Director Gareth Edwards, known for his work on major franchises like Godzilla and Star Wars, took on the challenge of Jurassic World Rebirth with invaluable guidance from franchise creator Steven Spielberg. Spielberg’s key advice—to leave the audience ‘hungry’ for more, not entirely ‘full’—became a cornerstone of Edwards’ vision, helping him craft a film that pays homage to the original’s suspense and awe while forging a unique, less self-referential path.
The Jurassic Park franchise holds a sacred place in cinematic history, largely thanks to its visionary creator, Steven Spielberg. For any filmmaker stepping into this iconic world, the shadow of Spielberg’s original masterpieces looms large. Yet, director Gareth Edwards, a seasoned helmer of massive franchises including Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, embraced this challenge for Jurassic World Rebirth, the seventh theatrical installment. His journey was uniquely shaped by Spielberg’s direct involvement and invaluable insights, ensuring the new film resonated deeply with the spirit of its predecessors while carving out its own identity.
The Philosophy of the ‘Hungry Audience’
One of the most profound pieces of advice Edwards received from Steven Spielberg during the production of Jurassic World Rebirth was a culinary metaphor about audience engagement. As Edwards recounted to Syfy Wire, Spielberg explained, “making a film for the cinema, it’s like being a chef and making a meal. The only difference is that when you’re a chef for the cinema, the audience has to leave hungry. If they leave full, you’ve kind of failed.”
Edwards initially found this counterintuitive, as filmmakers often strive to satisfy every audience desire. However, he quickly grasped the genius behind it. Spielberg’s wisdom, which Edwards shared with NBC Insider, emphasizes creating anticipation and surprise, fostering a desire for audiences to want to experience the film again. This approach, aiming for an insatiable craving rather than complete satiation, is a hallmark of Spielberg’s own monumental successes and proved foundational for Rebirth.
A “Giant Love Letter” to Spielberg’s Early Masterpieces
Edwards openly described Jurassic World Rebirth as “a giant love letter to Steven Spielberg and his earlier films,” particularly citing the influence of the 1975 blockbuster, Jaws. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Edwards detailed how the film incorporates “little greatest hits of all those aspects of his films that I loved growing up as a child.” This conscious homage extends to the dynamic between the film’s three leads—Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett, Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid, and Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis—which mirrors the competitive yet collaborative triangle of Brody, Hooper, and Quint from Jaws.
Edwards’ vision for Rebirth was to recapture the essence of the original 1993 Jurassic Park, delivering an “embarrassment of riches of different set-piece-type scenarios and tense, fun action moments.” Unlike the more CGI-heavy approach of the preceding Jurassic World trilogy, Edwards prioritized shooting on location with less blue screen, opting for a simpler yet compelling survival story that felt closer to Spielberg’s practical filmmaking ethos.
Spielberg’s No-Nonsense Notes and Behind-the-Scenes Support
As executive producer, Steven Spielberg’s “fingerprints” were undeniably “all over” Jurassic World Rebirth. Screenwriter David Koepp, who also penned the original Jurassic Park script, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Spielberg provided clear, uncompromising guidance. Spielberg emphasized that the film should be “scary,” feature “some things that we’ve never seen before,” and adhere to “science as close to real as we can.”
Crucially, Spielberg insisted on avoiding self-reference and nostalgia bait. “He does not like to quote himself,” Koepp recalled, highlighting Spielberg’s allergy to anything that rings too familiar. This directive ensured that Rebirth would break new ground rather than simply retread old glories. Edwards also found Spielberg’s notes uniquely valuable, noting the difference from typical studio feedback: “with Steven, if you go, ‘what have you done?’ the answer is, every masterpiece you’ve ever loved.” This made Spielberg’s suggestions undeniable and highly influential, acting as “a bulldozer in the note world” when dealing with Universal Pictures.
Plotting a New Survival Story on Île Saint-Hubert
Jurassic World Rebirth picks up five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, in a world where the planet’s ecology has largely proven inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those that remain thrive in isolated equatorial environments. The film’s synopsis details a high-stakes mission led by Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett to secure genetic material from three colossal dinosaurs for life-saving medical breakthroughs. This takes them to Île Saint-Hubert, the site of a secret InGen genetics laboratory, which has become a haven for dinosaur mutations.
The mission takes a perilous turn when Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition is capsized by marauding aquatic dinosaurs. Stranded on the island, they confront a sinister, shocking discovery hidden for decades. This premise promises the blend of suspense, action, and new dinosaur encounters that Edwards aimed for, delivering what he described as a “horror film on the witness protection program.”
The Evergreen Impact of Spielberg’s Legacy
Gareth Edwards’ approach to Jurassic World Rebirth, deeply infused with Steven Spielberg’s foundational principles, ensures the film serves as more than just another sequel. It’s a testament to the enduring power of Spielberg’s storytelling, particularly his knack for balancing wonder with primal fear. By taking Spielberg’s advice to heart—to leave audiences eager for more and to avoid self-referential pitfalls—Edwards successfully steered the franchise back to its suspenseful roots.
The commitment to fresh scares, new dinosaur revelations, and a return to more practical, on-location shooting echoes the immersive experience of the original films. This deliberate focus on creating genuine anticipation and a survival-driven narrative, rather than relying on overt nostalgia, establishes Jurassic World Rebirth as a meaningful continuation of a beloved legacy, poised to captivate both long-time fans and new generations of viewers.
