Jurassic World Dominion’s Jeff Goldblum Reflects on Sequel’s Divisive Reaction

The Jurassic Park franchise has been a major force in pop culture ever since Steven Spielberg unleashed the debut entry, based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, on audiences in 1993. Back in 2022, Jurassic World Dominion was set to be the sendoff to both the original Jurassic Park trilogy as well as the Jurassic World trilogy, and while it took in $1 billion worldwide, it sits at only 29% positive reviews on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Looking back, star Jeff Goldblum notes that it’s “tough to make a good movie” and that he focused on delivering the best performance he could. Even though critics might not have taken too warmly to the sequel, fan reception was a bit more promising, as the movie sits at 77% positive reactions. The next chapter in the series is set to be Jurassic World: Rebirth, which has a July 2, 2025 release date.

“I had such a good time on it,” Goldblum detailed to Total Film, per GamesRadar. “I enjoyed working on it and enjoyed trying to make it good. I think it sold a bunch of tickets. But, you know … Everybody’s got an opinion about it. It’s tough to make a good movie.”

He added, “I was concentrating on trying to make our responsibility there a success, and fulfill our part of the bargain.”

After the massive success of the original Jurassic Park, Goldblum returned for The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997, which was another big financial win for the franchise though didn’t earn as impressive of critical reactions. The actor returned for a small role in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, while Dominion brought back Ian Malcolm for a more significant role, along with other original Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill and Laura Dern.

With Dominion set to be the conclusion to the Park and World narratives, Rebirth is expected to kick off an all-new storyline, as Goldblum teases we’ve likely seen the last of his Malcolm.

“I think Ian Malcolm may have ridden off into the sunset. Maybe,” Goldblum expressed. “Because this next one [Jurassic World Rebirth] – my friend Scarlett Johansson and my new friend Jonathan Bailey from Wicked, I think, are taking up the reins. And I can’t wait to see what they do. I think that’s a good idea.”

The upcoming Rebirth will see “an intrepid team racing to secure DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air.” Universal Pictures described Rebirth, “Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Jurassic World franchise. Jurassic World Rebirth is set to hit theaters on July 2, 2025.

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