Why Deadpool 2 Director David Leitch Left Jurassic World Rebirth

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It doesn't really matter how successful a director is, walking away from a big movie within a legendary franchise is undoubtedly a tough thing to do. Be that as it may, that's precisely what David Leitch ("Deadpool 2," "Bullet Train") did when he stepped away from "Jurassic World Rebirth" last year. The filmmaker was briefly attached to the fourth "Jurassic World" movie (and the first written by "Jurassic Park" veteran David Koepp), but he ultimately wound up departing the director's chair. So, why did he leave the film, exactly?

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Leitch and his producing partner/wife Kelly McCormick discussed their production company 87North. Having just produced Bob Odenkirk's "Nobody 2," much of the conversation was focused on the future, but Leitch was also asked about the "Jurassic World" situation. It came down to the filmmaker's desire to do original things and build his own franchises, rather than play in pre-existing sandboxes.

"When you see an opportunity for material that's original that you like that a studio is going to support and finance, we want to keep pushing for that," Leitch explained. To that end, he's currently filming an original film titled "How to Rob a Bank" for Amazon MGM Studios, which is set to be released next year. Adding to what Leitch said, McCormick expanded on this idea:

"If we jump into IP or a franchise, it's got to be the right one at the right moment for all the right reasons. And we were very seduced by the amazing franchise that 'Jurassic' is. But it's harder and harder to make originals, and we just felt like, 'If they go away, let's try to make originals as much as possible as quickly as possible.'"

It's easy to see why "Jurassic" would be seductive. "Jurassic Park" is one of the most beloved movies of all time, and having Koepp, the guy who wrote Steven Spielberg's original blockbuster classic, back on board undoubtedly made it intriguing. At the same time, it's far from original, as Universal has a multi-billion-dollar franchise to protect. It was absolutely more of a gun-for-hire situation. For someone wanting a certain level of creative control and originality, this wasn't the move.

Instead, Gareth Edwards ("The Creator") wound up directing "Jurassic World Rebirth." It would be hard to say that was a bad decision for Universal either. Edwards delivered a crowd-pleaser that ended up being one of the biggest box office hits of 2025, having made nearly $850 million in theaters worldwide to date. It's also helped ensure that future entries in the franchise are possible. That's not to suggest that Leitch wouldn't have done the same, but Edwards more than rose to the challenge and seemed to have a great deal of enthusiasm along the way.

Meanwhile, Leitch is now attached to direct the long-gestating "Gears of War" movie for Netflix. While that isn't exactly an original thing, it does fit the bill of being a project that Leitch and McCormick can help build into a franchise and put their stamp on. After all, they won't have to work within an overly restrictive set of established parameters. Indeed, Leitch is in a position where he can be somewhat picky about the films that he directs, and that's a rare privilege in Hollywood. He's taking full advantage of that, even when it means walking away from one of the biggest properties of all time.

You can pre-order "Jurassic World Rebirth" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.