Jurassic World 4 Rebooting The Franchise Makes 1 Decision Already Very Confusing

Jurassic World 4 rebooting the franchise complicates one crucial decision. Despite all the profits it made at the box office, the Jurassic World trilogy is largely seen as a disappointment. The upcoming Jurassic World 4 looks to be an overhaul of the series, as it will not feature any of the original cast members from previous Jurassic Park and World movies. Instead, the next movie appears to be bringing in an entirely new cast of talented actors, including the likes of Mahershala Ali, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, and Luna Blaise.

Beyond the cast, the rebooting of the franchise will likely include a completely new storyline. With Jurassic World: Dominion‘s ending being somewhat conclusive, there’s no telling what the new movie will be about. Given the involvement of screenwriter David Koepp who co-wrote Spielberg’s 1993 original, the new Jurassic Park movie could return to its roots and reexamine Michael Crichton’s grim and foreboding story of corporate greed. Regardless of the direction it ultimately chooses, rebooting the franchise makes one decision very confusing.

Jurassic World 4 Being A Complete Reboot Means Its Title Doesn’t Work

It Suggests Some Sort Of Narrative Continuity

If Jurassic World 4 will be a total overhaul of the franchise, then it doesn’t make sense to call it part 4 of the existing Jurassic World trilogy. That title suggests that the upcoming movie will belong to the same world as the trilogy and have some sense of narrative continuation. However, the latest reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline confirm that the new movie will be a “complete reboot” and a “new Jurassic era.” Given the total replacement of the Jurassic World cast and the promises of a fresh story, it seems odd to refer to it as Jurassic World 4.

Jurassic World: Dominion Set Up The Perfect Franchise Retitle

It Could Be Retitled Jurassic Planet

The Jurassic World: Dominion ending set up an ideal new title for the franchise to continue. It all began with Jurassic Park, which explored the possibility of humans and dinosaurs coexisting within a national park and what this fully operational park could look like. 2015’s Jurassic World more or less recreated this premise with a new dinosaur park, but the subsequent films largely squandered this core idea. Instead, they expanded the scope of the story, with Jurassic World: Dominion concluding with dinosaurs roaming the world way beyond the park and coexisting with humans.

If Jurassic World 4 were to further develop this narrative with dinosaurs being loose and living across the planet, Jurassic Planet would make for a fitting replacement. This retitle would maintain the Jurassic branding but signify a deviation from the Jurassic World trilogy. It can broaden the stakes of the franchise to planetary level. However, the current news suggests Jurassic World 4 is more likely to turn inward and return to the original 1993 premise. Subsequent updates will clarify the direction this massive franchise will take.

Jurassic World 4

Jurassic World 4 is the seventh film in the Jurassic Park franchise and continues the story of Jurassic World: Dominion. Written by David Koepp, Jurassic World 4 will begin a new era for the Jurassic franchise.

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Writers

David Koepp

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline