Stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch continues to branch out from the John Wick franchise he helped launch. Since then he’s directed Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and the upcoming summer blockbuster The Fall Guy, so a variety of films that are either franchises or potential franchises. But now Leitch is joining one of the longest-running franchises ever, as Deadline reports he’ll direct Universal’s new Jurassic World trilogy that they are moving forward with rapidly.
This new trilogy was revealed just days ago, and has original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp aboard. Leitch joins a film that Universal has big hopes for, having already set a July 2nd 2025 release date. The film will feature an entirely new cast, so don’t expect to see Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, or any of the originals such as Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall are exec-producers on the new trilogy, further cementing connections to the original trilogy.
Leitch should be able to do some amazing things with Jurassic World. He’s shown an ability to handle action on multiple levels, from beautifully-choreographed fight sequences to blistering car chases, and even big superhero spectacles. The potential here is through the roof.
That said, this franchise has seen better days. While it has made $6B across six total movies, the feeling right now is that it could use a break. Fallen Kingdom, released in 2022, made just over $1B but was critically panned.