Here's What Universal Should Do With The Jurassic World Franchise After Dominion
After seven years, the "Jurassic World" trilogy is finally coming to a close with 2022's "Jurassic World Dominion," which sees Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) race around the world to save baby Velociraptor, Beta, from a nefarious corporation. Colin Trevorrow returns to the director's chair for the latest chapter of dino-mayhem, and he even brings Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) back for the ride. It's incredibly fun to see the new school mix with the original gang toward the end of the film as their respective storylines collide in the action-packed finale.
But the film does have a few issues which are all to do with its disjointed, messy plot that crams in too much about scheming corporations, as well as its tech-bro villain, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). Yes, Dodgson finally gets the spotlight after scheming with Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) in the original 1993 adventure. Critics are already divided on whether the film is the worst in the franchise, or if it has some of the best action sequences of the trilogy, a debate that will no doubt be had among the general movie-going audiences, as well.
But now that the "Jurassic World" trilogy has come to a close, many fans will be wondering what's next for the franchise. Considering it has been a big money maker for Universal, the studio is probably already looking at ways to keep the series going for a few more years. Trevorrow himself recently blasted the idea of rebooting the entire thing and suggested expanding what's already been established instead. So what should Universal do with the dinosaurs after "Jurassic World Dominion" ends? Well, an anthology approach similar to what we've seen in recent years from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and "Star Wars" could be the way to keep things fresh.
Make Colin Trevorrow the Jurassic Kevin Feige
First, if Universal is planning to expand "Jurassic World" into something like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then the most important thing they will need is for there to be a steady hand to guide the park. The most obvious candidate is Colin Trevorrow himself, since he's already directed both 2015's "Jurassic World" and 2022's "Jurassic World Dominion" — as well as taking on scribe duties for all three movies. Bringing him onboard in a Kevin Feige-style capacity would be an easy way of making sure the franchise carries on with an interesting trajectory.
What we don't need is another trilogy about a similar set of characters, rehashing a similar story in another version of the park. But with Trevorrow heading up a team of writers, hopefully they can come up with new tales that expand the franchise in fresh ways. Take a note out of the "Star Wars" playbook, which has opened up the galaxy far, far away over the years thanks to projects like "Rogue One," "Solo," "The Mandalorian," and "The Book of Boba Fett." All of these take place away from the main Skywalker Saga, and it'd be wise for "Jurassic World" to follow the same route.
What we want and don't want from a Jurassic World anthology
Now, this doesn't mean that Universal should start pumping out random origin TV shows for its dinosaur paddock, like "T-Rex: A Jurassic World story," because that's what David Attenborough documentaries are for. But it'd be fascinating to see what other stories can be told elsewhere in the dino-universe. The dinosaurs-in-the-park scenario has run its course, and although it has been great, it's time to really lean into what the rest of the world looks like now that they're loose.
One of the criticisms of "Jurassic World Dominion" is the fact that it doesn't make full use of the globetrotting adventure in a way that shows how different the world has become because of dinos running wild. The film only scratches the surface of the idea, so an anthology series of movies (or TV shows) should focus on that to keep things fresh. This way they could explore different ideas and genres through the "Jurassic World" lens. There are so many opportunities here because you could take any genre and add a dose of dino-chaos in there to spice things up.
The franchise has always had a horror tinge to it thanks to massive creatures hunting and eating people, so why not really lean into that? Give us a confined horror movie with the Pyroraptor from "Dominion" relentlessly stalking someone — think, Michael Myers, but with feathers and razor-sharp claws! Or maybe a heist movie where the job goes wrong thanks to a rampaging Stegosaurus? The possibilities are endless. Although it's probably best to steer clear of the infamous "Jurassic Park IV" idea, which would've seen human/dinosaur hybrids using guns (via Entertainment Weekly). Nobody needs that.
But how would the studio even kickstart such a project? Well, they should start with one of the new characters from "Dominion" — rogue pilot Kayla (DeWanda Wise).
DeWanda Wise's Kayla is the perfect starting point
Of all the new additions to "Jurassic World Dominion," DeWanda Wise's Kayla is arguably the most entertaining. The star brings a brilliant presence to the screen as the bold pilot, and she also has no issue holding her own alongside fan favorites like Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler. Kayla briefly mentions that she served in the armed forces, which makes her perfectly equipped to become a smuggler — not only can she fly her own plane, but she's handy in a fight with rampaging dinos at the same time. But because she's part of the supporting cast, Kayla doesn't get nearly as much time to shine alongside the rest of the returning characters.
A solo project for Wise would let her flesh out the character even further — maybe a crime drama exploring her time working in and around the dinosaur black market, or whatever she gets up to after the credits roll on "Dominion." Kayla's the perfect starting point for new projects because she's fresh to the franchise and it wouldn't feel stale, but there would already be a sense of familiarity with the character. Plus, Wise can easily carry a show or a movie thanks to her boundless charisma and charm.
Basically, the "Jurassic World" franchise just needs to do something different to keep fans on their toes, but that all depends on if the audience still wants dino-action after "Dominion." Watch this space.