In 1993, Jurassic Park scared its way into cinemas. The film – an adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel of the same name – told the story of a dinosaur-themed adventure park, which goes into disarray when the main attractions get loose.
In the movie, industrialist John Hammond has plans to open a dino-wonderland known as Jurassic Park, but his investors are concerned. They want reassurances that everything is running as smoothly as possible before the grand opening, prompting Hammond to invite a number of guests to check out the facilities.
But when the Park’s defence system is sabotaged and the dinosaurs escape their enclosures, Jurassic Park becomes a nightmare environment. The result is chaos, carnage, and a clear understanding that humans should not play god with extinct species.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, and released during the summer blockbuster season of ’93, Jurassic Park was a huge hit when it made its debut. Critics loved it, audiences did too, and the film became a box-office smash.
Due to the success of Jurassic Park, a sequel soon followed. This was then accompanied by further films, building up a collection of big budget movies in the process.
But if you’re new to the Jurassic Park film series, you may be asking yourself how many Jurassic Park movies are there? You may also be asking what is the order of the Jurassic Park movies?
Well, below you’ll find a run-through of the Jurassic Park movie series to help fill in the details. From the original film through to all of the sequels, here you’ll find everything you need to know.
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The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films in order
Jurassic Park (1993)
As noted above, the first entry in the Jurassic Park movie series arrived in 1993. The film – which starred Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum – was set on the tropical island of Isla Nublar, which is home to the dino-themed attraction, Jurassic Park.
In the film, Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm are invited to the island to take a look at the facility. All three are experts in their field, and park owner John Hammond believes they will give an honest opinion about Jurassic Park, and more specifically about the living, breathing dinosaurs that reside within.
However, none of the trio are able to stop outside forces which cause the dinosaurs to become loose. The creatures then rampage through the park, leading to a fight for survival for Grant and Co.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
With Jurassic Park being so successful, a sequel was soon put into production. Loosely based on Michael Crichton’s novel, The Lost World, the similarly titled The Lost World: Jurassic Park, picked up a few years after the events of its predecessor, with Dr. Ian Malcolm encountering yet more deadly dinosaurs.
In the movie, John Hammond invites Ian to his home to discuss the tragedy at Jurassic Park. During their discussion, John reveals that a second dinosaur facility exists on the island of Isla Sorna (known as ‘Site B’), and this is where Ian’s girlfriend, paleontologist Dr. Sarah Harding is currently conducting some research.
Upon hearing about Sarah, Ian reluctantly sets off to the island to retrieve her. However, when he arrives, he discovers a team of mercenaries, led by Hammond’s company, InGen, are also on the island rounding up dinosaurs.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
With the first two Jurassic Park movies proving profitable, a third film was given the green light, arriving in cinemas in 2001 under the title, Jurassic Park III. In this movie, it has been eight years since the events of Jurassic Park, and palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant is struggling to find funding for his latest research project.
After being approached by seemingly wealthy couple, Paul and Amanda Kirby, Alan is presented with an opportunity. The Kirbys want to hire Alan as a guide for a trip around the island of Isla Sorna, and they will pay him handsomly.
Although Alan is very reluctant to accept the proposal, and he even points out he has never visited Isla Sorna (only Isla Nublar), he eventually agrees to their offer. However, as he soon discovers, the Kirbys are not telling him the truth about their trip, resulting in another encounter with dinosaurs.
Jurassic World (2015)
Although Jurassic Park III was another box-office success, the film received mixed reviews. As such, the series went on hiatus for the next 14 years, until it was revived in 2015 under a new title, Jurassic World.
Picking up the story in real-time, it is now 22 years since the events of Jurassic Park, and billionaire Simon Masrani has revived the concept of a dinosaur theme park on Isla Nublar. However, unlike Jurassic Park, which never opened to the public, Jurassic World is fully operational and thriving.
But things soon sour when the park’s newest attraction, a genetically altered dinosaur called the Indominus Rex gets loose. Plans are put in place to retrieve the dinosaur, but the problem only worsens, leading to Park employees Claire Dearing and Owen Grady being the only people who may be able to bring the situation to an end.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Three years after the events of Jurassic World, a United States Senate committee debates the ethics of preserving the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, with specific reference to an impending volcanic eruption that will wipe out the remaining creatures. Meanwhile, Claire Dearing has established the Dinosaur Protection Group – a special organisation designed to safeguard the dinosaurs from Jurassic World.
After becoming part of a rescue mission to save the dinosaurs, Claire and Owen Grady, soon discover a sinister plot to sell the dinos on the black market. They also uncover details relating to human cloning.
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Four years after the retrieval of the dinosaurs from Isla Nublar, many dinos now freely roam the Earth. As such, various global efforts are put in place to control them, with Biosyn Genetics leading the way by establishing a dinosaur preserve.
But Biosyn Genetics has ulterior motives, and while the company appears to be helping contain the dinosaur situation, it is secretly creating a new problem which will threaten the existence of life on the planet. In order to stop them, Claire Dearing and Owen Grady join forces with Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)
Picking up five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, Earth’s environment has proved inhospitable for dinosaurs. The surviving dinos now live in remote locations.
Meanwhile, covert operative Zora Bennett is recruited by a pharmaceutical company to work with a team tasked with infiltrating a remote island to locate the DNA of three species of dinosaur. However, once on the island, they discover it is now home to failed, mutated dinos.
The Jurassic Park/World movies in order
To date there are seven entries in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movie series. Should you wish to watch the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies in order, simply follow this list:
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- Jurassic Park III (2001)
- Jurassic World (2015)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
- Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
- Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)
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Who are the cast of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies and are the films the work of the same director?
Notable cast members within the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movie series include Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, BD Wong, Bob Peck, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Wayne Knight, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Vince Vaughn, Peter Stormare, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, Judy Greer, Vincent D’Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, DeWanda Wise, Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Ed Skrein.
In terms of the directors, the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies are the work of the following:
- Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- Joe Johnston directed Jurassic Park III
- Colin Trevorrow directed Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Dominion
- J.A. Bayona directed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
- Gareth Edwards directed Jurassic World: Rebirth
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What is the best Jurassic Park movie?
According to IMDb the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies are rated as follows:
- Jurassic Park (1993) – 8.2/10
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – 6.6/10
- Jurassic Park III (2001) – 5.9/10
- Jurassic World (2015) – 6.9/10
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) – 6.1/10
- Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) – 5.6/10
- Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – Not yet rated
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I hope this information about the Jurassic Park / Jurassic World film series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series on It’s A Stampede!, please check out one of the recommended reads below.
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