With the public's unwavering adoration of dinosaurs and the tantalizing possibility of the prehistoric beasts roaming the Earth once more, Jurassic Park has proven to be an incredibly successful franchise. The first four movies in the series brought in over $2 billion at U.S. box offices (adjusted for inflation), and the fifth film set for release in June 2018 is primed to be just as popular.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, the first Jurassic Park movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Sam Neill and Laura Dern as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant and paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler. Other notable stars include Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, and Wayne Knight.
InGen is a bioengineering company that has discovered how to clone dinosaurs. The cloned creatures are set to be the main attraction at the titular Jurassic Park theme park on Isla Nublar in Costa Rica. Prior to opening the park to the public, industrialist and InGen founder John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough) invites a number of guests to tour the attraction. However, things don't go exactly according to plan.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
A sequel to the first film and set four years later, 1997's The Lost World saw the return of Jeff Goldblum in the role of mathematician Ian Malcolm, as well as a cameo by Richard Attenborough's John Hammond. New characters are played by Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn, among others.
Whereas the dinosaurs in the first movie were meant to be confined within their enclosures, the bio-engineered dinosaurs on Isla Sorna have been roaming wild since the previous film. Two teams are sent to the secret location of InGen's 'Site B' for wildly different purposes. One team is there to research and document the free-roaming dinosaurs for science, whereas the other is there to capture the dinosaurs and bring them to San Diego to open a new Jurassic Park theme park.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
The first film in the series neither based on a novel by Michael Crichton nor directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park III has Sam Neill reprise his role as Dr. Alan Grant. He is joined by William H. Macy, Tea Leoni and Alessandro Nivola.
Jurassic Park III takes place on the same Isla Sorna as The Lost World. Dr. Grant begrudgingly accompanies a wealthy couple to the island under false pretenses. They are really in search of people who went missing several weeks ago. The entire party ends up at risk, surrounded by the iconic prehistoric creatures.
Jurassic World (2015)
Even though the word 'park' is replaced by 'world' in the title, Jurassic World is considered the fourth movie in the Jurassic Park franchise and the first in what will become a new film trilogy. It stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D'Onofrio.
Set on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, Jurassic World picks up 22 years after the conclusion of the original Jurassic Park movie. Through genetic engineering, the scientists have developed a whole new hybrid species. Whereas the original theme park failed before it even opened its doors to the public, the new Jurassic World attraction is open and is hugely successful. However, it's not long before disaster strikes.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
A sequel to the 2015 film and the fifth movie in the franchise, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom also stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. They are joined by Jeff Goldblum as he reprises his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Back on Isla Nublar, the dinosaurs have been freely roaming the island for several years. The predicted potential of an upcoming volcanic eruption now threatens the creatures and could wipe them out for good. A team is once again put together in hopes of saving the dinosaurs from a second extinction, but there may be another secret conspiracy going on behind the scenes.
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
As of summer 2018, there are a total of five Jurassic Park feature films. The franchise has sparked countless toys and related attractions over the years and it continues to capture the imaginations of audiences around the world. The yet-untitled third film in the Jurassic World trilogy is scheduled for release in June 2021.
