J.A. Bayona leads race to direct next Jurassic World film

J.A. Bayona has emerged as the frontrunner to direct Universal's follow-up to Jurassic World Rebirth, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Spanish film-maker sits at the top of the studio's list for the sequel. He is not yet in formal talks to take the job, the trade publication reports.

The chair opened up when Gareth Edwards left the project over creative differences, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Edwards had directed Rebirth itself.

Jurassic World Rebirth reached cinemas in 2025. It starred Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey.

The film took US$869 million at the worldwide box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That total covers ticket sales in the United States and Canada, grouped as domestic, plus all overseas markets.

Universal is now building the next chapter around the same core team. The script comes from returning writer David Koepp, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Johansson, Ali and Bailey are expected to return, schedules permitting. Steven Spielberg and long-time franchise producer Frank Marshall remain involved in guiding the series, the trade publication reports.

Bayona knows this world well. He directed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

His other credits include the Oscar-nominated The Impossible from 2012 and Society of the Snow for Netflix. He also directed the first two episodes of Amazon's The Rings of Power series.

For fans, this points to a familiar hand rather than a fresh start. Bayona has already handled dinosaurs on a large canvas, and the studio appears keen to keep the Rebirth cast together.

No deal is signed. Universal hopes to begin shooting the sequel in 2027, according to Variety.