The larger “Jurassic” franchise has grossed $6 billion collectively across six movies spanning over 30 years. What’s more, the average budget for these films is $130 million, which is a bargain relative to what they pull in ($1 billion on average a piece), especially when looking at how expensive franchise films tend to be these days (with $200 million having become more of a rule than an exception). To that end, “Fallen Kingdom” was made for $170 million, while “Dominion” cost $165 million despite having to endure costly setbacks due to the pandemic.
What little we do know about this new film is that it’s expected to launch the next “era” for the franchise. That implies that characters like Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing won’t be the focus. It also means Universal probably won’t have to pay higher cast salaries that come with sequels to successful films. So, it can probably, once again, keep the budget below $200 million, which sets the studio up for success. The math simply makes too much sense to ignore.
“Dominion” is a bit of an elephant in the room. Yes, it’s one of very few movies to reach the coveted $1 billion box office milestone since the pandemic began. That said, the critical reception is hard to ignore and, even amongst general moviegoers, the reception felt soft compared to the first two “Jurassic World” films. Not only that, but the film ended with dinosaurs living in the world amongst humans. Where can the story go if this is a continuation? Are they going to run the risk of jumping the shark? Possibly. But Koepp’s involvement suggests things are moving in a different direction. For now, it’s not worth speculating on the specifics.