Creative differences prompt Gareth Edwards to quit Jurassic World Rebirth sequel

Bit of a wobble on the Jurassic World Rebirth sequel front: director Gareth Edwards, who only just resurrected the dino franchise, is already off the project. Turns out, Universal and Edwards have parted ways over 'creative differences' — a phrase that always means more meetings than anyone wanted and some fairly blunt emails about CGI velociraptors. The studio's now scrambling to find a replacement. Meanwhile, Edwards is off focusing on original films, presumably with fewer T. rexes and much less studio interference.

In a statement to Deadline, Universal said: 'We had an incredible experience working with Gareth on Jurassic World Rebirth.'

The Dinosaur Roster

For anyone worried the whole thing's collapsing: it's not. The as-yet-untitled sequel is still ticking along, and Universal hasn’t blinked over Edwards’ exit. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali are all expected back, so you'll get the same heroes running away from differently-coloured dinosaurs. David Koepp (he wrote the last one) is on script duties again. And at time of writing, the studio aims to start production in 2027—assuming they can line up a new director in time.

Universal plans to kick off filming for the next Jurassic World in 2027.

Why Another Sequel Was Always On the Cards

If you saw Jurassic World Rebirth take over cinemas in 2025, you won't be shocked it's getting another go. Johansson, Bailey, and Ali fronted an all-new reboot of the franchise and the film absolutely cleaned up: $872 million worldwide, $340 million of that in the US alone. One of the highest-grossing movies of its year, not that Universal needs much encouragement to churn out another. Early talk of a sequel popped up almost immediately, with Edwards entering negotiations to return while Rebirth was still pulling in box office receipts. No massive surprise that those discussions fizzled out once the last marketing push was over.

Directors: A Rotating Door

Changing directors in the Jurassic series is almost tradition at this point. Steven Spielberg kicked things off with the original Jurassic Park and The Lost World before stepping aside for Joe Johnston on Jurassic Park III. Then came the Colin Trevorrow era, followed by J.A. Bayona for Fallen Kingdom, and Trevorrow’s return for Dominion. Edwards was just the latest new hand for Rebirth’s soft reboot. Throughout all this, Spielberg and Frank Marshall have stayed on as executive producers — basically Jurassic's version of National Trust custodians, keeping the estate in order while others mess about in the garden shed.

Creative Differences: Not a First

For those keeping score, Edwards isn’t even the first would-be Jurassic director to walk away. Before he signed on, David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) was circling the director's chair for Rebirth. He and producing partner Kelly McCormick bailed for the usual 'creative vision' reasons, which is Hollywood for 'we’d rather risk bankruptcy with our own thing.' Leitch later pointed out they’re drawn to original material whenever studios are actually willing to back it instead of another branded blockbuster. After that, Universal called up Edwards — a logical pick if you want big creatures stomping about — thanks to his stint with Godzilla, Star Wars, and The Creator. Now it’s back to the director search board.

• Gareth Edwards exits Jurassic World Rebirth sequel
• Universal is eyeing a 2027 production start
• Main cast (Johansson, Bailey, Ali) and writer (Koepp) are all expected back
• David Leitch nearly directed the previous film, but left for 'creative' reasons

Who Takes Over Next?

No word yet on who Universal might hand the Jurassic keys to, but they’ve got time. Whoever it is, they’ll inherit a healthy box office, a franchise where the actual plot no longer needs to make sense, and the unenviable job of following Edwards’ well-received reboot. Maybe it’ll be an old Jurassic hand, or maybe someone entirely new who enjoys herding CGI dinosaurs and egos alike.