Gareth Edwards in final talks to direct new Jurassic World story

Gareth Edwards is in final negotiations to direct the new 'Jurassic World' movie.

The 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' filmmaker reportedly spent the last weeks in talks with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment after a deal couldn't be reached with David Leitch for him to helm the upcoming film, which is due to be released on 2 July 2025.

According to Deadline, Gareth is said to have impressed producers Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall and they have made him an offer, with pe-production expected to step up when a deal is sealed.

The film is thought to be launching a "new Jurassic era" with a brand-new storyline, seemingly ruling out returns for the 'Jurassic World' characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.

The characters played by Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are also unlikely to feature in the new film after the trio returned for the 2022 film 'Jurassic World Dominion'.

The upcoming film will be the seventh in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, although 'Jurassic World Dominion' director Colin Trevorrow claimed that the sequels should never have been made after his movie was met with negative reviews.

He told Empire magazine: "There probably should have only been one 'Jurassic Park' – but if we're gonna do it, how can I allow them to tell stories in a world which dinosaurs exist, as opposed to, here's another reason why we're going to an island?"

Trevorrow explained that he tried to attempt something different with the plot to bring the trilogy to a close.

He said of the film: "I specifically did something different than the other films in order to change the DNA of the franchise. The previous five films are plots about dinosaurs. This one is a story about characters in a world in which they coexist with dinosaurs."