So, the dinosaurs are back. Again. But if you’re expecting another repeat of the high-tech theme park disasters or Chris Pratt riding a motorcycle through a forest of raptors, you're in for a bit of a shock. Honestly, the buzz around Jurassic World Rebirth—the latest installment that hit theaters in July 2025—has been a mix of "finally, something different" and "wait, where are the old characters?"
It’s been a minute since Jurassic World Dominion tried to wrap things up with that whole "dinosaurs living among us" vibe. This new movie basically hits the reset button. It isn't a reboot in the sense that they’re erasing the past, but it is a standalone sequel that shifts the focus entirely. We're talking five years after Dominion, and the world is kind of a mess for our prehistoric friends.
Why the Jurassic World New Movie Ditched the Legacy Cast
The biggest question everyone keeps asking is: where are Owen and Claire? Or better yet, where are Grant, Sattler, and Malcolm?
They aren't here. Period.
Universal decided to go with an "embarrassment of riches" when it comes to the new cast, led by Scarlett Johansson. She plays Zora Bennett, a covert ops expert who’s basically burnt out on life until a big pharma company (ParkerGenix) waves a massive paycheck and a "world-saving" mission in her face. Joining her is Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid—think a "barnacle-rough" leader who gives off major Quint from Jaws vibes—and Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis, a paleontologist who probably didn't sign up for a gunfight.
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The chemistry between Johansson and Ali is actually one of the high points. It’s not just action; they have these unexpectedly emotional scenes that make you actually care if they get eaten. Gareth Edwards, the director behind Rogue One and Godzilla, was clearly trying to bring back that grounded, "people in over their heads" feel from the 1993 original.
The Plot: It’s Not About Saving the Dinosaurs Anymore
In Jurassic World Rebirth, the planet’s ecology has turned toxic for the dinosaurs. Most of them have died off. The survivors are huddled around the equator in these tropical "exclusion zones" because the climate there actually matches the Mesozoic era.
The mission is simple, or at least it's supposed to be: Zora’s team has to get DNA samples from the three biggest creatures on land, sea, and air. Why? Because their genetics supposedly hold the key to a miracle drug for human cardiovascular disease. It’s a bit of a "nature vs. greed" story, especially with Rupert Friend playing the corporate suit, Martin Krebs.
Things get complicated when they run into the Delgado family—a group of civilians shipwrecked on the island. Suddenly, it’s not just a heist; it’s a rescue mission. They end up stranded on an island that was once an "undisclosed research facility" for the original Jurassic Park. Yeah, the nostalgia is there, but it’s buried under a lot of grime and overgrown jungle.
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What's the Deal with the "New" Dinosaurs?
Gareth Edwards has a very specific style. He loves scale. He loves making things look massive and terrifying.
In this Jurassic World new movie, the dinosaurs don't look like the polished, genetically "perfect" versions from the earlier World trilogy. Veteran producer Frank Marshall revealed that these are actually failed, early iterations left behind by InGen. They’re a little different. A little scarier. The fans have been obsessing over the "D-Rex" and some mutant variations that show up in the final act.
Filming in Thailand really helped the visuals. They used real locations like the Emerald Cave and Sunset Beach to stand in for the fictional Ile Saint-Hubert. It looks tangible. It doesn’t feel like the actors are just standing in front of a green screen in London—even though, fun fact, they did build massive sets at Sky Studios Elstree for the interior research facility stuff.
Critical Reception and the $869 Million Reality
Look, critics were kind of split on this one. Some loved the return to the survival-thriller roots, while others thought David Koepp’s script (yep, the original Jurassic Park writer) was a bit "stitched together."
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But the box office doesn't lie. Jurassic World Rebirth pulled in over $869 million globally. It was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2025. People still want to see dinosaurs, especially when they're being chased by a T-Rex through the rapids of a tropical river—a scene that was actually filmed at a white-water center in the UK because Thailand's rivers weren't "rappy" enough.
Navigating the Future of the Franchise
If you missed it in theaters, the movie started streaming on Peacock in October 2025. And for those wondering if this was a one-and-done deal, think again. With the massive box office numbers, there are already reports that Gareth Edwards is in talks to return for another one, continuing Zora Bennett’s story.
If you’re planning to catch up on the franchise or dive into the lore of the new film, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the original 1993 film first: Rebirth is a "love letter" to Spielberg’s first movie, and there are tons of small Easter eggs, like an "Amity Island" license plate tucked away in a beach bar.
- Pay attention to the pharmaceutical subplot: The company ParkerGenix isn't just a plot device; the "miracle drug" angle sets up a lot of the conflict for where the series might go next.
- Look for the "lost scenes": David Koepp included sequences in the script that were actually taken directly from Michael Crichton’s original 1990 novel but were never filmed until now.
- Check out the Thailand travel guides: If you're a hardcore fan, places like Hat Chao Mai National Park are now major tourist spots because of the filming, and they're actually accessible to the public.
Basically, the era of the "Dinosaur Superhero" is over. We're back to being the prey. It’s a bit messy, it’s definitely loud, but it’s the most "Jurassic" the series has felt in a long time.