Warning: SPOILERS for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are ahead!
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has been open in theaters for a few weeks globally now, and reception towards the sequel have been decidedly mixed. Granted, it doesn't look like this will affect its overall box office performance, but Fallen Kingdom definitely seems to be more polarizing than its predecessor, 2015's Jurassic World. Nevertheless, it's already been confirmed that Jurassic World 3 will arrive in 2021, and Colin Trevorrow will be back in the director's chair. No doubt be a while until we learn specific plot details concerning the threequel, but given how Fallen Kingdom set the stage for what's to come, if properly handled, Jurassic World 3 has the potential to be the best entry in this trilogy. That's because it would be the first of the World films to finally take us into territory that hasn't been explored in any of the previous Jurassic Park installments.
Much like how Star Wars: The Force Awakens felt similar to A New Hope, Jurassic World had a lot in common with Jurassic Park. For both of the 2015 movies, the intent was to give moviegoers enough of the familiar to balance the new elements brought in, and judging by both of these movies' box office returns, this approach paid off. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's plot was more unique, as it saw dinosaurs being rescued from the soon-to-be destroyed Isla Nublar, and then the main protagonists had to stop the surviving dinosaurs from being sold off to the highest bidders. That said, because those dinosaurs were brought back to the mainland, there was still an air of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, as the last part of that movie saw a T-rex breaking free and briefly rampaging across San Diego. Unlike The Lost World, however, there's no going back at the end of Fallen Kingdom. As far as we know, Jurassic World 3 won't take place on an island again, like Jurassic Park III did. The dinosaurs escaped the Lockwood estate and are roaming free across the United States. This can't be bottled up again, and humanity is going to have to face the consequences of select individuals bringing these long-extinct creatures back to life.
But it isn't dinosaurs and humans forced to coexist with one another that marks our venture into uncharted territory. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom also threw human cloning into the mix, as it was revealed that Benjamin Lockwood's granddaughter, Maisie, was actually a clone of his deceased daughter. No one blinks an eye at dinosaurs being cloned in this world anymore, but Maisie's existence unquestionably changes the game. Even though Benjamin Lockwood is dead, you can bet that eventually someone will try to replicate his work (I have my eye on you, Dr. Wu). Maisie grew at a natural rate, but just imagine if there was a way to accelerate the growth of human clones. If the Attack of the Clones subtitle wasn't already taken, I'd wonder if it was in contention for Jurassic World 3.
Officially, all we know so far about Jurassic World 3's story so far is that it will not include any hybrid dinosaurs, which was made clear when the T-rex stepped on the Indominus rex bone. That's a good step towards ensuring that Jurassic World 3 feels different from its predecessors, but it's the freed dinosaurs and human clones that ideally bode well for the threequel. Even though Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are both commercially successful, overall they're haven't been considered critically exceptional, as inevitably there are comparisons drawn to the Jurassic Park movies. In some part that's unavoidable, but at least the developments from Fallen Kingdom have finally taken us to a point of no return. The idea of humans and dinosaurs being forced to live alongside each other reminds me of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and while dinosaurs will always be the main attraction, human clones could potentially pose an added danger. Enough additional originality has been thrown in to thoroughly distinguish the upcoming movie from what's come before, and if there's one thing that film fans crave, it's novelty.
Let's be honest with ourselves, it's doubtful that any future Jurassic movies will ever come close to match the 1993 original, and for good reason. But the goal shouldn't necessarily be to surpass Steven Spielberg's first dino-filled outing, but rather to embark on a new path while still honoring the mythology. All of this isn't to say that we know for sure Jurassic World 3 will be better than its predecessors, but if Colin Trevorrow and the cast and crew play their cards right, then not only can it be an worthy conclusion to the World trilogy, but these status quo changes and whatever shocking twists Jurassic World 3 delivers could potentially pave the way for a new trilogy/separate series of films that will excite fans and casual moviegoers alike in a way we haven't seen in a while.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is now playing, so be sure to read our review and To 3D guide for the movie. Jurassic World 3 will rampage into theaters on June 11, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Don't forget to also look through our 2018 release schedule to plan your moviegoing calendar for the rest of the year accordingly.
