Summary
The worst installment of theJurassic Worldfranchise now holds the record for the most expensive movie ever produced, and its reception proves it squandered every penny. The franchise began withJurassic Parkin 1993, starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. It completed its original trilogy withJurassic Park IIIin 2001, leaving the franchise dormant until 2015, when it was reinvigorated withJurassic World.
TheJurassic Worldfilms completed their trilogy in 2022 withJurassic World: Dominion, with each entry earning over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Proving the series still has significant legs, theJurassic Worldfranchise trudges on withJurassic World: Rebirth, which is due out this summer. However, despite their profitability, each entry has a hefty price tag, and recent reports have proven the staggering dollar amounts. While initial reports had the budget lower, it now looks like the production costs ofJurassic World: Dominionmake it the most expensive movie ever.
HowJurassic World: DominionBecame The Most Expensive Movie Ever Produced
According to recent UK tax filings (viaForbes),Jurassic World: Dominioncame with a hefty price tag of $583.9 million, which makes it the most expensive movie in history. The UK government also gave the production $115 million thanks to its film tax relief program.The Guardianreported that sum as the largest amount ever given to a single film since the inception of the tax incentive in 2007. This broughtJurassic World: Dominion’sproduction costs down to $465 million, which is still the record for the most expensive movie ever.
Star Wars: The Force Awakensis in a close second with $447 million, though the dinosaur-themed franchise also holds the third spot, with 2018’sJurassic World: Fallen Kingdomhaving a reported production cost of $432 million. The films have proven immensely successful, as beyond the silver screen, there are Jurassic World toys, video games, and even apparel, proving that their financial returns likely outweigh the production costs.
Numerous factors likely led toJurassic World: Dominion’sinflated budget. The extensive cast was probably not cheap to assemble, as it brought back Neill, Dern, and Goldblum from theoriginalJurassic Parkfilmsand saw them meet up with the new cast, including Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.Dominionalso features a staggering amount of VFX, and with a franchise known for pioneering the field, it doesn’t come cheap to still look like the best. Furthermore, the movie was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, where the cast and crew were quarantined for months and followed costly restrictions to adhere to the new regulations. However, with as much money that went intoDominion, it still managed to waste every ounce of its potential.
Jurassic World: DominionSquandered Its Budget And Wasted Its Cast
Jurassic World: Dominionmay tout significant financial returns, as it earned just over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. However, that was also the lowest box office of theJurassic Worldfranchise, proving the film may have faltered in a few areas. The most glaring problem withDominionis the squandered cast. Since the start oftheJurassic Worldmovies, fans have been eager to see the cast of the originalJurassic Parkfilms join the new leads.Jurassic World: Dominionsaw that wish come to fruition, but the lackluster story and use of the characters ultimately left fans feeling disappointed. The characters often felt underutilized, and spent much of their time on uninteresting endeavors.
The story inJurassic World: Dominionalso missed the mark, spending much of its time investigating a mystery surrounding locust swarms engineered by Biosyn. While the evil plan was tied back to the themes of renegade bioengineering, it wasn’t the dinosaur-fueled action for which ticket buyers signed up. Many viewers were also looking to see the continuation of the dinosaurs running amok around the world following the events ofJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Some were not a fan of that plotline, butDominiononly gives audiences glimpses of the fallout surrounding it, focusing on the antics of Biosyn and a child’s kidnapping for much of its runtime.
While the visual effects and dinosaurs still measured up to some fans' expectations,Jurassic World: Dominiondidn’t please many. The film holds the franchise’s lowest Rotten Tomatoes score, with an abysmal 29%, showing the story’s direction wasn’t well crafted, and the returning cast was wasted.Jurassic World: Dominioneven hadan extended post-production phase, as it was delayed from theatrical release due to pandemic concerns. This meant that the creatives behind the project, like returning director Colin Trevorrow, were given significant time to ensure quality, yet the movie still missed the mark.
Jurassic World: RebirthNeeds To Prove It Learned FromDominion’sMistakes
Jurassic World: Rebirthis set to hit theaters in a few short weeks, bringing new dinosaur thrills to the big screen. Gareth Edwards, director ofGodzilla(2014) andRogue One: A Star Wars Story, helms a script by originalJurassic Parkscribe David Koepp. Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, and Mahershala Ali star in a story that will see the characters returning to an island setting, attempting to return to series roots while upping the ante. However, it must tread carefully, especially with some of its bigger ideas.
The movie is set to introduce the Distortus Rex, or D-Rex, a mutant T. rex with several limbs and a “Rancor”-esque appearance resulting from failed experimentation. While this idea is interesting, it feels reminiscent of the genetic experimentation plotlines the franchise has already navigated. The D-Rex has the problem of potentially feeling familiar despite looking unique. Furthermore, it causes concern that theJurassic Worldfranchise may be losing steam regarding creative new ideas to drive it forward.
However,Jurassic World: Rebirthmust learnfromDominion’smistakes, ensuring its new cast is well utilized, and the story offers viewers something fresh. The latest film could potentially be another billion-dollar box office success. Still, if it continues to disappoint likeJurassic World: Dominion, the franchise could be in jeopardy, especially when they boast such hefty price tags.
