Why Edgar Wright Walked Away from JUASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH for His Dream Project
It turns out that Edgar Wright actually passed on directing the massive 2025 dinosaur spectacle Jurassic World: Rebirth, and the reason is because there was another project he was much more passionate about.
Wright had been developing The Running Man for years. Not as a redo of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, but as a faithful adaptation of the 1982 Stephen King novel he grew up loving. While Rebirth promised box office glory, The Running Man was something he’s been a fan of since he was young, and he wasn’t going to let that go.
When Universal came knocking with Rebirth, Wright was already deep into The Running Man. Even though that choice looks risky in hindsight the film had a rocky box office start while Rebirth raked in $868.8 million on a $225 million budget he knew exactly where his heart was.
Speaking to The Wrap, Wright explained why he stepped away from the Jurassic World opportunity. He said he turned down Rebirth because he "knew that [The Running Man] was a possibility." He went on to recall discovering King’s book as a teenager and immediately imagining the movie he wanted to see.
Here is what he shared about that early spark: "Even then, reading it as a teenager, before I even knew that I wanted to be a director, you visualize the movie in your head like you do when you read stuff," he recalled. "When I saw the 1987 movie, I realized that it was a very loose adaptation of the book and only really kept a couple of elements."
That disconnect between book and film is what motivated Wright for decades. Bringing King’s original story to life was a long-held vision that he just wasn’t willing to pause.
Wright may have stepped aside, but he still nudged the Jurassic World franchise in the direction that ultimately became Rebirth. He recommended The Creator director Gareth Edwards to producers Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall. Wright even personally encouraged Edwards to look into the gig.
As Wright remembered: "I said, 'Hey, has your agent talked to you about Jurassic World yet?' He goes, 'No, are they doing a new one?' I said, 'You should call your agent.' Literally a week later, he's announced as doing it,"
Edwards’ film attempted a stripped down, back to basics feel but quickly struggled with critics. Coming off the messy Jurassic World Dominion, the franchise was already wobbling creatively, and Rebirth didn’t change that narrative. It made money, but the response was lukewarm.
Wright turned down a financially successful but critically underwhelming blockbuster for a project that landed the opposite. The Running Man didn’t open strong, especially with Predator: Badlands crushing the box office just before it hit theaters, but critics responded slightly better to Wright’s adaptation.
It’s a fascinating crossroads, but I think everything worked out great for both projects. I just don’t see Wright making a movie like Jurassic World. The Running Man was definitly more his speed.