Tom Hanks predicted the Jurassic World franchise’s steep decline in quality and box office numbers way back in 2015 after the first film’s release. The franchise led by Chris Pratt had a dream opening with Jurassic World becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time. However, neither the filmmakers nor the actors could keep up the quality of the film.
Tom Hanks appeared alongside Steven Spielberg in a 2015 interview with Time to promote their film Bridge of Spies. He shared his thoughts when Spielberg was asked about the success of the Jurassic Park sequel franchise, Jurassic World, for which Spielberg served as an executive producer.
Tom Hanks Predicted The Fate Of Jurassic World Franchise In 2015
Steven Spielberg was excited for Colin Trevorrow when he directed the first film in the Jurassic World franchise into a mega success. When asked if the film exceeded his expectations, Spielberg shared that it not only exceeded his expectations but also those of the people who were skeptical about the film.
Audiences initially doubted Chris Pratt‘s ability to shoulder such a huge franchise role. They could only see the actor as the chubby Andy from Parks and Recreation. The faith in the actor was restored when he revealed his physical transformation for his Marvel role.
Spielberg also shared that the film exceeded the expectations of the studio as well as director Trevorrow. Spielberg was happy for Trevorrow since his first non-Sundance film made it big in the industry. Trevorrow’s first feature film was the docufilm Reality Show. Before Jurassic World, he also directed Safety Not Guaranteed, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
However, Tom Hanks had a more cautious take on the director’s success. He shared that Trevorrow may face problems with his next job. Hanks shared that the director had to come to terms with the fact that he would never top the first film. According to the Cast Away actor, all Trevorrow needed to do was create a good movie. Hanks shared with Time:
Now that guy’s got problems as far as his next job goes! He’s gotta accept the fact that he ain’t gonna top it. All he has to do is turn in a good movie and he’ll win, man. Talk about a sophomore jinx, man, his next gig.
Hanks was right in his prediction as the director dropped the ball with his next film. He removed himself as the director in the sequel film but stayed on as a writer. The Orphanage director J.A. Bayona took over as the director. It turned out that writing was one of the major issues in the film.
How Did Jurassic World Fall From Its Peak As Tom Hanks Predicted?
Under Bayona’s direction, the second film in the franchise, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, doubled down on its visual department. It became the second most expensive film ever made with a $432 million budget (via Collider). While it impressed with the visuals, the screenplay written by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly had several issues.
In the third film, Steven Spielberg asked Trevorrow to return to the director’s role. However, it went on to receive largely negative reviews. Despite being a below-average film, Jurassic World: Dominion managed to surpass the $1 billion mark with its box office collection (via The Numbers).
While Dominion was a definitive end for Owen Grady’s storyline, the franchise is all set for a reboot starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (via Deadline). Fans are not hopeful for the new reboot after they saw how far the franchise could fall from the peak in Dominion.
Jurassic World is available on Max, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is available on Hulu. Jurassic World: Dominion is now available on Starz.
