I know what you’re saying… “Dan, why haven’t you given us a random lowdown on your thoughts on the new Jurassic-franchise film?” Well, wonder no longer… because here we go!

Jurassic World Rebirth is already an interesting, if maybe very specific, title for the Jurassic ‘world’ – not only quite literally indicating something new, but it really does feel like they’re stating it for any audiences they may have felt they’ve lost. And, to be fair, they’ve put together a hell of a team in this attempt with Gareth Edwards as director, a man who’s previously been behind some of my favourite films of the last 10 years such as 2014’s Godzilla, the exceptional Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and last year’s epic The Creator – which deserves more love… which may come in time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jurassic World (@jurassicworld)

As well as Edwards on board, David Koepp who definitely knows how to write ‘big’ screen films, with his name previously on the original Jurassic Park, plus the likes of 1996’s Mission: Impossible, War of the Worlds, Spider-Man, and a whole host more – and while his success hasn’t quite hit the levels he once did, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have genre-wide experience on the biggest level. Because he definitely does.

And then we hit the cast, and it’s going big with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Luna Blaise, Rupert Friend, David Iacono, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein, and Bechir Sylvain to name a selection. With Johansson, Bailey and Ali leading the way, that’s a hell of a trio for a summer blockbuster, with a pull right across the genres as well – in a franchise that should hopefully come back to life.

I very much enjoyed Jurassic World, I really wasn’t sure what type of film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was trying to be, and actually liked the Extended Edition of Jurassic World: Dominion a LOT (read my review) more than the theatrical one – it also makes a lot more sense & I don’t know why it wasn’t release in that way. But, anyway, it’s time for JW4 – and we’ve got the first few pictures, and even an official synopsis, which makes me think Universal Pictures are pretty happy with what’s to come:

“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. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.”

As ever it’s a summer release film, so Jurassic World Rebirth opens in July 2025 and even Mr Steven Spielberg is exec producing with Amblin Entertainment – I’ll see you at the movies!