Jurassic World Rebirth has made quite a splash in its marketing campaign, clearly signaling a return to the beloved origins of the summer blockbuster that has evolved into a sprawling franchise. The film's title itself is a direct nod to this nostalgic journey. Recently released promotional material, including a trailer that doubles as a behind-the-scenes featurette, seeks to clarify the film's mission statement, aiming to draw audiences back into theaters with the promise of delivering the same exhilarating thrills that captivated fans of the original film, along with new surprises.

In the engaging featurette titled Classic Jurassic, the films stars, including Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey (known for his work in Wicked and Final Fantasy XIV), and Mahershala Ali (who earned acclaim for his role in Moonlight), emphasize that this new installment is going back to the basics. Their remarks reflect a conscious effort to cater to long-time fans of the franchise. The actors expressed their enthusiasm about how Jurassic World Rebirth will introduce a variety of new dinosaurs while simultaneously paying homage to the original film, presenting a classic survival story that aims to resonate with both nostalgia and excitement. A notable aspect of this film is its commitment to a more naturalistic cinematic quality, as it is being shot on traditional film, reminiscent of the original.

While the actors glowing endorsements are to be expected from those starring in a film following a trilogy that collectively grossed over $1 billion at the global box office, screenwriter David Koepp and director Gareth Edwards provided deeper insights into their motivations for creating this new film. Edwards noted that upon reading the script for Jurassic World Rebirth, he perceived it as a heartfelt tribute to the visionary original director, Steven Spielberg. This sentiment was echoed by Koepp, who expressed a shared reverence for Spielberg's foundational work in the franchise.

Additionally, the film promises to highlight comedic moments, with Koepp expressing particular enthusiasm for bringing to life a notorious underwater sequence that originated in the novels but had yet to be adapted for the big screen. The sequence with the raft was in the first novel, Jurassic Park, Koepp explained. One of the first things Steven and I said was, 'We gotta get that raft sequence in some place.'

Jurassic World Rebirth is set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, which featured Chris Pratt and a dinosaur-human hybrid clone girl. In this new chapter, humanity and dinosaurs coexist on the planet as unwitting roommates. However, the ecological landscape has become increasingly inhospitable for the dinosaurs, forcing the remaining vestiges of humanity to live on the outskirts of society.

To restore some form of balance in a world that opened Pandoras box decades ago, a specialized task force is tasked with harnessing the DNA of three distinct dinosaurs to create a life-saving drug. Naturally, these dinosaurs represent land, sea, and air varieties, making the acquisition of their DNA a perilous undertaking for the films heroes, who also find themselves pursued by a new bio-engineered monster dinosaur.

The film features Johansson in the role of Zora Bennett, a highly skilled covert ops specialist who leads Dr. Henry Loomis (played by Bailey) on the critical mission to secure his groundbreaking research. Meanwhile, Ali portrays Duncan Kincaid, Zoras trusted ally, and Rupert Friend plays Martin Krebs, a pharmaceutical executive entangled in the unfolding drama. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo completes the ensemble as Reuben Delgado, a father whose family becomes embroiled in the crew's dangerous exploits after a devastating shipwreck.

For anyone who loves the original Jurassic films, this is the movie for you, Bailey declared confidently. I know that it will bring back the wonder of seeing Jurassic Park for the first time. As anticipation builds, fans around the globe are hopeful that this new installment will live up to its ambitious promise to evoke the same sense of joy, awe, and thrill that characterized its predecessor, as it prepares to hit theaters on July 2.