Why Jurassic World 4 Isn't Happening After Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion ended with dinosaurs and humans co-existing, and while that has great potential, Jurassic World 4 isn't going to happen.

All three Jurassic World movies grossed over a billion dollars at the box office, but that doesn't mean that Jurassic World 4 was instantly greenlit, and Jurassic World Dominion marked the last in the series. The Jurassic World series drastically changed the franchise while still keeping that Steven Spielberg nostalgia, sentimentality, and family-friendly approach. But Jurassic World Dominion was the epic conclusion to this era of the franchise. And even though it was critically slammed, it was still a huge hit, proving that the series is critic-proof and that the Jurassic Park franchise is Universal's most bankable property.

The original 1993 movie was a huge success, and it might beat the Jurassic World movies' box office grosses when adjusted for inflation. Still, the Jurassic World trilogy made a total of $4 billion (via The Numbers), but that doesn't mean Jurassic World 4 is on the way. Usually, the box office dictates whether or not studios approve a sequel. A box office bomb can destroy initial plans for a sequel, such as with Dredd, and a standalone movie's phenomenal success may encourage the studio to make a sequel, as in the case of Joker. But, unfortunately, Jurassic World 4 isn't happening for multiple reasons.

Jurassic World Dominion Was Intended As The Final Film

Outside of some plot holes, there were no intentional loose ends in the 2021 movie. Where studios often want to leave some kind of open-ended loose end to blockbuster movies just in case they decide to make a sequel, writer/director Colin Trevorrow admirably definitively closed the book on the Jurassic World series. Jurassic World Dominion ultimately had that feeling of finality to it, as it brought back the original Jurassic Park characters for one last time, making it a swan song for Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm. All things considered, it's a surprisingly uplifting finale, as all the characters get their happy ending in Jurassic World Dominion, even the genetically engineered dinosaurs.

Jurassic World Dominion Suffered Poor Reviews & Reaction

The one thing the Jurassic World series could have done to salvage the series after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was to bring back the original cast. But that still didn't keep Jurassic World Dominion from being slammed by critics. The Rotten Tomatoes score for each Jurassic World movie is consecutively worse than the last. And even though the threequel reunited the Jurassic Park cast, it has the worst Rotten Tomatoes score by far, even worse than Jurassic Park III. Between the drab settings, the CGI action sequences, and the nonsensical plot about locusts, Jurassic World Dominion was doomed, and the series had completely forgotten what made Jurassic Park so beloved in the first place.

Even though audiences will seemingly show up for dinosaur action, especially if the word "Jurassic" is attached to it, the series had become a prime example of diminishing returns, and general audiences were falling out of love with the property. Jurassic World Dominion reached the billion-dollar mark, but that's actually a huge underperformance for the studio. Jurassic World: Fallen Kindom made $1.3 billion before it and Jurassic World made almost $1.7 billion before that. Those are steep drop-offs, especially when compared to rival franchises that make more money with each consecutive release.

More Jurassic Movies Could Happen - But Not With Trevorrow

Due to how huge the brand name is, the Jurassic Park series will undoubtedly return at some point. However, it'll unlikely be Jurassic World 4, and Trevorrow certainly won't be returning to the director's chair. The director thinks Jurassic Park shouldn't have sequels, and expressed that he wouldn't want to direct another film, but would take on an advisory role, noting, "It’s been nine years of my life. And I feel like the audience would probably agree that they’ve seen what I have to say about this... I would just want to be there to share my own mistakes and the lessons that I’ve learned" (via Den of Geek).

Universal likely has a mutual feeling, as the Jurassic World series' writing and story have been consistently criticized, and a new set of eyes could be what the franchise needs. There are many directions the series can go, and there could even be a Jurassic World Dominion sequel, as Jurassic World 4 could use Jurassic Park 4's canceled story. And as dinosaurs and humans now co-exist on the mainland, Jurassic World 4 could depict civilization building a world around dinosaurs. Either way, a break will do the Jurassic Park franchise well, as it seems like fatigue was beginning to set in with audiences following Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Sources: Den of Geek, The Numbers