Jurassic World: Dominion has received a PG-13 rating for violence and language. All of the Jurassic franchise films have received the PG-13 rating to date, originating with Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park in 1993. The trend continued for Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997 and again for the Joe Johnston-helmed Jurassic Park III in 2001. The new films in the series have also taken the coveted PG-13, including 2015's Jurassic World and 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
The latest film in the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, brings Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow back to the series, as well as World regulars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Omar Sy, and BD Wong. The film also sees the return of the original Jurassic Park cast, including Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, and Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler. The film picks up after the events of Fallen Kingdom, which sees the dinosaurs on the loose in the mainland, terrorizing the general populace, which has been revealed in the early trailers for the film.
Now, it appears that the MPA has given Jurassic World: Dominion the same PG-13 rating as the other films in the series, citing "Intense sequences of action, some violence and language" (per Bloody Disgusting). Previous entries received similar wording, with words like "violence, intense sci-fi terror, peril" but this is the first of the franchise to receive the rating for "language." While some mild profanity has been used in prior films, it's telling that it merits a warning for the latest installment.
The PG-13 rating was implemented in 1984 as a middle-ground rating between PG and R. The first film to receive a PG-13 was 1984's Red Dawn starring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen. Prior to the PG-13, most films with intense violence and language that didn't quite go all the way to an R-rating were given a PG. This all changed after the release of Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Joe Dante's Gremlins, both of which featured sequences of violence and gore that caused a rift in what could be agreed upon as "suitable for all ages." Today, the PG-13 is the most sought-after rating, as it allows a larger amount of creative freedom without going to extremes and keeps the door open for all audiences (i.e. more profit) on any given film with the rating.
It would have been a shock if Jurassic World: Dominion received anything other than a PG-13 at this point. A PG would seem far too mild for a film about dinosaurs rampaging across Earth, devouring humans, and causing general dismay and destruction. As for the language aspect, it seems apropos to the film's narrative, as there are all manner of profanity-laced reactions one might have to seeing and/or being chased by a dinosaur. The Jurassic franchise was never meant as an all-ages-style story, especially when considering author Michael Crichton's original novel, which was often referred to as "Jaws on land." Ironically, Spielberg directed Jurassic Park, having previously directed Jaws, which received a PG rating at the time of release in 1975. Jurassic World: Dominion starts running and screaming into theaters on June 10th, 2022.
Source: MPA (via Bloody Disgusting)
