‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘Jurassic World’ Movies in Order: Watch Guide

Few people can say they haven’t had a nightmare involving being stalked through a darkened building by a velociraptor at some point in their lives, and that’s all thanks to the Jurassic Park franchise of dinosaur-themed action-thriller films.

Based on the 1990 novel of the same name by legendary sci-fi author Michael Crichton — who wrote and directed the original 1973 Westworld film and whose other novels “Timeline,” “Rising Sun” and “Sphere” were also adapted into movies — Jurassic Park singlehandedly led to a surge of interest in dinosaurs that has sustained itself to this day.

It’s no surprise, then, that plenty of trips to Isla Nublar and the eponymous Jurassic Park have been made since Dr. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler’s ill-fated visit, giving us a wealth of Jurassic Park films to keep us on the edge of our seats. And, there’s a new Jurassic movie right around the corner: Jurassic World: Rebirth hits theaters July 2, 2025!

Here’s the ultimate guide to watching all of these ground-stomping, teeth-chomping films in the order of their release, plus our ranking of which ones we think are the best the franchise has to offer.

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‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘Jurassic World’ Movies in Order (by Release Date)

Ready to get your Jurassic fix? Here’s the order to watch all of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies, in order of chronological release.

‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

The movie that started it all. 1993’s Jurassic Park was a direct adaptation of Chrichton’s novel for the big screen and introduced the world to the eponymous theme park that brought people face-to-face with dinosaurs brought back from extinction through advanced genetics research.

Directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg, the original Jurassic Park was a massive success at the time, winning three Academy Awards and grossing over $1 billion, and it’s now considered one of the best and most iconic movies ever made.

It’s nearly impossible to recreate the awe most of us felt when Spielberg brought long-extinct dinosaurs to life with CGI techniques that were considered cutting-edge at the time, and none of us could ever forget that massive roar of the Tyrannosaurus Rex or the tense velociraptor kitchen stalking scene.

This film also features an unforgettable soundtrack and some A-list talent in Jeff Goldblum (as Ian Malcolm), Sam Neill (as Alan Grant), Laura Dern (as Ellie Sattler), Sir Richard Attenborough (as Dr. John Hammond) and Samuel L. Jackson (as Ray Arnold).

‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997)

Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as mathematician Ian Malcolm in the first sequel to Jurassic Park, also based on a Crichton novel, “The Lost World.”

Malcolm, having survived the events of previous film, is recruited to lead a rescue mission to a secret, second island, Isla Sorna, owned by Hammond’s now-bankrupt company InGen. Isla Sorna was used as a breeding facility to supply the original Isla Nublar dinasour theme park, and things quickly spiral out of control as the company’s new owners work to smuggle dinos off of the island. This ill-considered venture eventually leads to the film’s most iconic scene: a T. Rex rampaging through San Diego, California.

The Lost World was much more loosely based on Crichton’s work and significantly darker in tone, with far more creative liberty taken during production.

‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001)

Jurassic Park III sees Dr. Alan Grant lured to Isla Sorna by a wealthy couple under the pretense that he’ll guide an aerial tour of the island in exchange for investment in his research. Turns out, it was a ploy get him to guide them across the dinosaur-infested island on foot in search of their missing son.

Jurassic Park III was the final entry in the original Jurassic Park trilogy and is the only one of the three that was not directed by Spielberg. After its release, the franchise went on a decade and a half hiatus before entering the modern Jurassic World era.

‘Jurassic World’ (2015)

The Jurassic Park franchise burst back into the public sphere in 2015 with the release of the first new film in nearly 15 years, Jurassic World. Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D’Onofrio, it’s the first entry in what has become a decade-long franchise revival.

The film takes place two decades after the events of Jurassic Park. InGen has been acquired by a global corporation that re-opened and expanded the original park under the name Jurassic World. Predictably, things go awry when the company starts experimenting with bioengineering smarter dinosaurs to be used as weapons, based on the discovery that raptors can be trained.

One such beast, the Indominus Rex, ends up escaping, wreaking havoc and having to be taken down by a supposedly inferior T. Rex.

Jurassic World draws on and expands upon many of the same themes and plot mechanisms as the first, making it a suitable first foray into the franchises’ revitalization.

‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom continues the story from the first Jurassic World film, this time with Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) returning to Isla Nublar to attempt to rescue the dinosaurs there from an imminent volcanic eruption, which would make them extinct again. They uncover an ongoing plot to continue weaponizing genetically engineered dinosaurs, this time by fusing the Indominus rex‘s DNA with that of velociraptors.

The film has a deeper, darker tone than Jurassic World, exploring the ethics of both genetic engineering and questions around whether to allow a species that is both fascinating and dangerous to return to extinction.

‘Battle at Big Rock’ (2019 Short Film)

Set one year after Fallen Kingdom, a family on a camping trip faces a sudden dinosaur encounter in Big Rock National Park. The short serves as a transition into a world where dinosaurs now live among humans.

At just 10 minutes long, it effectively captured the new Jurassic World dynamic in a single terrifying encounter. It set the tone for Jurassic World Dominion and marked the first depiction of dinosaurs interacting with modern society on U.S. soil.

‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ (2022)

Jurassic World: Dominion is the most recent of the revival films and the first full length film in the series to depict dinosaurs living among humankind and roaming freely about the planet.

The plot once again revolves around a supergroup of Jurassic franchise leads — Owen, Claire, Grant, Sattler and Malcolm — teaming up to stop an evil corporation from exploiting bioengineering.

The film was originally positioned as a conclusion to the new World trilogy, but the fourth film in the franchise is just around the corner.

‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ (2025)

Jurassic World: Rebirth is set to hit theaters on July 2, 2025, continuing the iconic Jurassic Park franchise as a reboot with an entirely new cast of characters.

The new movie, starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, follows a new group of Jurassic heroes as they venture to a third secret InGen-owned island where advanced experimentation was carried out on dinosaurs in search of material crucial to making a powerful medicine for human use.

Turns out, the experiments did… not go well.

Here’s the trailer for Jurassic World: Rebirth:

‘Jurassic Park’ Movies Ranked Best to Worst

Wondering which Jurassic Park movies are the best ones ever made? Here’s our list of every Jurassic Park movie ranked from best to worst:

1. Jurassic Park (1993)

2. Jurassic World (2015)

3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

5. Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

6. Jurassic Park III (2001)

Watch ‘Jurassic Park’ Movies on DIRECTV

Get your prehistoric watch party roaring: You can watch all of the Jurassic Park films right on DIRECTV!

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