The Jurassic World Rebirth sequel has hit its first major hurdle. According to Deadline, director Gareth Edwards is no longer attached to helm the next installment in Universal and Amblin’s dinosaur franchise, with the filmmaker reportedly departing the project due to creative differences. The report states that Universal has already begun searching for a replacement director, while Edwards shifts his attention to original projects currently in development.
In a statement provided to Deadline, the studio said:
“We had an incredible experience working with Gareth on Jurassic World Rebirth.”
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Despite the behind-the-scenes shake-up, the sequel itself appears to remain firmly on track. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali are all expected to reprise their roles from Jurassic World Rebirth, with David Koepp returning after writing the previous film. The current plan is reportedly to begin production in 2027.
Universal’s decision to move ahead with another installment comes as little surprise. Released in 2025, Jurassic World Rebirth successfully relaunched the franchise with an all-new cast led by Johansson, Bailey, and Ali. The film went on to earn $872 million worldwide, including $340 million domestically, making it one of the year’s biggest box office successes and all but guaranteeing another trip back to dinosaur territory.
News that a sequel was in development first surfaced last year, with reports indicating that Edwards had entered negotiations to return after steering the franchise reboot. At the time, the filmmaker suggested no concrete conversations had taken place while Rebirth was still making its theatrical run, saying the priority was simply to make the best standalone film possible before discussing future installments. Those negotiations now appear to have broken down.
While losing a director is never ideal, it’s also nothing new for the Jurassic franchise. Since Steven Spielberg launched the series with Jurassic Park in 1993, the franchise has regularly reinvented itself with new filmmakers. Spielberg directed the first two films before handing the reins to Joe Johnston for Jurassic Park III. Years later, Colin Trevorrow launched the Jurassic World trilogy, with J.A. Bayona directing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom before Trevorrow returned for Dominion. Edwards then took over for Jurassic World Rebirth, which introduced an entirely new group of characters.
Throughout those changes, the franchise’s constants have remained Steven Spielberg, who continues to executive produce through Amblin Entertainment, and producer Frank Marshall, both of whom have overseen the series since its inception.
Interestingly, Gareth Edwards isn’t the first filmmaker to part ways with this era of the Jurassic franchise over creative differences. Before Edwards signed on to direct Jurassic World Rebirth, David Leitch (The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) was in negotiations to helm the film. However, he ultimately exited the project, with reports at the time saying the split was amicable and stemmed from different creative visions for the movie.
Leitch later confirmed that he and producing partner Kelly McCormick were tempted by the opportunity to join one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises but ultimately decided their priority was pursuing original projects whenever possible.
“If we jump into IP or a franchise, it’s got to be the right one at the right moment for all the right reasons,” McCormick explained. “We were very seduced by the amazing franchise that Jurassic is. But it’s harder and harder to make originals, and we just felt like, ‘If they go away, let’s try to make originals as much as possible as quickly as possible.'”
Leitch added:
“When you see an opportunity for material that’s original that you like that a studio is going to support and finance, we want to keep pushing for that.”
Universal then turned to Gareth Edwards, whose experience on Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and The Creator made him a natural fit to relaunch the dinosaur franchise.
Now, Universal once again finds itself searching for a director.
Universal hasn’t announced any potential candidates, so speculation is likely to begin immediately. With production reportedly targeting 2027, the studio has time to find a filmmaker capable of continuing the story introduced in Rebirth while putting their own stamp on the long-running franchise. Whoever lands the job will inherit a successful reboot, a returning ensemble cast, and one of Hollywood’s most valuable blockbuster properties. For now, the biggest question surrounding the sequel isn’t whether it’s happening, it’s who will be calling the shots behind the camera.
Are you disappointed that Gareth Edwards won’t be returning for the Jurassic World Rebirth sequel? Who would you like to see direct the next chapter? Let us know in the comments.