Jurassic World hit theater screens just last year and was a success story by nearly every metric that matters in Hollywood. It reintroduced a franchise that had been absent from theater screens for 14 years and earned a whopping $1.67 billion in the process. (It's now sitting pretty as fourth highest worldwide earner of all time.) Despite some viscerally negative feedback from a vocal subset of fans and critics, it still managed to earn an overall positive response. Naturally, another chapter is in development

What little we know of the sequel so far involves its returning cast members, an apparently darker direction, exploration of "open source" dinosaur building, and a continuation of the moral themes that the series was built upon. Another important distinction is that this time, director J.A Bayona (A Monster Calls) will be at the helm.

While promoting his latest film, Cinemablend asked Bayona about his reasons for joining the Jurassic franchise.

"I always try to find material that will bring an aspect of learning. Always look for a challenge. I don't want to do films that you know how to do in advance. And I think, after doing three intense movies with The Orphanage, The Impossible and A Monster Calls, it was very exciting to be involved in a big Hollywood film before. And I am working with Steven Spielberg and that's always very exciting. And I'm sure it's going to be a learning experience, and it's always very exciting to be working with people that you've seen their movies, but I'm always looking for learning experiences, and I'm sure this will be the same."

J-A-Bayona - A Monster Calls set

Hollywood has recently made a habit of hiring up-and-coming directors for major tentpole films. This is as much a cost cutting measure as it is an effort to ensure that fresh artistic visions are emerging to appeal to younger crowds. Some of Jurassic World's detractors faulted director Colin Trevorrow for what they saw as amateurish aspects of the film. (In Trevorrow's defense, his chance at the big league came after only directing a single, indie feature film, Safety Not Guaranteed.)

Bayona, by contrast, has several titles under his belt. The Jurassic World sequel will certainly be the biggest he's directed yet, but his work on A Monster Calls has given him both experience with larger than life special effects and a Spielberg-esque sense of child-like wonder. With any luck, the project will not only develop his craft but also result in an even more universally loved chapter of the franchise.

Are you excited to see what Bayona brings to the table for the next Jurassic film? Let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on the film as they hit.

Source: Cinemablend

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