Gareth Edwards Exits Jurassic World Rebirth Sequel Over Creative Differences

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are moving forward with the Jurassic World Rebirth sequel — but without the man who helmed its predecessor. Director Gareth Edwards is no longer attached to helm the next installment in Universal and Amblin’s dinosaur franchise, with the filmmaker reportedly departing the project due to creative differences. Despite the behind-the-scenes shake-up, the sequel itself appears to remain firmly on track, with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali all expected to reprise their roles from Jurassic World Rebirth.

The Departure At A Glance

The Official Statement

“We had an incredible experience working with Gareth on Jurassic World Rebirth,” Universal and Amblin said in a statement to Deadline. Edwards will now “focus on other original projects he is developing” as the search for a new director begins.

Plot details or takes are being kept in the Barbasol can and it is unclear what the creative differences were.

Signs Were Already There

Interestingly, the filmmaker had already alluded to Universal’s creative interference while promoting Jurassic World Rebirth. Originally, the plan had been for Ali’s character to make a heroic sacrifice — but that all changed when the studio stepped in and pushed for a new ending.

Studio insiders note that the Jurassic franchise is one that has ebbed and flowed with filmmakers.

Not The First Time For This Franchise

This isn’t a first for the franchise, as Edwards originally replaced David Leitch, who walked away from Rebirth after butting heads with Universal. History has therefore repeated itself in remarkable fashion — Edwards, the replacement, has now himself become the man being replaced.

Back in 2024, Edwards took over directing duties after original Rebirth helmer David Leitch dropped out of the project due to “creative differences.”

Jurassic World: Rebirth — By The Numbers

Despite the directorial turbulence on the sequel, the original film was a box office success.

Jurassic World: Rebirth was directed by Gareth Edwards, written by David Koepp, and starred Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Ed Skrein.

Set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

While Rebirth was released to mixed reviews — it divided critics with a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes — the movie was a hit at the box office, grossing $869 million worldwide.

What Happens Next For The Sequel

Universal has already begun searching for a replacement director, while Edwards shifts his attention to original projects currently in development.

Screenwriter David Koepp is expected to return alongside Johansson, Ali and Bailey, with the studio hoping to begin shooting the sequel in 2027.

Universal began moving on a sequel swiftly and has a script by returning scribe David Koepp. Johansson, Ali and Bailey are expected to return, although schedules are still being worked out.

There is also speculation surrounding the potential title for the follow-up. Domain name registration clues suggest the title for Universal’s next entry might be Jurassic World Liberation.

Who Is Gareth Edwards?

Gareth James Edwards was born on June 1, 1975 in the English town of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He first gained widespread recognition for Monsters (2010), an independent film in which he served as writer, director, cinematographer, and visual effects artist.

He subsequently directed Godzilla (2014), a reboot of Toho’s Godzilla franchise and the first film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series.

What comes next for Edwards isn’t clear, though he has previously been linked to both Marvel and DC.

Gareth Edwards — Career Filmography

The Returning Cast

Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey led the prehistoric revival, which revolved around a top-secret quest to retrieve the DNA of dinosaurs to create a miracle drug.

All three are expected to return for the sequel, pending schedule availability.

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