There’s been a weird lack of excitement surrounding the fact that we’re getting another Jurassic Park sequel next year. Sure, it was kind of like that last time around, and Universal’s approach to dropping the first trailer has been, to say the very least, bizarre (We don’t need six trailers for the trailer! Come on!).
But after much hoopla, the first trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom dropped Thursday night during the Falcons/Saints game on NBC, and it’s packed with excitement! Explosions! Dinosaurs! Chris Pratt! Jeff Goldblum!
Hey, at least Colin Trevorrow isn’t directing.
Yes, that’s right, he’s handed the director’s chair over to J.A. Bayona, who made one truly excellent little film — The Orphanage, back in 2007 — and disappointed with his later work, The Impossible, which at least proved he had the skills for filming large-scale disaster movies. We don’t necessarily know if this tickles our nostalgia bone as well as it thinks it’s doing, but we like dinosaurs, so it’s not totally like we care! Pratt still feels slightly miscast, but it’s great to see Bryce Dallas Howard being given more to do and we always will love us some Ian Malcolm (nice beard, Goldblum). Logistics and, well, logic be damned, it seems like kind of a fun idea for a sequel! Who knows anything anymore, except that it’s going to make a shitload of money.
Here’s a synopsis that’s light on the details and full of studio hand-waving:
With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before. Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return alongside executive producers Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow for Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Pratt and Howard are joined by co-stars James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, while BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles.
Directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), the epic action-adventure is written by Jurassic World’s director, Trevorrow, and its co-writer, Derek Connolly. Producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley once again partner with Spielberg and Trevorrow in leading the team of filmmakers for this stunning installment. Belén Atienza joins the team as a producer.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hits theaters on June 22.
Featured image and summary via Collider.