Steven Spielberg has returned to the world of dinosaurs decades after ‘Jurassic Park’, this time with a Netflix documentary series that has already earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The four-part series, The Dinosaurs, chronicles the life and extinction of the planet’s most iconic creatures. Spielberg serves as an executive producer through his company, Amblin Documentaries, while the series was directed by Nick Shoolingin-Jordan, Jolyon Sutcliffe, Amber Cherry Eames and Darren Williams. Dan Tapster created the series and Morgan Freeman provides narration.
Early reviews have praised the series as a breathtaking visual experience. Critics have highlighted the intimate storytelling, which gives the dinosaurs personality and realism, and Freeman’s narration has been singled out as elevating the series further. The current 100 per cent rating is based on six critic reviews, though it may change as more are added.
Spielberg has a long history of dinosaur-related projects, beginning with ‘The Land Before Time’ in 1988 and continuing through the Jurassic Park franchise. While he has not directed a Jurassic Park film since ‘The Lost World’, he has served as executive producer on several later projects, including the 2023 Netflix docuseries ‘Life on Our Planet’, which received mixed reviews. The Dinosaurs is considered a spiritual successor to that series.
The series’ release comes at a time when all four Jurassic World films are available on Netflix and remain in the top 10 charts in the US. The most recent installment, ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, starring Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, was a $869 million box office hit.
The future of the Jurassic World franchise, including a potential fifth film, remains uncertain.
All four episodes of The Dinosaurs are currently streaming on Netflix.
