The Hollywood Reporter unveiled the first information on a brand-new Jurassic World movie from Universal just a few weeks ago and there's already a major new update.
According to THR's report, David Koepp is presently penning the screenplay for the newest entry. That should excite fans of the original film as Koepp wrote the original scripts for Jurassic Park (1993) and Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997).
Now, it's being reported that David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) is currently in talks to direct, according to Deadline.
Just that quickly, the seventh movie in the series moved from being a distant, far-off idea to hiring a writer and director in a matter of weeks, a solid indication that things are moving quickly on this project.
Deadline is also confirming that the film is aiming to hit theaters on July 2, 2025, just a little over a week before Warner Bros. reboots its DC Comics cinematic universe with Superman: Legacy which hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
With Koepp's script reportedly unfinished, many are doubtful that the newest Jurassic World movie will be able to arrive by its currently scheduled release date. Nevertheless, it is clear that Universal is moving quickly with the project.
It was also reaffirmed by Deadline that the new film will feature a brand new cast as neither Chris Pratt nor Bryce Dallas Howard are expected to return. The original Jurassic Park cast, who returned in the latest trilogy, are also said to be absent in this latest iteration.
With Leitch in the director's seat, Deadline reports he'll deliver something, "unlike anything the franchise has experienced with previous directors and would certainly give the series a fresh new look execs have wanted since the development of this film."
Franchise veterans Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley are all attached as executive producers.
While critics weren't thrilled by the new Chris Pratt-led trilogy, each installment eclipsed the billion-dollar mark at the worldwide box office, indicating that audiences around the world are willing to show up for a mixture of old-school action and dinosaurs.
Interestingly enough, the project is not being described as a reboot which raises some interesting questions as 2022's Jurassic World Dominion ended with dinosaurs and humanity seemingly being forced to adapt to living side by side.
Fans of the original trilogy have called for the franchise to return to its roots, which typically featured a cast of characters being stranded on a deserted island with rampaging dinos.
With what appears to be the start of a whole new trilogy, it will be interesting to watch where Koepp and Leitch take it. Will they try to embrace the contemporary, human/dino coexistence of the most recent trilogy, or will they try to revive the horror/adventure essence of the first two films?