The dinosaurs are ready to roam once again.
Gareth Edwards is in talks to direct Universal’s latest installment of the Jurassic World franchise and to step into shoes that were worn, if ever so briefly, by Bullet Train filmmaker David Leitch.
Universal and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners are moving as fast as hungry velociraptors on the project and have set a July 2, 2025, release date for the creature feature, making it a hot go project.
Leitch, who directed the studio’s upcoming Fall Guy action-adventure movie, was in talks in early February to helm the project, but just days later, the two sides parted ways. It became clear to Leitch that his creative input would be minimal due to the project’s fast-tracked status and because the producers wanted to wield a stronger hand after the experiences of Jurassic World: Dominion. This would also have minimized the participation of his producing partner and wife, Kelly McCormick. The new Jurassic already is several drafts in, with a script written by David Koepp.
After Leitch fell off, the studio and producers put on their safari hats to wade into the jungles of Hollywood to find a filmmaker who was experienced with big studio productions, who could accept that the role would be more shooter than auteur, and oh yeah, had to be available quickly, as the studio is intent on commencing production in June. Universal had a very short list on its hands, but Edwards quickly rose to the top.
Edwards knows his ways around creature features thanks to his breakout indie Monsters and subsequent studio debut, Godzilla, which launched Legendary’s Monsterverse a decade ago. He’s already weathered one tumultuous production thanks to his experience on Star Wars movie Rogue One. And he’s a special effect wiz good with budgets, demonstrated most recently with last year’s original sci-fi thriller, The Creator, which starred John David Washington and though it was made for $80 million, looked like it cost much more.
The new installment of the three-decade-long franchise is being executive produced by Spielberg through Amblin Entertainment, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley producing through Kennedy-Marshall.
Edwards is repped by WME, Range Media, and Curtis Brown in the U.K.
