Scarlett Johansson has confirmed her lead role in Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” calling the production a long-held dream during an April CinemaCon appearance. The ninth entry in the dinosaur saga, set five years after 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion,” is directed by Gareth Edwards and written by original “Jurassic Park” scribe David Koepp, who has laid out strict creative “rules” to restore the tension of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film.
Studio materials describe Johansson’s character, Zora Bennett, as a covert-operations leader sent to retrieve genetic material from three gigantic species to develop a life-saving drug, a premise revealed in Universal’s trailer and expanded in an Empire on-set report. The ensemble also features Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend and Siena Miller as rival corporate operatives, according to IMDb and Screen Rant production listings.
Edwards told Collider he “dropped everything” when producer Frank Marshall called, promising to “bring the horror back” through practical creature work enhanced by ILM’s digital craftsmanship. In another Collider exchange, the director addressed franchise fatigue, noting that the script asks whether people—and the film’s characters—have grown complacent about living alongside dinosaurs. Merchandise hints at new threats: Syfy’s first look at Funko Pop! figures unveiled the Distortus Rex and Quetzalqueen, mutants that Koepp and paleontology advisers say emerged from “unauthorized genome splicing” on a shuttered research island.
Empire reports that principal photography wrapped in Malta and at Pinewood Dominican Republic last September, clearing the path to a worldwide theatrical launch on July 2, 2025 before an autumn debut on Peacock. Universal executives told OurMidland the trailer amassed 40 million YouTube views in 24 hours, the studio’s best digital opening since 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” signalling robust interest in the franchise’s new direction.
