Five years have passed since the dinosaurs supposedly took over our cities in Dominion, but honestly? Most of them didn't make it. The planet's climate just wasn't having it. Most of those "de-extinct" animals died off, leaving only a few clusters struggling to survive in humid, equatorial "exclusion zones." That is the bleak starting point for Jurassic World Rebirth, and it’s a massive tonal shift from the theme-park-gone-wrong vibes we've lived with for decades.
If you're expecting another movie where Chris Pratt talks to raptors, you’re in for a shock. This isn't that. This is a gritty, survivalist nightmare directed by Gareth Edwards—the guy who gave us the scale of Godzilla and the "boots-on-the-ground" tension of Rogue One. He’s teaming up with David Koepp, the original screenwriter of the 1993 Jurassic Park, to strip the franchise back to its horror roots.
Basically, the "rebirth" isn't about the dinosaurs. It's about whether the franchise can actually be scary again.
The Mission: Big Pharma and Failed Experiments
The story centers on Zora Bennett, played by Scarlett Johansson. She’s not a park ranger or a scientist. She’s a covert ops expert. You’ve probably seen the marketing—she’s been hired by a pharmaceutical executive named Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) to lead a team into a remote island research facility.
The goal? DNA. Specifically, genetic material from the "three most colossal creatures" left on the planet across land, sea, and air. Apparently, their DNA holds the key to a drug that could cure cardiovascular disease.
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It sounds like a standard corporate thriller, but it gets messy fast. Zora’s team, which includes her right-hand man Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) and a somewhat neurotic paleontologist named Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), ends up shipwrecked after a Mosasaurus attack. They aren't alone, though. They have to rescue the Delgados, a civilian family whose vacation went south in the worst way possible.
Why these dinosaurs look... wrong
One of the most unsettling things about Jurassic World Rebirth is the "Distortus Rex." Look, we all love the T-Rex, but this isn't the noble queen of Isla Nublar. Producer Frank Marshall has been pretty open about the fact that the dinosaurs on this island are "failed early iterations" left behind by InGen. They are essentially genetic leftovers that were never meant to be seen.
The Distortus Rex is a six-limbed, deformed hybrid that looks like something out of a Ridley Scott movie. It’s gross. It’s scary. It’s also a reminder that the "science" in these movies has always been a little bit "mad scientist" at heart. We also see "Mutadons"—winged terrors that make the Pteranodons from the previous films look like pigeons.
Where was Jurassic World Rebirth actually filmed?
To get that "primeval" look, the production avoided the usual Hawaiian locations. They went to Thailand. Specifically, they shot in Krabi’s Khao Phanom Bencha National Park and the Ao Luek District. The limestone karsts and dense, humid jungles give the movie a sense of claustrophobia that a flat beach just can't manage.
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- Thailand: Used for the fictional "Ile Saint-Hubert" (Site C).
- Malta: Home to those massive water tanks for the Mosasaurus shipwreck scenes.
- London: The University of Greenwich stood in for a New York museum.
- Hertfordshire: Sky Studios Elstree was used for the more complex interior sets, like the abandoned InGen bunkers.
They even used the Lee Valley White Water Centre in the UK for a sequence where the Delgado family is chased down rapids by a T-Rex. It’s a clever mix of real-world grit and studio control.
What people are getting wrong about the timeline
There is a lot of confusion about where this fits. Is it a reboot? No. Is it a sequel? Sorta. It’s a "standalone sequel" set five years after Dominion. This means the events of the previous movies happened, but you don't need to have seen them to understand what's going on.
Honestly, the movie feels more like a spiritual successor to the original 1993 film than anything else. Jonathan Bailey’s character, Dr. Henry Loomis, even hints at a "history" with Dr. Alan Grant. It’s those little connective tissues that keep the fans happy while the movie tries to do something entirely new.
The big "hidden" discovery
The official synopsis mentions a "sinister, shocking discovery" that’s been hidden for decades. While the movie leans heavily into the pharmaceutical mission, the real meat of the story is what they find in those old InGen labs. It’s not just about making medicine. It’s about the fact that InGen was messing with things far worse than a standard raptor long before John Hammond ever invited guests to his park.
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The movie manages to stay around 133 minutes, which is a decent length for a survival thriller. It doesn't overstay its welcome with too many subplots about locusts or international black markets. It keeps the focus on the island, the team, and the things hunting them.
Your Jurassic World Rebirth checklist
If you're planning to catch this, or if you've already seen it and are looking for more, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Watch the original first. You don’t need to, but the parallels Koepp draws between Zora Bennett and the original characters are much clearer if you do.
- Look for the Easter eggs. The "Van Dyke" bar scene is packed with Spielberg references, including a nod to Jaws.
- Check out "The Creator". If you like the visual style of this movie, Gareth Edwards' previous film will show you why he was hired for this job.
- Keep an eye on the box office. With a budget of around $200 million and a gross of over $869 million, this "Rebirth" has definitely secured the franchise's future for at least another decade.
The movie proves that you don't need a theme park to have a Jurassic story. You just need a few people, a very dangerous island, and the realization that humans are rarely the ones at the top of the food chain.
Next steps for your viewing experience:
Check the official Jurassic World website for the "Behind the Scenes" featurette on the creation of the Distortus Rex. It explains how they used practical animatronics combined with CGI to create that unsettling, jittery movement that makes the creature so much scarier than a standard T-Rex. You should also look up the filming locations in Krabi if you're planning a trip to Thailand; many of the beaches are actually accessible to tourists.