Universal reportedly wants J.A. Bayona to direct another Jurassic World sequel

As Universal continues to steer the Jurassic World franchise away from its more bewildering creative choices, especially after Jurassic World Rebirth was received somewhat favorably for not taking a locust-festooned approach, the studio is reportedly looking for a capable director to keep things on track. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Universal is keeping a shortlist for its next Jurassic helmer, and the name at the top of its list is J.A. Bayona, the genre-meister whose familiarity with disaster movies (The Impossible), monster movies (A Monster Calls), and disaster-monster movies (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) would seemingly make him Universal’s smartest, safest choice. This sense of franchise stability extends to the script for this currently unnamed sequel by Jurassic vet David Koepp, with Rebirth‘s Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey all expected to return to gawk incredulously at the franchise’s next genetically preposterous carnivore, should their respective schedules allow it.