With the recent release of Jurassic World Rebirth, the Jurassic franchise continues to be one of Hollywood's biggest and most consistent box-office earners, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars off the inherent appeal of dinosaurs. The latest inclusion of director Gareth Edwards also shows that the series is willing to experiment and branch out in terms of directors, a facet that is largely needed if the series has any hopes of continued success in the future.
As much as films like Rebirth and Jurassic World Dominion have made money, they have also been largely divisive, if not outright hated by audiences and critics alike, lessening the brand appeal of the franchise more and more with each entry. While Edwards is a step in the right direction, the Jurassic franchise truly needs one of several compelling directors to further breathe life in hopes of bringing back the alluring excitement of its biggest entries. While several of these choices may seem unlikely or even impossible, each of them could make a major shift in how the Jurassic franchise is perceived.
10 Steven Caple Jr.
Most Recent Film: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' (2023)
While he isn't behind a large number of movies, the specific types of movies that Steven Caple Jr. has directed paint an effective picture for being a great pick as a director for the Jurassic franchise. His most notable releases have been the latest live-action film in the Transformers franchise, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, as well as taking the mantle from Ryan Coogler for the Creed franchise in Creed II.
Caple has shown to have effective experience not only in modern installments of action-packed reboots of classic properties, but Rise of the Beasts has shown that he can create compelling action around massive-scale characters and creatures. Whether it's a new starting point and perspective for a Jurassic film or a sequel to Rebirth, the fact that Caple was able to breathe life and create one of the best Transformers movies after a slump in the franchise shows that he could hopefully do the same for Jurassic.
9 Jon Turteltaub
Most Recent Film: 'The Meg' (2018)
While he hasn't directed a film in 7 years, Jon Turteltaub's line of work and sense of personality within his action films fit the bill perfectly in terms of what could make for a great entry in the Jurassic franchise. The easiest point of comparison comes from that of his most recent film, as The Meg is a similar horror-adjacent action film about people attempting to survive a giant creature. However, Turteltaub has also directed an array of other beloved adventure films, including both National Treasure films and Cool Runnings.
While it's certainly a bit more goofy and over-the-top than the Jurassic films, Turteltaub's work on The Meg provides the exact sense of scale and weight placed upon the massive, prehistoric creature that Jurassic has been looking for from its dinosaurs. Both The Meg and the Jurassic franchise have also shown massive legs and strength in international markets, so it shows that Turteltaub can continue to be at the forefront of one of the Jurassic franchise's biggest lasting strengths.
8 Jaume Collet-Serra
Most Recent Film: 'The Woman in the Yard' (2025)
Jaume Collet-Serra's filmography is easily among the most varied and versatile in Hollywood, ranging from low-budget horror films like Orphan and The Woman in the Yard to classic Liam Neeson action films like The Commuter and Run All Night. For the purposes of directing a Jurassic film, however, Collet-Serra's directing of fun, high-energy action films like Carry-On, Black Adam, and Jungle Cruise shows that he has the capabilities to bring a lot of energy to the Jurassic franchise.
While not every film that Collet-Serra has directed is great, his filmography features a lot of inherent qualities that make him a great pick for a Jurassic film. Most interesting is that a dinosaur film would allow Collet-Serra to combine his experience with both action franchises and horror filmmaking, making for a glorious mix of his talents. Considering just how much the Jurassic movies have drifted away from their great horror moments, an approach that more brilliantly blends tense horror moments with compelling action could be exactly what the franchise needs to stay fresh.
7 Justin Lin
Most Recent Movie: 'F9' (2021)
The Jurassic franchise is far from the only massive moneymaker that Universal Studios has been focusing on in recent memory, as their other massive worldwide blockbuster franchise has been The Fast and the Furious. While various directors have taken the mantle, the single director most prominently associated with the franchise is Justin Lin, directing entries such as Fast Five, F9: The Fast Saga, and Fast and Furious 6. On top of this, he has also found success in other blockbuster franchises by directing Star Trek Beyond.
While the goofy, nonsensical and ludicrously over-the-top nature of Justin Lin's Fast and the Furious films may seem like the exact opposite of the Jurassic franchise, these two sagas have much more in common than one would think. Both franchises have found success by largely ignoring the critical reception and creating increased spectacle and flair with their action setpieces. Justin Lin's filmmaking style still has an inherent luster that makes the goofiest films work, with this specific style begging to be utilized for a wild dinosaur-filled film.
6 James Mangold
Most Recent Movie: 'A Complete Unknown' (2024)
James Mangold has a wildly versatile filmography that ranges from award-winning dramas and music films to compelling action blockbusters and continuations of beloved action films. Most importantly to the conversation about the Jurassic franchise, films like Ford v Ferrari, Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny show Mangold's capabilities in action filmmaking. If operating at the height of his directing abilities, it's easy to see that a Jurassic film with him at the helm could help revolutionize the franchise for the better.
The most direct point of comparison and parallel between Mangold's filmography and the Jurassic franchise is how he took the mantle of the Indiana Jones franchise from Steven Spielberg. And while Dial of Destiny wasn't the most beloved or successful entry in the franchise, none of the faults with the film can be credited to Mangold's directing approach. If given the opportunity to make a more mature and grounded Jurassic film, Mangold would be a great choice for director.
5 Dan Trachtenberg
Most Recent Movie: 'Predator: Killer of Killers' (2025)
After initially making a name for himself by directing the surprise smash hit 10 Cloverfield Lane, Dan Trachtenberg has become one of the most dynamic and celebrated action-horror directors of recent memory with his work on Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and the upcoming Predator: Badlands. Trachtenberg's tension-fueled and action-packed style of directing helped revitalize the Predator franchise from a wide array of lackluster sequels, so it only makes sense that he could accomplish a similar feat with the Jurassic franchise.
Teachtenberg's great approach to directing not only adds a lot of impact and weight to the titular aliens but also features compelling human characters that the audiences want to root for. It's this exact type of mature, R-rated approach to horror-action that has a respect for the audience that the Jurassic franchise has been clamoring for. While he's been busy with the Predator franchise, it's easy to see how Jurassic World would flourish under Trachtenberg's vision.
4 Adam Wingard
Most Recent Movie: 'Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire' (2024)
While Adam Wingard initially made massive waves through his array of dynamic horror shorts as well as great genre-bending horror films like You're Next and The Guest, his recent work has been much larger in scale with Godzilla vs Kong and its sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. These recent kaiju blockbusters are fully in line with a sense of over-the-top, ludicrous action with a massive scale and beautiful effects, an approach that can seamlessly translate to a Jurassic film.
Wingard's previous experience with compelling horror films also helps a great deal in terms of balancing the horror and action that are crucial to the Jurassic movies to work. While Wingard's films may not be the most critically acclaimed, his MonsterVerse efforts have been massive hits that feel tailor-made for their audiences, which is exactly what the Jurassic franchise needs after some lukewarm recent entries.
3 Michael Matthews
Most Recent Movie: 'Love and Monsters' (2020)
While Michael Matthews may only have a single notable film in his filmography with Love and Monsters, it is such a shockingly compelling breath of fresh air as a monster adventure film that Matthews would be a perfect fit for a Jurassic film. With a relatively low budget of only $30 million, Matthews weaves together an exceptionally well-crafted adventure film with visually compelling monsters inhabiting the world around them and causing chaos.
The film offers almost the exact cathartic excitement that fans wanted out of Jurassic World Dominion, so why not give Matthews the budget, scale, and potential of the Jurassic franchise? Matthews' directing plays a major part in what makes Love and Monsters work so well as a monster adventure, ironically taking a lot of inspiration from the original Jurassic Park with its approach to tension, action, and characterization. Matthews also doesn't seem to have any projects currently announced, so it seems like the perfect time to swoop him up and give him a chance to make a Jurassic film.
2 Steven Spielberg
Most Recent Movie: 'The Fabelmans' (2022)
While there are a wide array of possibilities when it comes to bringing new blood into the franchise and revitalizing it for the modern era, it's simultaneously as compelling to return to the very beginning and imagine if Steven Spielberg directed a new Jurassic film. Spielberg's reputation as a directing icon precedes him, whether it be the first two films in the Jurassic franchise, or the wide array of other great adventure movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, and Jaws.
While Spielberg has continued to be an executive producer of the franchise, he hasn't directed a Jurassic film since The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997. After nearly 30 years, it would certainly be a breath of fresh air to see what Spielberg could accomplish with all of the modern technology and innovations. If it even comes close to recapturing the magic of the original film, it would absolutely be an experience worth watching. It's easily the least likely pipe dream to see Spielberg return, but fans will always hold out hope for the possibility.
1 Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Most Recent Film: 'Kong: Skull Island' (2017)
The latest Jurassic film is an adventure of a dynamic cast traveling to an abandoned island filled with prehistoric creatures, a classic story approach for the franchise. However, as far as classic jungle island adventure movies with prehistoric creatures are considered, the best of recent memory is undeniably Kong: Skull Island, with director Jordan Vogt-Roberts playing a major part in its success. At times, the film feels like the perfect version of what a classic Jurassic adventure should be, making it easy to envision the type of mastery that Vogt-Roberts could create with a dinosaur film.
It's more than simply a high-budget adventure film that focuses on giant creatures. Vogt-Roberts imbues his filmmaking with a sense of heart, soul, and overall charm that feels reminiscent of the Jurassic franchise at its peak. Even though it's been 8 years since Kong: Skull Island graced screens and delighted audiences, it still holds true as a defining adventure film of recent memory, with this level of timelessness being a requirement if the Jurassic franchise wants to continue succeeding.
NEXT: Every 'Jurassic World' Movie, Ranked
