Gareth Edwards, the director of the newly released Jurassic World Rebirth, has voiced concerns about audience interest in dinosaurs, suggesting that the novelty may be wearing off. This admission comes amidst mixed reviews and a lukewarm reception for the film, which premiered in London on June 17th. Edwards' comments reflect a broader challenge facing the Jurassic Park franchise: how to maintain audience engagement after nearly three decades of dinosaur-centric films.
Edwards told GamesRadar+ that Jurassic World Rebirth attempts to address this potential "dinosaur fatigue" by offering something "new and fresh". The film is set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, in a world where dinosaurs no longer roam freely but exist in isolated pockets due to climate change, disease, and declining public interest. The story revolves around Île Saint-Hubert, a remote Caribbean island and former Jurassic Park testing site, now a forbidden zone inhabited by dinosaurs. A team led by Scarlett Johansson's character, Zora Bennett, is sent to the island to extract dino DNA for a pharmaceutical company, encountering mutated dinosaurs and uncovering a hidden secret.
According to Edwards, incorporating the audience's potential disinterest in dinosaurs into the film's narrative was an "honest beginning". By acknowledging this perceived fatigue, the film attempts to create a story that goes beyond the typical dinosaur spectacle. Instead, Jurassic World Rebirth focuses on themes of corporate greed, scientific intrigue, and the consequences of humanity's actions. The film also stars Jonathan Bailey as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis and Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid.
Despite Edwards' efforts to inject new life into the franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth has received a mixed response from critics. Some reviewers have noted that the film struggles to capture the magic of the original 1993 Jurassic Park, with jokes falling flat and characters lacking depth. Caralynn Matassa from CBR stated that the movie tries and fails to recreate the magic of the originals. Edwards himself admitted to approaching the script with a negative mindset initially.
However, Jurassic World Rebirth had a strong opening day, grossing $30.5 million domestically, with predictions of reaching $133.5 million over its first five days. The film's success will likely depend on whether it can connect with audiences through its characters and themes, offering more than just dinosaur action.
Interestingly, Edwards' experience directing Jurassic World Rebirth has also sparked his interest in the real-world possibility of de-extincting dinosaurs. He recently visited Colossal Labs, a company that successfully resurrected the dire wolf, and learned that dinosaur de-extinction might be possible within the next 100 years. While scientists like Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm acknowledge that retrieving dino DNA is impossible due to its degradation in amber, they believe that advanced genetic tools could potentially create "dinosaur equivalents" in the future. Edwards jokingly stated that the T-Rex should be the first dinosaur to be resurrected because "It's also gonna go very wrong".
