Universal Pictures has unveiled the second trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth, the highly anticipated standalone sequel to 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, The Creator) and written by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, this marks a daring new chapter in the franchise. The trailer promises not only explosive action and breathtaking visuals but a shift in tone—leaning into science fiction horror and survival-thriller territory.
A Bold New Era:
Set five years after the events of Dominion, Rebirth introduces an all-new ensemble cast led by Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. The story centers around a covert mission to a long-abandoned island in the Atlantic Ocean, once the site of the original Jurassic Park experiments. With a fresh creative team and a darker premise, the trailer hints at a film that aims to revitalize the series by pushing its mythology—and its monsters—into uncharted territory.
High Stakes, High Science:
In this film, the surviving dinosaurs have retreated to the tropics, where they cling to life in isolation. Enter Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a hardened covert operations expert recruited by a pharmaceutical conglomerate with a morally grey agenda.
Zora is joined by Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), a no-nonsense mission leader, and Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a brilliant but skeptical paleontologist. The team is tasked with infiltrating a forbidden island, a haunting remnant of the original Jurassic Park project. Their objective? Retrieve the DNA of the three largest surviving species—one each from land, sea, and air—to create a drug that could transform medicine. But as the trailer quickly reveals, this mission is anything but routine.
A Glimpse into Terror:
Much of the trailer’s tension stems from the reveal of the island itself—lush, atmospheric, and teeming with danger. The team’s initial awe quickly devolves into terror as they stumble upon grotesque remnants of failed experiments: malformed dinosaurs left to evolve in isolation. Among these creatures lurks the film’s primary antagonist, the Distortus rex—a horrifying, alien-like T. rex with six limbs, seemingly engineered for survival at any cost.
With chilling creature design that departs from traditional dinosaur aesthetics, Rebirth looks to evoke both wonder and fear. The ambition of scientists led to the creation of the Distortus rex. Fans of Gareth Edwards’ signature visual style will likely be satisfied by the trailer’s atmospheric direction and haunting imagery.
Human Drama Meets Prehistoric Peril:
Scarlett Johansson’s Zora appears as the emotional anchor, balancing grit and vulnerability. Mahershala Ali exudes authority and quiet intensity, while Jonathan Bailey offers a grounded, intellectual counterpoint to the high-adrenaline narrative. Their dynamic—rife with ethical conflict and reluctant camaraderie—promises to elevate the film beyond simple monster mayhem.