Jurassic World Faces Major Setback as Director David Leitch Abandons Project Within Days of Announcement in Surprise Move
David Leitch, known for his work on films like John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and more, was reportedly set to direct a new movie, and potentially a new trilogy, in the Jurassic World franchise. The news of Leitch’s involvement has sparked debates as some believe the Jurassic World franchise should be left alone. However, it appears he will no longer be part of the film despite the announcement being made just a few days ago.
The news of David Leitch’s recruitment had sparked division among film fans. Many feel that there have been enough Jurassic World movies, and there was uncertainty about Leitch’s suitability to direct a film in the franchise. Obviously, that is no longer a concern fans have since he is no longer at the Director’s chair.
David Leitch No Longer Directing Jurassic World
According to Deadline, Universal is searching for a new director for its upcoming Jurassic World movie, as David Leitch is no longer in talks for the role. It was reported that the parting was amicable, with the studio and Leitch having different visions for the film. Despite this change, Universal is committed to its July 2, 2025, release date.
David Koepp, who wrote the first two Jurassic Park films, has been tapped to write the script. The film is expected to offer a fresh perspective on the Jurassic era, with no return of Jurassic World cast members or original trilogy actors Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill.
Steven Spielberg will executive produce, and Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley will produce. The Jurassic franchise has generated over $6 billion globally across six movies, with the most recent installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, surpassing $1 billion at the global box office in 2022.
Nonetheless, we will have to wait and see who will end up becoming the new director. It is always a bad sign when a director ends up leaving a project so soon after their announcement, but fans are currently hoping the film will pull through and end up becoming a hit no matter what.
David Leitch Used Police Story To Help With Future Stunts
When asked about the Jackie Chan movies that influenced their films in a recent interview, Deadpool 2 director David Leitch mentioned the action classic Police Story as the quintessential film. Leitch revealed that he and others in the early days of his stunt career would cut out only the fight scenes from Jackie Chan movies and watch them on loop for hours.
“At the beginning of my stunt career, we would cut his action scenes from each movie on a loop on VHS, and we would just play them over and over. Sadly we cut out all the dialogue scenes. Only the fight scenes. We come home, order a pizza, and watch this thing for like three and a half hours.”
David Leitch emphasized that Jackie Chan remains the unrivaled master of action storytelling, and this exercise helped imprint that style within him.
