Universal is moving quickly on the next Jurassic World film, and the early favorite for the director’s chair is a known one. J.A. Bayona has emerged as the frontrunner to direct the follow-up to Jurassic World Rebirth, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Spanish filmmaker is not in formal talks yet, but he is at the top of the studio’s list.
The opening follows Gareth Edwards’ exit from the sequel over what sources describe as “creative differences.” Universal did not comment.
A franchise asset needs a steady hand
Bayona’s appeal is not complicated. He directed 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which means he already knows the franchise’s production pipeline, scale and creative guardrails. For a follow-up to a $869 million grosser, that continuity has real financial logic.
Rebirth earned $869 million worldwide last year with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. All three are expected to return for the next film, subject to schedules. David Koepp, who wrote Rebirth, is back as screenwriter. Steven Spielberg and producer Frank Marshall also remain involved. The director seat, then, was the open variable.
Why Bayona fits the brief
Bayona has spent the years since Fallen Kingdom proving he can handle large-scale, technically demanding projects. He directed the first two episodes of Amazon’s The Rings of Power, and for Netflix he made Society of the Snow, the survival drama based on the 1972 Andes flight disaster. Earlier, he directed The Impossible, which earned an Oscar nomination for Naomi Watts. That combination of spectacle and survival storytelling maps neatly onto the Jurassic template.
- Rebirth grossed $869 million worldwide last year.
- Bayona is the frontrunner, but no formal talks have begun.
- The sequel has a script by returning writer David Koepp.
- Johansson, Ali and Bailey are expected back, schedules permitting.
What this means for the business
When a tentpole loses a director, the pressure is not only creative; it is about momentum and risk. Universal appears to be solving that by leaning toward a familiar name rather than beginning a wide search. That is the same logic studios use across franchises: if the brand is global and the leads are returning, reduce the unknowns where you can.
For marketing and distribution teams, the early frontrunner signal is useful. A Bayona appointment would give the next film a clean “from the director of Fallen Kingdom” line, keep the core creative team intact, and avoid a long “who gets the job” news cycle. The sequel still has no title and no formal deal, but the direction of travel is now clear.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
