Jurassic World is still pushing through but with a new director after Universal and David Leitch decided to part ways. Gareth Edwards, who helmed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will be sitting on the director's chair for the anticipated Jurassic World 4.

The next installment of Jurassic Word is expected to be released in 2025. Its third installment, Jurassic World Dominion, was dropped on June 10, 2022, so it would be three years of waiting before fans would see its return on the big screen. No casting has been announced and production hasn't started yet, which raised concern as the film is set for release next year. The latest development revealed that Edwards was attached to direct the movie.

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Gareth Edwards is directing Jurassic World 4

Gareth Edwards and Universal Pictures have been in talks about the upcoming Jurassic World movie, with the former given the task of helming the anticipated dinosaur film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Edwards' name was attached to the project shortly after several outlets claimed that filmmaker David Leitch was supposed to direct the project. Leitch and Universal Pictures reportedly parted ways because they had different visions for the project. Leitch has an established relationship with the film production company. He had worked with them on Atomic Blonde, The Fast & The Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and the upcoming action-comedy movie The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

Edwards confirmed his new directorial job at Collider's FYC Event for The Creator moderated by Steve Weintraub. Edwards said:

Film critic Jeff Sneider reacted to the report about Edwards directing the next Jurassic World film when he appeared on a recent episode of The Hot Mic podcast. Sneider approved of Universal's decision, claiming that the company chose Edwards because he is a "shooter," someone who can deliver the expected results despite the limited budget and time frame to shoot the project.

Who is Gareth Edwards?

Gareth Edwards is an English writer, director, and cinematographer. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Among his notable projects was his directorial debut in the 2010 sci-fi horror movie Monsters. Edwards not only directed the film but also handled the visual effects and served as the cinematographer. Monsters received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to the genre and its impressive visual effects achieved on a limited budget.

Following the success of Monsters, Edwards directed the 2014 reboot of the Godzilla franchise. This big-budget blockbuster Godzilla marked his transition to mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. The filmmaker brought his unique visual style to the film, creating a sense of scale and spectacle befitting the iconic monster while infusing the story with human drama. Edwards has also been part of the Star Wars franchise, directing the 2016 movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story starring Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, James Earl Jones and Donnie Yen among others.

Most recently, Edwards wrote and directed the original sci-fi story, The Creator, and while the movie was neither a critical or financial smash, it did show that Edwards has a keen sense of how to make a smaller-budget movie (in this case, The Creator cost around $80 million) look like it cost much more.

Why Gareth Edwards is the perfect choice for Jurassic World 4

Edwards may not be the first choice to direct Jurassic World 4, but there is no doubt that he is suitable for the job. Aside from his willingness to direct the film, he has the experience and expertise. First, he has already proven his ability to handle big-budget projects, considering his previous films like Godzilla and Rogue One: A Story War Story. There is no doubt that he has the skills to manage the scope and scale of huge franchises like Jurassic World. Also, in both projects, he successfully demonstrated his talent for balancing thrilling action sequences with compelling story arcs, which is crucial in Jurassic World as the action-packed encounters with dinosaurs have to be balanced with engaging human drama.

Aside from his talent for writing and directing, he is known for his specialty in visual effects. He used to work on visual f/x for programs that aired on PBS, BBC, and the Discovery Channel. He was also up for challenges because, in 2008, he entered and won the sci-fi London 48-hour film challenge, where a movie had to be created from scratch and finished in just two days. He could deliver high-quality work in a short span of time, too. Additionally, he wrote and directed his first full-length feature Monsters and shot it in only three weeks. The film, starring real-life couple Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, only had five crew members. Still, it received a positive reception at the Southwest festival and was a huge success when Vertigo Films released it.

Edwards has also shown deep respect for the franchises he has worked on by honoring their legacies while bringing fresh perspectives. In this way, he stays true to the spirit of the original project while bringing new and exciting stuff to the audience. His background in independent filmmaking also shows his creativity and how he thinks outside the box. There is no doubt that the director has innate creativity, which could rejuvenate the Jurassic World franchise.

Overall, Gareth Edwards' blockbuster experience, visual prowess, storytelling skill, respect for source material, and creativity make him a compelling choice to helm Jurassic World 4 and deliver an exciting and memorable addition to the beloved dinosaur franchise.

Jurassic World 4 will be released on July 2, 2025.

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