The Jurassic Park franchise is one of the most lucrative in cinematic history. With recent outings failing to live up to the critical hype, what is in store for the franchise in the future?
Released in 1993, Jurassic Park was unlike anything that had gone before. A tale of the dangers inherent when pitting science against nature, it was packed with action, a loaded scare factor and some of the best shot scenes ever to grace a screen. It continues to be popular, with new iterations and gaming adaptations. But can it ever regain the high standards set by the first outing, and what does it have in store in the coming year?
Jurassic Park’s Gaming Future
Long-term gamers may remember Konami’s thrilling outing, Dino Crisis, on the original PlayStation console. It melded the horror survival skills of Resident Evil with the prehistoric creatures of Jurassic Park, albeit without a license. Essentially, it is the game Jurassic Park fans have been waiting for a long time. Unfortunately, it seems they will have to continue waiting.
Arguably, the best games have come from mobile titles and puzzle games. Even the iGaming sector has been given fantastic Jurassic Park outings. In 2021, Microgaming remastered its 2014 online slot bearing the game’s license. This introduced new bonus modes based on the dinosaurs and player selection options, making it one of the best titles on the market. Reviews of online casinos that provide games such as these are easy to find in the United Kingdom. These websites provide lists of licensed casinos, meaning they have transparency, fairness and security at their core. You will also find many come with a range of bonuses, so you can actually try these games out without having to risk your own bankroll for a short time.
For fans of Jurassic Park on console and PC, the best of the bunch is the ‘Evolution’ series of games. These allow you to create your own Jurassic Park in a city builder-style format. You build the park, create the dinosaurs and hope they don’t escape. Recently, at their third iteration, it has been the second instalment which gained the highest ratings.
Jurassic Park on Streaming Services
The joy of streaming services is that when a new version of a franchise arrives, it allows viewers to go back and see what went before. This has caused a spike in the viewership of Jurassic Park instalments on streaming services over the last few months. Jurassic World Rebirth was the number one movie on Peacock. As it reached the giddy heights, the original movie took second place with three other movies cracking the top ten.
The franchise has not always been successful. The first two movies managed to gross $1.6 billion worldwide, but after the flop that was Jurassic Park III, the series went on a break. It was only rebooted in 2014 with Jurassic World. The last movie was the seventh in the series and arguably one of its most successful. It had David Koepp on board, who helped pen the first two movies, along with Steven Spielberg as executive producer.
For now, it seems unlikely that a television series is on the cards. Despite the last four films having tepid critic responses, they have done well at the box office. A series would allow much more character development in a format that would provide a new take on the genre. If this comes to be, it is unknown, and would be down to Universal.
Jurassic Park in the Real World
In other news, anyone planning to visit one of the Jurassic Park-themed attractions at Universal Studios may be disappointed in 2026. The company has announced that a wide range of attractions will be out of order for refurbishment throughout most of the calendar year.
This includes the Jurassic Park River Adventure attraction. It has been at the park since 1999, and includes many of the big characters from the original movies, such as the raptors and T Rex. It will be out of order for a whole year, which usually signals something much bigger than repairs. This could include major updates, which may introduce more dinosaurs seen in the sequels. It could also include new technologies to make the dinosaur encounters more realistic and terrifying.
It is not the only ride shutting down. Attractions themed around the Wizarding World and even horror rides like Revenge of the Mummy are closing for shorter periods. It is assumed these are just for repairs and maintenance.
The franchise continues to captivate and enthral. While it may not have reached the giddy heights and impact of the original movie, it is still available to watch and is being enjoyed by many. This is not just on the silver screen, but in many other media forms as well, meaning the future, or the distant past, looks promising.
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