Movies & Entertainment

The ‘Jurassic’ Franchise Is Officially Returning to the ‘Park’ Era

Even after four Jurassic World films and billions of dollars at the global box office, many longtime fans still view Jurassic Park as the definitive version of the franchise.

Steven Spielberg’s original 1993 classic remains the emotional core for countless viewers, and now Universal appears to be quietly acknowledging that by slowly returning to the Park era across several parts of the franchise.

Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) in Malta on his motorbike in 'Jurassic World Dominion'
Credit: Universal Pictures

The clearest example is Jurassic Park: Survival (TBA), the upcoming first-person action-adventure game from Saber Interactive.

Rather than continuing the modern World timeline, the game heads straight back to Isla Nublar in 1993, just 24 hours after the events of Jurassic Park (1993). Players take control of Dr. Maya Joshi, an InGen scientist left behind during the evacuation who must survive against dinosaurs roaming freely throughout the abandoned park.

For many fans, it’s exactly the kind of back-to-basics Jurassic story the franchise has needed for years.

The Dilophosaurus in the 'Jurassic Park: Survival' game trailer
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive

Related: ‘Jurassic World 5' Will Draw Mixed Reactions Even Before Its Release : Disney Fanatic

Universal Studios Hollywood has also started leaning back toward the Park era. Its recent “Jurassic World: A Journey Through the Eras” attraction may use the World branding, but much of the experience focuses heavily on the original trilogy, with classic vehicles, legacy dinosaurs, and characters such as John Hammond, Dennis Nedry, and Ian Malcolm.

Meanwhile, the animated side of the World franchise also appears to have quietly come to an end with Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024-2025). No continuation has been announced by Universal or Netflix, leaving the future of that part of Jurassic uncertain.

The foot of a large carnivorous dinosaur in the 'Jurassic World: Chaos Theory' Season 2 trailer
Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation / Amblin Entertainment / Netflix

None of this means Jurassic World itself is disappearing, though.

Jurassic World (2015) revitalized the franchise in spectacular fashion, grossing $1.671 billion worldwide and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Its sequels, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), also crossed the billion-dollar mark globally.

Even Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), despite its hugely divisive reception among fans, earned an impressive $869.1 million worldwide.

Scarlett Johansson screaming in 'Jurassic World Rebirth'
Credit: Universal Pictures

The World era also expanded Jurassic into a multimedia powerhouse through theme park attractions, touring exhibitions, merchandise, animated shows, and video games like Jurassic World Evolution.

So while Universal clearly isn’t abandoning Jurassic World entirely, the studio still seems increasingly interested in balancing both sides of the franchise rather than focusing solely on one.

For years, Jurassic leaned heavily into nostalgia while still pushing forward chronologically. Now, however, the franchise may finally be entering a phase where both eras coexist together: the blockbuster spectacle of Jurassic World alongside the suspense-driven survival storytelling that defined Jurassic Park.

Would you like to see the Jurassic Park franchise finally return to the original era? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Daniel

Dan is a huge fan of Star Wars, Disney, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, TMNT and Harry Potter, and has written for numerous film-focused and Disney-related sites, including Epicstream, Theme Park Tourist and Homey Hawaii. He has also recently completed his first children's novel, which he hopes to get published within the next year.

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