Gareth Edwards’Jurassic World Rebirthwill act asa soft reboot for the famous dinosaur franchise, but the direction that it’s moving in could bring it closer to Legendary’s Monsterverse than the originalJurassic Park. Edwards was actually the director responsible for kick-starting the Monsterverse with 2014’sGodzilla, which was hailed as a welcome reintroduction to Godzilla for the American film industry. Given Edwards' filmography, it was inevitable that there would be some influence present inJurassic World Rebirth.
The movie will star a brand-new cast of characters on a mission completely independent of the narrative of the precedingJurassic Worldtrilogy. Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey headline the cast, and will find themselves on a mission to take DNA samples from the largest dinosaurs left alive on Earth for the sake of a miracle medical advancement. However,the dinosaurs inJurassic World Rebirth, including what appears to bea new dinosaur hybrid, will inadvertently bring the franchise closer to the Monsterverse than the sci-fi movies that kicked it off.
The Jurassic World Rebirth Trailer Contains A Sneaky Godzilla Reference You May Have Missed
The first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth showcased several of the franchise’s new dinosaurs, and one may reference a one-time Godzilla enemy.
The Dinosaurs Are Almost Large Enough To Pass For Kaiju
The central premise ofJurassic World RebirthinvolvesScarlett Johnasson’s Zora Bennettleading a special expedition to a mysterious island, where Jonathan Bailey’s paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis means to extract DNA from the largest dinosaurs on land, in the sea, and in the air. The focus on ultra-large dinosaurs like the Titanosaurus, the Mosasaurus, and the Quetzalcoatlus is what makes the new movie reminiscent of Legendary’s Godzilla and Kong-based Monsterverse movies. The dinosaurs on display are almost large enough to fit in with the kaiju of the Monsterverse, as if they wereborrowing from Kong’s Skull Islanditself.
The new massive hybrid dinosaur also seems more like an awe-inspiring monster from the Hollow Earth than a realistic representation of a creature that used to live on the Earth. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to fit in with an exciting and successful franchise like the Monsterverse, to be clear. However, it remains to be seen if it still feels like aJurassic ParkorJurassic Worldmovie with those elements so prevalent.
Jurassic World Rebirth’s Action Focus Also Brings It Closer To The Monsterverse Than Jurassic Park 1993
The Movie Appears Poised To Focus On Large-Scale Action Scenes
Gareth Edwards' originalGodzillawas far more grounded than the most recent entry in the Monsterverse,Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, which almost felt like a superhero movie given the large-scale action sequences that pervaded the narrative. Therefore it’s possible thatJurassic World Rebirthhas a similar feel, where the majesty of the dinosaurs takes over and moments are given time to breathe. However, theJurassic World Rebirthtrailermakes it seem like large-scale action set pieces will be a big part of the movie.
1993
$63 million
$1.058 billion
91%
1997
$73 million
$618.6 million
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52%
2001
$93 million
$368.8 million
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2015
$150-$215 million
$1.671 billion
72%
78%
2018
$432 million
$1.31 billion
47%
48%
2022
$265 million
$1.004 billion
29%
77%
For example, one of the big scenes highlighted in the trailer occurs with the main characters on a boat being stalked by three spinosauruses, which are apparently helping the ultra-massive aquatic predator, the mosasaurus, hunt their vessel. That scene breaks down immediately into the spinosauruses assaulting the boat, and the mosasaurus breaching right next to the boat, with the danger and urgency emphasized. If that scene and several others in the trailer are any indication,Jurassic World Rebirthwill be heavy with action like the later Monsterverse movies.
Jurassic World Rebirth Feeling More Like A Monsterverse Movie Than A Jurassic Park Movie Isn’t A Good Thing
It Should Still Take Notes From The Monsterverse’s Success
There is no reason why the new iteration of theJurassic Worldfranchise shouldn’t take some cues from the Monsterverse, as audiences enjoy those movies and they’re a lot of fun. However, ifJurassic World Rebirthis to be successful in the long-term, it needs to establish its own identity independent of the Monsterverse, which is currently showing no signs of slowing down. The best way to do that would be to restore the vibes of the originalJurassic Parkmovies, in which the spectacle wasn’t action or the incredible size of the dinosaurs.
Ideally, the fact that Edwards and the team behind the movie are envisioning it as a fresh start for the franchise, they won’t dive headlong into monsters and chase scenes right away.
With the action ofJurassic World Rebirthlargely taking place on what is supposedly the research island facility for the original park, there is plenty of opportunity to introduce the new elements (like the hybrid dinosaurs) while focusing on the quieter moments that made the originalJurassic Parkso appealing. Ideally, the fact that Edwards and the team behind the movie are envisioning it as a fresh start for the franchise, they won’t dive headlong into monsters and chase scenes right away. No matter what,Jurassic World Rebirthneeds to feel like aJurassic Parkmovie, first and foremost.
