Jurassic World Dominion will soon roar onto the big screen, providing a cinematic experience nearly three decades in the making. The film is set to conclude the story that began in Jurassic World, which itself was very much a spiritual successor to the original Jurassic Park. To that end, it's even bringing back several of the actors from the original movie in what's sure to be a great send-off.
At the same time, this begs the question of how much of the Jurassic franchise is canon, at least when it comes to the movies. While the events of the original Jurassic Park are definitely in the same continuity as the two Jurassic World films so far, some are unsure if the same is true for the first two follow-ups. Here's a closer look at whether The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III are still considered canon.
Are the Second and Third Jurassic Park Movies Still Canon?
With the success of Jurassic Park back in 1993, it was no surprise that a franchise would be spawned from it, like drawing DNA out of amber. These first two sequels were The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, which both took place on Isla Sorna, another isle that John Hammon and InGen had populated with cloned dinosaurs. While The Lost World certainly has its fans, neither movie lived up to the acclaim of the first. Jurassic Park III was especially controversial due to the touted Spinosaurus in the film killing off the franchise mascot, the T. rex.
Nevertheless, Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow made it clear that, while he didn't feel that either film matched the original, both The Lost World and Jurassic Park III are still in continuity. They're simply "off to the side" of canon, due to their taking place on a different island from the first.
Jurassic World Dominion Will Likely Tie All 5 Previous Movies Together
Nothing in either of the Jurassic World films so far has contradicted the events of the first two Jurassic Park sequels. In fact, Ian Malcolm's negligible role in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom makes even more sense if he had experienced the terror of The Lost World. Likewise, there was even a subtle reference to The Lost World in the climax of Jurassic World. When the T. rex and the genetically engineered Indominus rex are fighting, the raptor Blue appears to join the fight. The musical cue for Blue in the score for the scene ("Our Rex Is Bigger Than Yours") briefly plays a section of the theme from The Lost World, which fits due to that film's even bigger emphasis on raptors.
With Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant both back in action for Jurassic World Dominion, there will likely be some callbacks to the entire series, namely their adventures on Isla Sorna. On top of that, the idea of dinosaurs roaming modern Earth is very reminiscent to the conclusion of The Lost World, a similarity that the movie will likely have to point out. Thus, even though they may not be the most beloved entries in the franchise, the second and third Jurassic Park still have a firm place in the series' story, and will likely continue to influence it.
Jurassic World Dominion premieres in theaters on June 10.
