Jurassic World 2 To Be Both Jurassic Park 5 And Jurassic World Sequel

Last summer, the Jurassic Park franchise made a stunning return when Jurassic World hit theaters. The blockbuster was the first film of the series to debut it 14 years, and audiences of all ages flocked to see the prehistoric thriller. In a few years, those fans will return to theaters when Jurassic World 2 premieres in 2018, and they should expect more from the film than a simple sequel. According to director Juan Antonio Bayona, the movie will be both Jurassic World 2 and Jurassic Park 5.

CinemaBlend had a chance to speak with the director recently and asked Bayona whether he felt Jurassic World 2 intersected more so with the original film franchise. The director said he feels like the next movie is both a sequel to the Jurassic World series and a continuation of the original movies.

I think somehow it's both," Bayona said. "What we're doing is a sequel to Jurassic World, but it's definitely the fifth chapter of a longer saga. It's very interesting. It's always tricky, but you need to find a balance in what people expect to find, and the new stuff you're bringing to the story. And I think the story is looking for a connection between Jurassic World and Jurassic Park -- more than what Jurassic World did."

Of course, Bayona could not expand more on his statements to keep any spoilers at bay. Fans have been vocal with their desire to see more Jurassic Park connections in the new films. When Jurassic World debuted, the blockbuster did harken back to original locations and lore from Jurassic Park. However, fans seemed to want more, and they wanted to see familiar faces return to the franchise if just for a cameo.

So far, there is no word if any original actors from Jurassic Park will star in the new trilogy. Fans will see Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprise their roles from Jurassic World in the upcoming sequel, and Bayona hinted another face may return too.

When asked whether BD Wong's Dr. Henry Wu would feature in the new film, Bayona remained mum but did hint that Jurassic World 2 will expand on the first film. He said, "I think what this film does is it's the second chapter of the story that started in Jurassic World, and it's open to a third chapter too. It's very interesting in the way that we're approaching the story, and where we are leading the story. We're leading the story to a place that the audience is not expecting, and that's always exciting when you do a sequel."

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Earlier this year, Bayona set Jurassic World 2 up for big expectations when he compared the film to another blockbusting sequel. In a recent interview with Noticiasrcn, the director said Jurassic World 2 "will be darker and scarier than the previous film. Obviously, when you have Chris Pratt it will also be very funny. But it will be darker: it is a second step in a trilogy, and the second step is always dark like in 'The Empire Strikes back or 'The Wrath of Khan.'"

Jurassic World 2 is scheduled for release on June 22, 2018. It will begin filming early next year.