A day after Jurassic World officially became the third highest-grossing film of all time – surpassing The Avengers – Universal has set the date for a sequel to the blockbuster. The follow-up is set to open 22 June 2018.
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow isn’t set to return to the director’s chair (no director has been confirmed yet), but he will co-write the screenplay with Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed). Actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have both signed on to the sequel, with Steven Spielberg again executive producing through his Amblin Entertainment banner.
It will become the fifth film in the franchise although the second and third films were not referenced in the most recent sequel. Pratt has a busy slate ahead of him with Marvel sequel Guardians of the Galaxy 2, western remake The Magnificent Seven and sci-fi drama Passengers, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, all on the way.
When asked about his future with the dinosaur franchise in June, he joked with Entertainment Weekly that he’s signed on for “38 movies or something.”
Since opening, Jurassic World has grossed over $1.5bn in theaters, with over $610m in the US alone. It’s helped studio Universal manage a record year, with Fast & Furious 7 and Fifty Shades of Grey also boasting stellar worldwide numbers.
- This article was amended on 24 July 2015. We mistakenly commented that Jurassic World had claimed the all-time box office top spot from The Avengers although it is actually in third place. This has been corrected.
