Skip to main content

Coming 14 years after Jurassic Park III, anticipation for 2015’s Jurassic World was high. Even so, few expected the movie to become such a monster hit at the box office. It didn’t take long for sequel plans to get into motion. Now the third film in the relaunched series is set to tie up the trilogy arc on June 10, 2022. But will Jurassic World: Dominion also be the final film in the Jurassic Park franchise overall?

The front gate of Jurassic Park from the 1993 movie 'Jurassic Park'
Scene from Jurassic Park (Photo by Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ will finally hit theaters on June 10, 2022

After Jurassic World took the franchise back to basics, its sequel — 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — took it into a wild new direction. Director J.A. Bayona’s movie centered on the destruction of the island of Isla Nublar due to a volcanic eruption. And in the process, many of the dinosaurs did not survive the natural disaster. However, the second half of the movie reveals that the surviving dinos being sold off at an auction.

As it tends to, life ultimately finds a way to keep the franchise alive. In order to save them, the heroes — including Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing — release the remaining dinosaurs. The movie concludes with Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) cautioning against the co-existence of humanity and dinosaurs, welcoming moviegoers to “Jurassic world.” That’s where this third film picks up.

‘Jurassic World 3’ will mark the return of the original ‘Jurassic Park’ cast

From the beginning, director Colin Trevorrow has claimed he’s had a three-film arc in mind. The filmmaker started it off with Jurassic World and returns behind the camera to round it off with Jurassic World: Dominion. Though plot details remain mysterious, much of the reporting on the upcoming movie centers on its cast. In addition to Pratt and Howard, much of the original Jurassic Park cast will reunite for the first time since 1993.

Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Goldblum are all back in their respective roles, making Jurassic World: Dominion feel even more like an epic conclusion. But producer Frank Marshall told Collider the new movie — the sixth overall in the Jurassic Park franchise — won’t be the last in the franchise. Rather, Marshall said the film marks “the start of a new era,” hinting at the ramifications for the dinosaurs roaming the world freely.

Related

‘Jurassic Park’: Jeff Goldblum Beat Out Some Huge Stars to Play Ian Malcolm

Where could the franchise go after ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’?

Instead of bringing the Jurassic Park series to a definitive close, Jurassic World: Dominion could serve as the launchpad for a more wild future for the franchise. Much like Avengers: Endgame ended Marvel’s “Infinity saga,” the new movie could actually kick off the potential for a variety of stories set within the world of Jurassic Park. With six movies under its belt, the series could easily turn to any number of characters.

In any case, it’s likely Jurassic World: Dominion will still give some closure to the story Trevorrow started in 2015. It could very well be the final curtain call for Pratt and Howard’s characters. Or it might feature a heroic death scene for Neill, Dern, or — shudder — even Goldblum. At this point, anything is possible. But make no mistake, Jurassic Park fans: something from this series will survive.

Best in Entertainment