"Jurassic World's Rebirth Trailer Falls Short of Franchise Promises"

The summer movie season of 2025 is taking a thrilling turn back to the Mesozoic era with the release of the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. As the seventh installment in the iconic Jurassic Park franchise and the inaugural film of a "new era" following the conclusion of the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard-led trilogy with Jurassic World Dominion, this latest entry is helmed by acclaimed director Gareth Edwards. Boasting a fresh ensemble cast featuring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, and with the return of original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, expectations were sky-high. However, the trailer's glimpse into the film's premise has left fans questioning whether this new chapter is truly advancing the saga. Where is the promised world of dinosaurs that was teased in Fallen Kingdom and hinted at again in Dominion?

Let's dive into what the trailer reveals and conceals, and explore why the Jurassic World series might be overlooking its most exciting potential.

The Jurassic World trilogy received a mixed reception from critics, yet it remains one of the most financially successful franchises at the global box office over the last decade. Dinosaurs continue to captivate audiences worldwide, and despite the retirement of the original trilogy's cast, Universal was quick to greenlight more dino adventures. The choice of Gareth Edwards, known for his work on 2014's Godzilla and Rogue One, as the director for this new chapter is particularly noteworthy. Edwards' mastery in depicting scale in VFX-heavy blockbusters, coupled with his CGI expertise, sets him apart from many directors transitioning from indie or smaller-scale projects to big-budget films.

The trailer showcases the dinosaurs in stunning motion, with Edwards' meticulous attention to detail in proportions and lighting elevating the visual quality far above many recent unsightly blockbusters. Remarkably, he achieved this on a tight schedule, being hired in February 2024 and starting production by June. While the trailer doesn't give us much insight into the new characters, the action sequences promise plenty of dinosaur screen time, a feature not always guaranteed in previous entries. Remember the forgettable evil locusts from Jurassic World Dominion? Exactly.

Despite these promising elements, the absence of the "world of dinosaurs" concept, teased since Fallen Kingdom, looms large over the trailer, akin to an erupting volcano.

Here we go again: another island teeming with dinosaurs. This time, it's not Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna, but a mysterious third location dubbed "the research facility for the original Jurassic Park." This setting seems to contradict established canon and feels like a retreat to the franchise's traditional tropical island backdrop, isolated from modern civilization. After the previous trilogy concluded with dinosaurs roaming the globe, why revert to this familiar setting? According to Universal's official synopsis, "Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived."

While this explanation might hold up, it feels like an unnecessary step back. Why build up the idea of a literal Jurassic World in the previous trilogy only to abandon it? Just as Dominion scaled back Fallen Kingdom's ending to confine dinosaur action to a secluded preserve in the Italian Alps, Rebirth now discards the best new idea the series has seen in years: dinosaurs overrunning the world. This choice seems particularly odd when trying to relaunch the franchise with fresh characters and concepts while clinging to the same old island setting.

Moreover, this new direction doesn't align well with the established lore from previous films. Dominion showed dinosaurs thriving in various global environments, from snow-covered regions to bustling cities. If the world was so inhospitable, why did they appear to adapt so well in the last movie? The Malta chase sequence, showcasing carnivores rampaging through an urban setting, was one of the most inventive scenes in Dominion. The Jurassic franchise is a reliable hit in Hollywood; audiences will always want to see dinosaurs. So, why not seize the opportunity to explore new and uncharted territories?

The Jurassic franchise has long been a safe bet in Hollywood. Why not take a chance and push the boundaries of this series to unlock new possibilities? Of course, it's possible that Jurassic World Rebirth has more surprises in store than what's shown in the initial trailer. There were even rumors that the movie was initially titled Jurassic City, suggesting a different setting that the trailer might be concealing. Regardless, it's high time for the Jurassic franchise to break free from the tropical island motif. While we're not advocating for a full-blown Planet of the Apes-style dinosaur takeover (though that could be interesting), there must be a middle ground to showcase dinosaurs in novel environments. As we await the release of Jurassic World Rebirth, we hope the franchise will embrace the chance to explore fresh ideas instead of rehashing the old.

Jurassic World Rebirth - Trailer 1 Stills

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