Having somehow lost Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow to little-known indie franchiseStar Wars, Universal has enlisted J.A. Bayona to direct the inevitable sequel. Bayona officially inked a (hopefully dinosaur-sized) deal on Monday, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The director is perhaps best known for the 2012 tsunami drama The Impossible, starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, and the scary AF The Orphanage.
Bayona was initially "courted" by the studio last year, but was bound to a deal with Paramount for the equally inevitableWorld War Z 2. In January, however, Bayona was officially out of the zombie sequel and immediately available for improbable dinosaur action. For the tentatively titled Jurassic World 2, Bayona will direct from a script co-written by Derek Connolly and aforementioned Star Wars recruit Trevorrow.
Though original Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are expected to return for the sequel, one continued absence from the revived Jurassic Park universe is starting to frustrate devoted Jurassic heads. Jeff Goldblum, most known for being Jeff Goldblum and giving the first two Jurassic films their charm, was confronted about possibly hopping back into dino-infested waters for a future sequel. His answer, of course, was decidedly Goldblum-esque. "What movie doesn't need a little seasoning of Goldblum?" the living legend joked to Fandango last week before ultimately admitting his return was pretty unlikely.
Jurassic World 2, which will apparently feature little to no Goldblum, arrives in theaters on June 22, 2018.
