2025's summer movie season roars into prehistoric territory 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. Even with the impressive talent, including the return of original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, the trailer's premise feels like a step back for the franchise. Where's the globally-spanning dinosaur world promised by Fallen Kingdom and teased again in Dominion?

Let's dissect the trailer and explore why the Jurassic World series seems to be missing a huge opportunity.

The Jurassic World trilogy, while receiving mixed critical reviews, remains a consistently lucrative blockbuster franchise. Global audiences adore dinosaurs, and even with Universal's initial plan to retire the original World trilogy cast, more dinosaur-fueled blockbusters were inevitable. The studio swiftly assembled a new cast and crew, with director Gareth Edwards (known for Godzilla and Rogue One) being a particularly exciting addition. Edwards' skill in conveying scale in VFX-heavy films, coupled with his CGI background, makes him ideally suited for this type of project.

The trailer showcases impressive dinosaur visuals; Edwards' attention to detail in lighting and proportions elevates the film above many recent underwhelming blockbusters. His achievement is even more remarkable given the compressed production schedule (hired February 2024, production began June 2024). While the trailer doesn't offer extensive character introductions, the action sequences look promising, and the plentiful dinosaur screen time is a welcome sight. (Remember the locusts from Jurassic World Dominion? No? We don't blame you.)

Despite cautious optimism, the trailer's biggest drawback is its apparent disregard for the "world of dinosaurs" concept teased since Fallen Kingdom's conclusion. This omission looms large.

Island Bound, Again?!

The familiar refrain: another island teeming with dinosaurs. Neither Isla Nublar nor Isla Sorna, but a mysterious third location, Jurassic World: Rebirth is set on an island described as "the research facility for the original Jurassic Park." Ignoring the canon inconsistencies, the film retreats to the franchise's established formula—a tropical island populated by dinosaurs isolated from civilization. Why revisit this trope when the previous trilogy concluded with dinosaurs spread across the globe? Universal's official 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 invest in building a "Jurassic World" only to abandon it? Similar to Dominion's retconning of Fallen Kingdom's ending, Rebirth discards the series' best new idea—dinosaurs roaming the world—in favor of a familiar setting. This creative choice is baffling, especially considering Rebirth aims to relaunch the franchise with new characters and concepts. The established lore is also compromised. Dominion depicted dinosaurs thriving in diverse environments, from snowy regions to urban areas. If the world was so inhospitable, why did they fare so well in the previous film? The Malta chase sequence in Dominion, showcasing carnivores in a city, was arguably the film's best and most innovative scene.

The Jurassic franchise is a Hollywood sure bet; audiences crave dinosaurs. Why not embrace risk and explore uncharted territory, potentially unlocking new dimensions?

The Jurassic franchise is a Hollywood sure bet; why not take a chance and do something truly different with this series?

While Jurassic World: Rebirth might hold surprises beyond the initial trailer (the rumored original title, Jurassic City, suggests a different setting), the franchise needs to move beyond the tired tropical island motif. A complete Planet of the Apes dinosaur overhaul might be excessive, but surely a middle ground exists for showcasing dinosaurs in fresh environments. Ultimately, Jurassic World: Rebirth's success hinges on whether the franchise finally prioritizes innovation over recycling old ideas.

Jurassic World: Rebirth - Trailer 1 Stills

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