. However, Universal hasn’t officially confirmed a sequel, which suggests they’re taking their time. This cautious approach is probably a good thing. While the Jurassic Park franchise has always been profitable, it consistently needs a compelling story – something it’s struggled with since the first film. The filmmakers might be carefully developing a strong concept to revitalize the series. Rebirth did well in theaters, but some believe its success could also indicate audiences are starting to lose interest in the franchise.

It will be fascinating to see the future of the Jurassic World series. With the Fast & Furious franchise expected to conclude after Fast Forever in 2028, Universal Pictures will need another major, dependable franchise. Jurassic is a natural fit, so it’s likely the series will continue in some form. Hopefully, the next chapter will focus on stronger storytelling and create characters that audiences genuinely connect with, alongside the exciting action we’ve come to expect.

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2026-06-10 23:41