Jurassic Park (franchise)

Background

Premise and dinosaurs

The Jurassic Park franchise focuses on genetically engineered dinosaurs running amok on an island theme park off the coast of Costa Rica. The dinosaurs are cloned by extracting ancient DNA from mosquitoes, which sucked the blood of dinosaurs and then became fossilized in amber, preserving the DNA. Scientists then fill gaps in the genome using frog DNA. Although the films primarily take place on fictional islands located in the Pacific coast of Central America, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022) see the dinosaurs relocated throughout the world, including the U.S. mainland..

The film series is notable for its recreation of dinosaurs, achieved primarily through animatronics and computer-generated imagery. The first film was praised for its dinosaur effects, and created an increased interest in the field of paleontology, while changing the public perception of dinosaurs with its modern portrayal.

The World trilogy largely ignored recent paleontological findings to maintain continuity with the Park trilogy, leading to criticism among paleontologists. Both Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World include a scene where a character states that any inaccuracies in the dinosaurs can be attributed to the fact that they are genetically-engineered animals. To better reflect modern discoveries, Jurassic World Dominion (2022) expanded upon the concept of feathered dinosaurs which was first introduced in Jurassic Park III (2001).

InGen

International Genetic Technologies, Inc. (InGen) is the fictional company responsible for cloning the dinosaurs. According to the novels, it is based in Palo Alto, California, and has one location in Europe as well. Nevertheless, most of InGen's research took place on the fictional islands of Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar, near Costa Rica. While the first novel indicated InGen was just one of any number of small 1980s genetic engineering start-ups, the events of the novel and film revealed to a select group that InGen had discovered a method for cloning dinosaurs, which would be placed in an island theme park attraction.

InGen was well established in the first novel as the entity behind the park, but for simplicity the first film emphasized the Jurassic Park brand. The InGen name is visible in the film — on computer screens, helicopters, etc. — but is never spoken. InGen's corporate identity is more prominent in the second film. By the time that Jurassic World takes place, InGen and all its intellectual property have been absorbed by the Masrani Global Corporation. After Masrani Global Corporation went defunct, it is revealed in Jurassic World Rebirth, that pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix had obtained InGen's files and dinosaur tracking systems for their agendas.

Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction describes InGen as comparable to other "sleazy organizations". Other sources reference the company's receiving a baby T. rex (in The Lost World: Jurassic Park) as an allusion to other exploitative entrepreneurs depicted in the 1933 film King Kong. Ken Gelder describes InGen as "resolutely secretive", like the tax firm in John Grisham's 1991 novel The Firm.

Biosyn

In the novels, Biosyn Corporation (or Biosyn for short) is InGen's corporate rival, based in Cupertino, California. The company is controversial for its industrial espionage in the genetics industry. Lewis Dodgson, an employee of Biosyn, helps the company in its theft of corporate secrets. Biosyn is interested in acquiring InGen's dinosaur DNA, believing the animals present a variety of uses such as hunting trophies and pharmaceutical test subjects.

Dodgson makes only a minor appearance in the first film, and his employer is not named. However, Biosyn is featured in several video games.

The company, as Biosyn Genetics, makes its film debut in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). By the time that the film takes place, Dodgson has become the company's CEO. Biosyn's employees now include geneticist Dr. Henry Wu and mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, the latter working as the company's in-house philosopher. The film's director, Colin Trevorrow, described Biosyn not as an "evil" corporation, but rather an entity with thousands of employees who have the best intentions in mind, only to feel betrayed by Dodgson upon learning of his actions.

Isla Nublar

Isla Nublar () is a fictional Central American island that serves as the main setting in the first novel and its film adaptation, as well as Jurassic World. According to the novel, its name means "Cloud Island" in Spanish. The tropical island is located 120 mi west of Costa Rica and has an inactive volcano. In the first novel and film, Isla Nublar is the location of Jurassic Park, a dinosaur theme park proposed by InGen, but it fails to open after the animals escape. In the novel, the Costa Rican government declares the island unsafe and has it napalmed; in the film series, the island continues to exist until the Jurassic World trilogy.

In Jurassic World, the theme park idea has been carried out successfully by Masrani Global Corporation. By the end of the film however, the island is overrun by dinosaurs once more following the Indominus rex incident.

In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Isla Nublar is destroyed when its volcano becomes active again and erupts.

In the films, several Hawaiian islands stood in as Isla Nublar, including Oahu and Kauai. Some filming also took place on sound stages, in California for the original film, and in Louisiana for Jurassic World.

Isla Sorna

Isla Sorna, also called Site B, is another fictional Central American island. It is 87 mi southwest of Isla Nublar, and 207 mi west of Costa Rica. It is the main setting for the second novel and its film adaptation, as well as the third film. Isla Sorna is where InGen conducted much of its dinosaur research. It is here that the dinosaurs were bred before being shipped off to Isla Nublar; a laboratory on the latter island was built only as a showroom for tourists. Isla Sorna is significantly larger than Isla Nublar and has various climates including tropical, highland tropical and temperate rainforest. It is part of a five-island chain known as Las Cinco Muertes (Spanish for "The Five Deaths"), although the other islands do not play a role in the novels or films. However, they are used as the main setting for the 2018 video game Jurassic World Evolution.

InGen abandons Isla Sorna after the events of the first novel and film, and the dinosaurs are left to live freely and reproduce. At the end of the second film, it is stated that Isla Sorna has been set up as a biological preserve for the animals, after a failed attempt to relocate them to a new theme park in San Diego. The status of Isla Sorna is not mentioned in Jurassic World, while a promotional website for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom states that the island ecosystem suffered a breakdown after illegally-cloned animals were introduced there. The surviving dinosaurs were relocated to Isla Nublar for the opening of the Jurassic World theme park, leaving Sorna abandoned. Jurassic World Dominion shows the two adult Tyrannosaurus from Isla Sorna encountering the Tyrannosaurus from Isla Nublar. In the same film, Ramsay Cole mentions that Isla Sorna's dinosaurs have been relocated to Biosyn's valley along with those from Isla Nublar that have been rounded up. The island briefly appears in video footage from 1986 shown to Maisie Lockwood by Henry Wu.

For the second film, Humboldt County, California served as the primary location for scenes set on Isla Sorna, giving it a forest climate. Filming also took place on sound stages at Universal Studios Hollywood, and a beach scene was shot on Kauai. The third film largely uses Oahu and Kauai to represent Isla Sorna, as the original film had done for Isla Nublar. A jungle set was also built on a sound stage at Universal Studios.

Novels

''Jurassic Park'' (1990)

Main article: Jurassic Park (novel){{!}}''Jurassic Park'' (novel)

In 1983, Michael Crichton originally conceived a screenplay about a pterosaur being cloned from fossil DNA. After wrestling with this idea for a while, he came up with the story of Jurassic Park. Crichton worked on the book for several years; he decided his first draft would have a theme park for the setting (similar to his 1973 film Westworld) and a young boy as the main character. Response was extremely negative, so Crichton rewrote the story to make it from an adult's point of view, which resulted in more positive feedback.

Steven Spielberg learned of the novel in October 1989 while he and Crichton were discussing a screenplay that would become the TV series ER. Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Pictures bid for the rights to the novel before its publication. In May 1990, Universal acquired the rights, with the backing of Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Crichton put up a non-negotiable fee for $1.5 million as well as a substantial percentage of the gross. Universal further paid Crichton $500,000 to adapt his own novel (Malia Scotch Marmo, who was a writer on Spielberg's 1991 film Hook, wrote the next draft of Jurassic Park, but was not credited; David Koepp wrote the final draft, which left out much of the novel's exposition and violence, and made numerous changes to the characters). Universal desperately needed money to keep their company alive, and partially succeeded with Jurassic Park, as it became a critical and commercial success.

''The Lost World'' (1995)

Main article: The Lost World (Crichton novel){{!}}''The Lost World'' (Crichton novel)

After the film adaptation of Jurassic Park was released to home video, Crichton was pressured from many sources for a sequel novel. Crichton declined all offers until Spielberg himself told him that he would be keen to direct a film adaptation of the sequel, if one were written. Crichton began work almost immediately and in 1995 published The Lost World. Crichton confirmed that his novel had elements taken from the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book was also an outstanding success, both with professional and amateur critics. The film adaptation, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, began production in September 1996.

''Jurassic Park Adventures'' (2001–2002)

Scott Ciencin wrote a trilogy of spin-off novels based upon Jurassic Park III. The series contained Jurassic Park Adventures: Survivor and Jurassic Park Adventures: Prey, both released in 2001, and Jurassic Park Adventures: Flyers, released the following year.

''The Evolution of Claire'' (2018)

The Evolution of Claire (Jurassic World) is a young adult novel written by Tess Sharpe. It is based upon the Jurassic World trilogy, and was released in 2018 in conjunction with the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It is a spin-off set in 2004, prior to the opening of the Jurassic World theme park. The novel is about college freshman Claire Dearing during her summer internship at the park.

''Maisie Lockwood Adventures'' (2022)

Maisie Lockwood Adventures (Jurassic World) is a children's book series written by Tess Sharpe and illustrated by Chloe Dominique. It is based upon the Jurassic World trilogy, and was released in 2022 in conjunction with the release of Jurassic World Dominion. Consisting of the novels Off the Grid and The Yosemite Six, the novels tell the adventures of Maisie Lockwood as she navigates a world filled with dinosaurs both ferocious and friendly.

Films

Storyline continuity

Overview

The films begin as an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel with the film Jurassic Park. After an incident with a velociraptor in Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar, theme park owner John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) brings in three specialists to sign off on the park to calm investors. The specialists, paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), are surprised to see that the island park's main attraction are living, breathing dinosaurs, created with a mixture of fossilized DNA and genetic cross-breeding/cloning. When lead programmer Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) turns off the park's power to sneak out with samples of the dinosaur embryos to sell to a corporate rival, the dinosaurs break free, and the survivors are forced to find a way to turn the power back on and make it out alive. The film also stars Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Lost World is set on Isla Sorna, a secondary island where the animals were bred en masse and allowed to grow before being transported to the park on Isla Nublar. When a vacationing family stumbles upon the island’s dinosaurs, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is called in by John Hammond to lead a team to document the island to turn it into a preserve, where the animals can roam free without interference from the outside world. Malcolm agrees to go when he discovers his girlfriend, paleontologist Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) is already on the island, while at the same time Hammond's nephew, Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), has taken over his uncle's company and leads a team of hunters to capture the creatures and bring them back to a theme park in San Diego. The two groups clash and are ultimately forced to work together to evade the predatory creatures and survive the second island. The film also stars Pete Postlethwaite, Richard Schiff, Vince Vaughn, Vanessa Lee Chester, Peter Stormare, and a young Camilla Belle.

Jurassic Park III also takes place on Isla Sorna. When their son Eric (Trevor Morgan) goes missing while parasailing, the Kirbys (William H. Macy and Téa Leoni) hire Alan Grant (Sam Neill) under false pretenses to help them navigate the island. Believing it to be nothing more than sight-seeing, and that he will act as a dinosaur guide from the safety of their plane, he is startled to find them landing on the ground, where they are stalked by a Spinosaurus, which destroys their plane. As they search for the Kirbys' son, the situation grows dire as Velociraptors hunt their group and they must find a way off the island. The film also stars Alessandro Nivola, Michael Jeter, Mark Harelik, and Laura Dern.

Jurassic World features a new park built on the remains of the original park on Isla Nublar. The film sees the park run by Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) and Masrani Corp, and features the return of Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) from the first film. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star as the new leads Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, while Vincent D'Onofrio portrayed the main antagonist Vic Hoskins. The cast also includes Jake Johnson, Lauren Lapkus, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, Brian Tee, Katie McGrath, Andy Buckley, and Judy Greer. The primary dinosaur antagonist is Indominus rex, a genetically-modified hybrid of Tyrannosaurus rex and several other species, including Velociraptor, cuttlefish, tree frog, and pit viper. The Indominus Rex also features a chameleon-like camouflage ability, which was a plot element from the second Crichton novel unused in previous films.

In Fallen Kingdom, former Jurassic World manager Claire Dearing and velociraptor handler Owen Grady join a mission to relocate Isla Nublar's dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary to rescue them from a volcanic eruption. They discover that the mission is part of a scheme to sell the captured dinosaurs on the black market in order to fund his party's genetic research. The captured dinosaurs are brought to an estate in northern California, where several of the creatures are auctioned and subsequently shipped to their new owners. The Indoraptor, a new hybrid dinosaur, escapes and rampages though the estate, terrorizing the people there, Owen and Claire among them. A subplot about human cloning was introduced in the film. Fallen Kingdom, similar to the second installment, The Lost World, re-explores the themes about the aftermath of the dinosaur park's demise on Isla Nublar and dinosaurs being used for exploitation by humans.

Dominion is set four years after the events of Fallen Kingdom, with dinosaurs now living alongside humans around the world. It follows Owen Grady and Claire Dearing as they embark on a rescue mission, while Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler reunite with Ian Malcolm to expose a conspiracy by the genomics corporation Biosyn, a once rival of the defunct InGen.

Rebirth is Set five years after the events of Dominion, when Earth's environment has largely proven inhospitable to the remaining populations of dinosaurs and other de-extinct prehistoric animals. The surviving creatures now reside in remote areas of the equatorial region, reminiscent of the environments where they once flourished. Zora Bennett (Johansson), a covert operative, is recruited by ParkerGenix, a pharmaceutical company, to collaborate with paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) and team leader Duncan Kincaid (Ali) on a top-secret mission to infiltrate Ile Saint-Hubert, a forbidden island in the Atlantic Ocean, once used by InGen as a dinosaur research facility.

''Jurassic Park'' (1993)

Main article: Jurassic Park

Spielberg cited King Kong as the inspiration for the film stating "My one precedent for Jurassic Park was King Kong. King Kong was the high water mark for special effects creating a world I never knew existed". "And I think that was my high-water mark for imagining what it would be like to do a King Kong of today. Certainly I don’t consider Jurassic Park a classic the way King Kong is a classic, but I was so inspired by King Kong that that was one of the reasons I wanted to make Jurassic Park"."

Spielberg cited Godzilla as an inspiration for Jurassic Park, specifically Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), which he grew up watching. During production, Spielberg described Godzilla as "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening".

Jurassic Park's biggest impact on subsequent films was a result of its breakthrough use of computer-generated imagery. The film is regarded as a landmark for visual effects. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the effects, though reactions to other elements of the picture, such as character development, were mixed. During its release, the film grossed more than $914 million worldwide, becoming the most successful film released up to that time (surpassing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and surpassed four years later by Titanic), and it is currently the 17th highest grossing feature film (taking inflation into account, it is the 20th-highest-grossing film in North America). It is the most financially successful film for NBCUniversal and Steven Spielberg.

Recently, Jurassic Park has been proposed to be recognized as Intangible Geoheritage due to its cultural impact on the people's views about dinosaurs, including a change in the popular iconography of carnivorous dinosaurs.

Jurassic Park had two re-releases: The first on September 23, 2011, in the United Kingdom and the second in which it was converted into 3D on April 5, 2013, for its 20th anniversary, which resulted in the film passing the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

''The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997)

Main article: The Lost World: Jurassic Park{{!}}''The Lost World: Jurassic Park''

Before The Lost World was published, a film adaptation was already in pre-production, with its release occurring in May 1997. The film was a commercial success, breaking many box-office records when released. The film was released to mixed reviews, similar to its predecessor in terms of characterization. Critical response to The Lost World has since become more favorable, with some publications calling it the best Jurassic Park sequel. Much like the first film, The Lost World: Jurassic Park made a number of changes to the plot and characters from the book, replacing the corporate rivals with an internal power struggle and changing the roles or characterizations of several protagonists.

''Jurassic Park III'' (2001)

Main article: Jurassic Park III{{!}}''Jurassic Park III''

Joe Johnston had been interested in directing the sequel to Jurassic Park and approached his friend Steven Spielberg about the project. While Spielberg wanted to direct the first sequel, he agreed that if there was ever a third film, Johnston could direct. Spielberg, nevertheless, stayed involved in this film by becoming its executive producer. Production began on August 30, 2000, with filming in California, and the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. It is the first Jurassic Park film not to be based on a novel, although it does incorporate some unused plot elements from the Crichton novels, such as the river escape and the pterosaur aviary. Jurassic Park III had a troubled production, and received mixed reviews from critics.

''Jurassic World'' (2015)

Main article: Jurassic World{{!}}''Jurassic World''

Steven Spielberg devised a story idea for a fourth film in 2001, during production of Jurassic Park III. In 2002, William Monahan was hired to write the script, with the film's release scheduled for 2005. Early aspects of the plot included dinosaurs escaping to the mainland, and an army of genetically modified dinosaur-human mercenaries. Monahan finished the first draft of the script in 2003. Sam Neill and Richard Attenborough were set to reprise their characters, while Keira Knightley was in talks for two separate roles. In 2004, John Sayles wrote two drafts of the script. Sayles' first draft involved a team of Deinonychus being trained for use in rescue missions.

Both drafts were scrapped, and a new script was being worked on in 2006. Laura Dern was contacted to reprise her role, with the film expected for release in 2008. The film was further delayed by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. Mark Protosevich wrote two film treatments in 2011, which were rejected. Rise of the Planet of the Apes screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were hired in 2012 to write an early draft of the script. In 2013, Colin Trevorrow was announced as a director and co-writer, with the film scheduled for release on June 12, 2015. The film was shot in Univisium 2.00:1.

Jurassic World received generally positive reviews. It was the first film ever to gross over $500 million worldwide in its opening weekend, and grossed over $1.6 billion through the course of its theatrical run, making it the world's third highest-grossing film at the time. It became the second highest-grossing film of 2015, and remains the ninth highest-grossing film of all time. When adjusted for monetary inflation, Jurassic World is the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

''Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' (2018)

Main article: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom{{!}}''Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom''

A sequel to Jurassic World was released on June 22, 2018. The film was directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Trevorrow and Connolly, with Trevorrow and Spielberg as executive producers. The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon, and Geraldine Chaplin, with Jeff Goldblum reprising his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm.

During early conversations on Jurassic World, Spielberg told Trevorrow that he was interested in having several more films made. In April 2014, Trevorrow announced that sequels to Jurassic World had been discussed: "We wanted to create something that would be a little bit less arbitrary and episodic, and something that could potentially arc into a series that would feel like a complete story". Trevorrow, who said he would direct the film if asked, Bayona was once considered to direct Jurassic World, but he declined as he felt there was not enough time for production. Filming took place from February to July 2017, in the United Kingdom and Hawaii.

Fallen Kingdom grossed over $1.3 billion, making it the third Jurassic film to pass the billion-dollar mark. It is the third highest-grossing film of 2018, and the 22nd highest-grossing film of all time. It received mixed reviews from critics.

''Jurassic World Dominion'' (2022)

Main article: Jurassic World Dominion{{!}}''Jurassic World Dominion''

Jurassic World Dominion was released on June 10, 2022. It was directed by Trevorrow, with a screenplay written by him and Emily Carmichael, based on a story by Trevorrow and Connolly. Trevorrow and Spielberg serve as executive producers for the film, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley as producers. The film stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, returning from the previous Jurassic World films. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum also reprise their characters for major roles, marking the trio's first film appearance together since the original Jurassic Park film. In addition, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Isabella Sermon, and Omar Sy reprise their roles from the previous two films. Other actors include Mamoudou Athie, DeWanda Wise, Dichen Lachman, and Scott Haze. Campbell Scott portrays the character Lewis Dodgson from the first film, originally played by Cameron Thor.

Planning for the film dates to 2014. Trevorrow said the film would focus on the dinosaurs that went open source after being sold and spread around the world in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, allowing people other than Dr. Henry Wu to create their own dinosaurs. Certain scenes and ideas regarding the integration of dinosaurs into the world were ultimately removed from the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom script to be saved for the third film.

Filming locations included Canada, England's Pinewood Studios, and the country of Malta. Jurassic World Dominion began filming in February 2020, Production later resumed that July, with numerous health precautions in place, including COVID-19 testing and social distancing. Filming wrapped four months later. It is also the second film in the franchise to feature feathered dinosaurs after feathered velociraptors in Jurassic Park III.

Dominion grossed over $1 billion, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2022, and the fourth in the franchise to pass the billion-dollar mark. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. An extended version of Jurassic World Dominion was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 16, 2022. The extended edition received more favorable reviews and is considered an improvement over the theatrical cut.

''Jurassic World Rebirth'' (2025)

Main article: Jurassic World Rebirth{{!}}''Jurassic World Rebirth''

Jurassic World Dominion concluded the second film trilogy as well as the storyline that began in the original trilogy, although future films in the franchise were not ruled out. Marshall said in May 2020 that Jurassic World Dominion would mark "the start of a new era", in which humans have to adjust to dinosaurs being on the mainland. Marshall reiterated in January 2022 that there could be more films: "We're going to sit down, and we're going to see what the future is".

Trevorrow, noting that he spent nine years working on the Jurassic World trilogy, said in May 2022 that he would likely not return for another film, except in a possible advisory role. He expressed interest in having Howard direct a future film. He also suggested that several characters introduced in Dominion could return for future installments, including Kayla Watts (portrayed by DeWanda Wise), Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie), and Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman). Pratt and Howard do not expect to reprise their roles again, and Neill said Dominion would be the last film for Dern, Goldblum and himself.

In January 2024, a new installment was revealed to be officially in development. The film was released on July 2, 2025. David Koepp returned as screenwriter, while Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley once again serve as producers. Steven Spielberg will serve as executive producer on the project, a joint-venture production between Amblin Entertainment and Universal.

Development of the project had been underway for some time prior to its announcement. The film was directed by Gareth Edwards. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey with Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, and David Iacono. Filming took place in Thailand, Malta and the U.K.

It received mixed reviews from critics. The film was a box office success having grossed over $869 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2025.

Short films

As of 2022, two short films have been released. Both take place between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World Dominion, and are considered canon with the film series.

''Battle at Big Rock'' (2019)

Main article: Battle at Big Rock{{!}}''Battle at Big Rock''

Battle at Big Rock is the first live-action short film in the franchise, and was released on September 15, 2019. The eight-minute film was directed by Colin Trevorrow, and was co-written by him and Emily Carmichael. The film stars André Holland, Natalie Martinez, Melody Hurd, and Pierson Salvador.

The film is set one year after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. In the film, a family goes on a camping trip at the fictional Big Rock National Park in northern California, approximately 20 mi from where dinosaurs from Fallen Kingdom were let loose. The film chronicles the first major confrontation between humans and the dinosaurs.

''Jurassic World Dominion'' prologue (2021)

Main article: Jurassic World Dominion prologue{{!}}''Jurassic World Dominion'' prologue

A five-minute Jurassic World Dominion prologue was released in 2021, serving as the franchise's second live-action short film. It was originally intended as the film's opening sequence before being removed from the final cut. It features a prehistoric segment showcasing dinosaurs in their natural habitats, then cuts to the present day as a T. rex wreaks havoc at a drive-in theater. The prologue is used as the opening sequence in the extended edition of Jurassic World Dominion.

Television

Lego animated projects

Lego produced various CGI-animated projects, including the two-part television special Lego Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit, which aired on NBC on November 29, 2018. A 13-episode miniseries, Lego Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar, premiered in 2019. It was broadcast on Family Channel in Canada and on Nickelodeon in the U.S.

''Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous'' (2020–2022)

Main article: Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous{{!}}''Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous''

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous is a CGI-animated series that premiered globally on Netflix on September 18, 2020. It is a joint project between Netflix, Universal Studios, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation. Scott Kreamer and Lane Lueras are the showrunners, and executive produce the series with Spielberg, Marshall, and Trevorrow, while Zack Stentz serves as consulting producer. The series is set during the events of Jurassic World and the opening scenes of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and is about six teenagers attending an adventure camp on Isla Nublar. When the park's dinosaurs escape, the teenagers are stranded and must work together to escape the island. The voice cast includes Paul-Mikél Williams, Jenna Ortega, Ryan Potter, Raini Rodriguez, Sean Giambrone, Kausar Mohammed, Jameela Jamil, and Glen Powell. An interactive special, titled Hidden Adventure, debuted a few months after the series ended.

''Jurassic World: Chaos Theory'' (2024–2025)

Main article: Jurassic World: Chaos Theory{{!}}''Jurassic World: Chaos Theory''

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, an animated sequel series to Camp Cretaceous, was released on Netflix on May 24, 2024. It ran for four seasons and 39 episodes, concluding on November 20, 2025. It is set before and during the events of Jurassic World Dominion. Most of the voice actors reprised their roles, although Potter and Ortega were recast.

Future series

''Jurassic World: Explorers'' (2025)

Jurassic World: Explorers is an upcoming preschool children's animated series based off of the Jurassic World trilogy with a release time of somewhere in 2025.

Untitled live-action series

A live-action television series based on the Jurassic World trilogy was reportedly in development as of March 2020. However, Marshall said two years later that such a series had not been discussed, and that his focus was on the films. Speaking about Camp Cretaceous, Marshall said: "I think that's plenty for now".

Cancelled projects

''Escape from Jurassic Park''

In June 1993, after the theatrical release of Jurassic Park, spokesmen for Amblin and MCA confirmed that an animated series based on the film was in development and awaiting Spielberg's final approval. would have consisted of 23 episodes for its first season. The series would have centered on John Hammond's attempts to finish Jurassic Park and open it to the public, while InGen's corporate rival Biosyn is simultaneously planning to open their own dinosaur theme park in Brazil, which ultimately ends with their dinosaurs escaping into the jungles.

If produced, it was believed that the project would be the most expensive animated series up to that time. Jeff Segal, president of Universal Cartoon Studios, said: "We are developing a TV series that we anticipate would be computer animated and very sophisticated. However, Spielberg has not had a chance yet to look at either the material or the format for the series".

Animation veteran and comic artist Will Meugniot (then working at Universal Cartoon Studios for various projects, including Exosquad) contacted artist William Stout to ask if he would be interested in designing the animated series. According to Stout: "This was not going to be a kiddy show (although kids of all ages, including myself, could enjoy it). They wanted the show to be a mature prime time series with top writers and state-of-the-art television animation augmented with quite a bit of CG animation". Universal Animation Studios wanted the show to have the look of a graphic novel.

Stout was hired to work on the series and subsequently made a trailer to demonstrate how the series would look, and how it would combine traditional animation with computer animation. The series required Spielberg's final approval before it could go into production. However, Spielberg had grown tired of the massive promotion and merchandise revolving around the film, and never watched the trailer. On July 13, 1993, Margaret Loesch, president of the Fox Children's Network, confirmed that discussions had been held with Spielberg about an animated version of the film. Loesch also said: "At least for now and in the foreseeable future, there will not be an animated Jurassic Park. That's Steven Spielberg's decision, and we respect that decision".

''Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect''

Part three of the four-part comic adaptation of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, published by Topps Comics in July 1997, confirmed to readers that a cartoon series based on the film was in development. It was commissioned by Spielberg and would be developed by DreamWorks Animation. In November 1997, it was reported that the cartoon would be accompanied by Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect, a series of dinosaur toys produced by Kenner and based on a premise that scientists had created dinosaur hybrids consisting of DNA from different creatures. The Chaos Effect toyline was released in June 1998, but the animated series was never produced, for unknown reasons.

Motion comics and web series

''Jurassic World (Motion Comics)'' (2019)

In late 2019, a Jurassic World motion comic series was released by Universal on YouTube. The four-part series is set after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and explores various dinosaur attacks throughout the world.

''Employee Orientation Series: Presented by InGen'' (2023)

The Employee Orientation Series: Presented by InGen is an in-universe set of employee training tapes. There are currently three episodes, each around one minute long. They were released for the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park.

Cast and crew

Main article: List of Jurassic Park (franchise) characters{{!}}List of ''Jurassic Park'' characters

Film cast

Television cast

Additional film crew

Reception

Box office performance

Critical and public response

Accolades