Fans Split as Jurassic World Reportedly Turns Back to Fallen Kingdom’s J.A. Bayona

J.A. Bayona is “the frontrunner to direct the next installment” of Universal’s “Jurassic World” franchise, according to TheWrap.

If that name rings a bell, it should. Bayona, the Spanish filmmaker behind “Society of Snow,” already made one trip to dinosaur country with “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” He would step in for “Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards, who was attached to the next film but left, citing creative differences. A search for a new director is underway. The script by David Koepp is already written, and Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey are expected to return. “Rebirth” pulled in $869 million globally last year. An insider told TheWrap the franchise has always reinvented itself, with five different core groups of actors and directors across seven movies. What stays constant, the insider said, are the architects, Steven and Frank, and the wonder and terror of dinosaurs.

So the machine keeps rolling. Fans on r/movies had plenty to say about whether Bayona is the right driver.

Bayona’s Return Has Fans Arguing Over Who Really Sank Fallen Kingdom

1. Blame the script, not the director. This was the loudest camp. Plenty of fans say Fallen Kingdom looks gorgeous, with a few calling it the best-looking entry after the original. They point to the dinosaur-in-the-house sequence as proof Bayona can stage real horror. Their ask is simple: give him a better screenplay this time.
2. Fallen Kingdom was a mess, so why go back? Others weren’t having it and called the film an abomination. A few wondered whether Hollywood has a shortage of directors, or whether someone new could take a turn. One commenter went further and said the best move is to let the franchise die.
3. The real problem is the ideas. Some brushed off the director question entirely and said the series needs a writer with a fresh concept. Fans were especially tired of mutant super-dinosaurs and human cloning being piled on. Their argument is that dinosaurs are scary enough already. One person said the series dropped its most intriguing idea, dinosaurs loose in the wider world, and then undid it.
4. “Dominion” did more damage than anyone. A handful of fans insisted Fallen Kingdom, flaws and all, beat the last legacy sequel. They said Dominion wasted the reunion of the original trio and that the chance won’t come back.
5. Want a good dino movie? Look elsewhere. Several commenters kept pointing to “The End of Oak Street” as proof you can still make a fun, tense film with dinosaurs as the only threat. When one skeptic asked if it was really worth watching, others said yes. It was a good deal darker than one viewer expected.
6. Cue the jokes. The thread also produced a running gag about the series being secretly set in the Fast and Furious universe. In it, Dom drives a muscle car off a T-Rex’s tail and delivers a speech about family. Others suggested shipping the dinosaurs to space. And a long tangent broke out over how much meaner and weirder Michael Crichton’s novels are than the movies.

TheWrap’s own review of “Rebirth” called it a tasty “cinematic cheeseburger,” though it said the film offered no bold new direction. That may be the real question hanging over the hire. Fans can’t agree whether Bayona is the fix or the flashback, but plenty of them agree the dinosaurs deserve a better story.

Sources

• Next ‘Jurassic World’ Movie Eyes J.A. Bayona to Replace Gareth Edwards as Director
• Discussion on r/movies

Featured image — Image: TheWrap