A couple of years ago, rumors swirled that Universal Studios insiders were discussing the possibility of a crossover between two of their biggest franchises, Jurassic Park and Fast & Furious. The internet was set ablaze with memes, and stars from both franchises even (somewhat jokingly) weighed in. But now, with the release of Jurassic World Dominion imminent, it has become apparent what the true source of those rumors was: Jurassic World Dominion actually is Jurassic Park meets Fast & Furious.
Fast & Furious' Long, Winding Road To Becoming a Billion-Dollar Franchise
While the Fast & Furious franchise began in 2001, it didn't really become the series that audiences know today until 2009 with the release of the fourth film, simply titled Fast & Furious. This film solidified the team, bringing back fan favorites from across the previous three films' rotating cast of players, played up the getting-the-gang-back-together element of seeing Vin Diesel and Paul Walker onscreen together for the first time since that very first film, and leaned heavily into mythologizing the iconography of the series and turning it into a genuine serialized franchise.
Fast & Furious did huge business for Universal, and its sequel Fast Five, which quadrupled down on all of these elements (bringing back even more characters, turning the films into full-tilt international espionage blockbusters), made over a billion dollars at the box office and turned the series into a global phenomenon. It's also important to note that Fast Five was the first time the Fast & Furious franchise played its now infamous 'one last ride' card as part of the marketing, insinuating this film could be the finale. It has now used this trick for nearly every subsequent film.
Jurassic World Dominion Leans into Fast & Furious' Trademark Techniques
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The trailers for Jurassic World Dominion have made it increasingly apparent that not only the marketing but the film itself is taking some very strong cues from the Fast & Furious playbook. The most crucial aspect is the return of original Jurassic Park cast members Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, all united onscreen together for the first time since 1993. The Jurassic World films have always relied heavily on nostalgia for the initial Jurassic Park trilogy but have refrained from outright bringing many characters back, outside of BD Wong's Henry Wu and a glorified cameo from Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Here, they're going all-in on nostalgia while simultaneously affording themselves the chance to create a larger ensemble team sewn together from fan-favorite characters across the franchise.
Jurassic World Dominion's story also seems quite reminiscent of Fast & Furious. With the finale of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom releasing dinosaurs into the natural world, the story for Dominion was always going to be much larger in scope. But the trailers have sold the film as a straight-up international adventure blockbuster, with characters notably involved in multiple vehicle chase set-pieces with various dinosaurs all across the globe, all while very intentionally playing the 'one last ride' card. Whereas Jurassic World looked to Jurassic Park for its story structure, Jurassic World Dominion is looking to Fast & Furious.
Jurassic World Dominion Is More Than a Film to Universal, It's a Brand
The other notable Fast & Furious-ism Jurassic World Dominion has seemingly inherited is the hard sell of the iconography of the franchise as a brand unto itself. None of the trailers for Jurassic World Dominion have actually featured the film's title. Instead, the title card is simply the franchise's iconic T-Rex logo with no words. With these trailers, Universal is not just selling this film but the franchise's brand at large. Jurassic World Dominion was clearly pitched to Universal as 'Jurassic Park meets Fast & Furious,' and that is exactly the film that they're pushing in the marketing in every way.
Jurassic World Dominion will be unleashed in theaters on June 10, 2022.
