Although the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World series considered themselves family-friendly franchises, support for an R-rated sequel would actually destroy director Steven Spielberg's perfect vision. Based on the novels by Michael Crichton, readers noticed Spielberg took liberties with the darker tone of the source material, which seemed to set the pace for the movies he directed and every film afterward. However, as the series evolves and Jurassic World: Dominion supposedly concludes the “Jurassic era,” it is possible that a more adult-oriented Jurassic World project could happen.
After Jurassic World: Dominion premiered, series director and co-writer Colin Trevorrow was asked about the possibility of an R-rated spinoff. Lamenting what it meant for the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies, Trevorrow said [via Collider]: “...if we made a hard R really scary version, potentially very contained, I know I'd want to see that movie.” However, Trevorrow also acknowledged: “If a parent took their kid to that movie and horrified them for life, I know that would be a problem.” Since the first two Spielberg movies debuted, the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films have never surpassed a PG-13 rating, proving popular among audiences of all ages despite their suggested parental guidance.
Although Jurassic Park is a series that invokes nightmares of being hunted by some of the most frightening wildlife to have evolved, there’s a reason why many consider Spielberg’s take on the series “perfect” and why it proved successful. Everybody loves dinosaurs; they capture the imagination of adults and children like few animals have. Spielberg knew to be true to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park books but highlighted specific elements of his novels to make them palatable and enjoyable to a more age-inclusive audience. Embracing wonder as much as terror and making an adventure most people can enjoy (albeit with a bit of parental guidance) are hallmarks Spielberg established with a purpose. By making the Jurassic World films R-rated, Universal could potentially derail a brand that launched with a family-friendly appeal and upset this vision. However, the question remains if Universal would risk producing an R-rated Jurassic World film.
Will An R-Rated Jurassic World Sequel Ever Happen?
While less dark and violent than Michael Crichton's novels, Steven Spielberg honored Jurassic Park’s ideas and story while making it appropriate for a wider audience. Both Crichton and Spielberg understood children love dinosaurs as much as adults, so giving them a voice in Jurassic Park’s stories was almost paramount, able to convey the amazement of seeing live dinosaurs and the terror of being dwarfed by them. Spielberg always intended this series to have as many terrifying moments (such as Jurassic Park’s T-Rex escape scene) as there are heartwarming ones (like the “Do-you-think-he-saurus” joke) to create a balanced experience. Because Jurassic Park and Jurassic World could juggle humor, horror, and wonder without depending on too much gore or adult content, it was accessible to almost everyone. Jurassic Park pushed boundaries, but not in a way that felt inappropriate for the audiences Spielberg wanted to reach. If Jurassic World made an R-rated sequel, the series would likely alienate the younger viewers responsible for its success and distance itself from what made the movies great.
Despite more adult-oriented projects based on Crichton's works like Westworld showing popularity, with almost three decades of success founded on marketing to a diverse age demographic, an R-rated Jurassic World project probably will not materialize. Able to expand to toys, collectibles, and Jurassic Park TV spinoffs, it’s unlikely Universal would push their luck with even Trevorrow dubious about the idea. After all, Jurassic Park was an adventure over 65 million years in the making but one intended to be experienced by all ages.