There are moments where time seems to move faster than we realize. One moment we’re heralding the arrival of the 2024 movie schedule, and the next, a surprise Jurassic World follow-up is being announced to the public. As it turns out, those previous reports stating the project was further along than anyone had known are more true than anyone could have imagined.
That’s thanks to a new release date being mentioned, as well as an action heavyweight apparently being lined up for the director’s chair. According to an update reported by Deadline, director David Leitch is being considered for the seventh movie in the Jurassic Universe.
A veteran of films like John Wick, but also a franchise director through projects such as Deadpool 2 and Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbes & Shaw, the former stunt performer-turned-filmmaker is admittedly a break from tradition. But that’s exactly what makes this early news so much fun to discuss, for better or worse. This is especially true considering Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp is the scribe behind the current version of the story.
Thanks to David Leitch’s more action-driven credentials, and with a potential new cast of characters ready to venture into the aftermath of the Jurassic World trilogy, this could mean some exciting things about the future. Maybe we’ll get a high octane installment where the Dangerous Species Division introduced in Jurassic World Dominion heads further into the world of dinosaur trafficking and smuggling.
Or, for all we know, there could be an absolutely crazy draft of this next Jurassic chapter that makes a huge left turn into unknown territory. It’s hard to look at times of great mystery and speculation such as this and not think of the time we had a Jurassic Park 4 that almost starred human/Raptor hybrids. Oh yes, that almost happened, and you can find those details pretty readily if you search for the history of would-be sequels to one of the best sci-fi movies ever.
Overall, it feels like a net positive to have David Letich being considered as a director for whatever follows Jurassic World Dominion. Much like the decision to hire Colin Trevorrow as the director/mastermind for the trilogy we saw wrap up in 2022, this is a move that isn’t safe or predictable. I remain excited about this decision because, as far as I’m concerned, it worked out rather well the last time. Let chaos theory reign again, Universal!
The next Jurassic era is also looking to hit theaters on July 2, 2025. In the meantime, you can catch director David Leitch’s next film, The Fall Guy, in theaters when it debuts on May 1st. If you need any inspiration for how this new dino adventure could turn out, then I suggest you watch the trailer for The Fall Guy and try not to imagine Ryan Gosling sassing a Velociraptor in the wild. See, aren’t you already more excited?