For decades, the Jurassic Park franchise has survived by expanding its timeline rather than replacing it. Every sequel, from The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) to Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), has built on the same continuity first established by Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic.
But perhaps it's finally time for Universal to consider doing something it has never seriously attempted before: start over.
Jurassic Park Star Sam Neill Passes Away
The recent death of Sam Neill may have changed the future of the franchise.
The actor, who passed away on July 13 at the age of 78 after battling a rare form of blood cancer, wasn't simply one of several legacy cast members.
For many fans, he embodied Jurassic Park itself through his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
While Grant wasn't expected to return in any future films, Dominion deliberately avoided closing the door on the character. Having reunited with Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Grant finally received the happy ending audiences had wanted for decades, with the pair preparing to testify against Biosyn before Congress following the events of that film.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park' Franchise Gearing Up for Major Comeback After ‘Rebirth' Disaster
What Does This Mean for the Franchise?
Universal could, of course, recast Alan Grant, but doing so would almost certainly divide audiences, especially so soon after Neill's passing.
The alternative is to simply retire the existing continuity altogether. That idea would once have sounded ridiculous, but today, it feels far more realistic.
Jurassic World Rebirth was intended to launch a new chapter with Scarlett Johansson leading an entirely different cast. Instead, many fans felt the film undermined Dominion‘s ending by abandoning the global dinosaur premise that had been building throughout the Jurassic World trilogy. Rather than feeling like a natural continuation, it left the series creatively adrift.
If the current storyline is already struggling to justify its existence, perhaps the answer isn't another sequel.
Hollywood has increasingly embraced new adaptations over endless continuations. HBO's upcoming Harry Potter television series isn't replacing the films, but offering a new interpretation of the novels. Jurassic Park could benefit from exactly the same approach.
Michael Crichton's two Jurassic Park books remain far richer than the films. A television series would allow the franchise to revisit the story from the beginning while exploring storylines, characters, and themes that never made it to the big screen.
Another Jurassic World sequel is reportedly in development, with Scarlett Johansson and Gareth Edwards both said to be in negotiations to return. But if Universal genuinely wants to preserve the long-term future of Jurassic Park, pressing the reset button may ultimately prove to be the boldest—and smartest—decision it could make.
How do you feel about the idea of rebooting Jurassic Park? Or do you think the film series should continue without Sam Neill? Share your thoughts in the comments.
