Just a few weeks before Universal's massive blockbuster Jurassic World hit theaters, director Colin Trevorrow revealed that he would not come back to direct the sequel Jurassic World 2. The movie opened with a $208.8 million, breaking Marvel's The Avengers' three-year opening weekend box office record, en route to a domestic tally of $652.2 million and $1.6 billion worldwide. In July, Universal officially confirmed that Jurassic World 2 is hitting theaters on July 22, 2018, although they still have not landed a director yet. Today we have word from Deadline that Juan Antonio Bayona is the front runner to take the helm of this sequel.

This news comes just a few days after the filmmaker parted ways with the Paramount sequel World War Z 2. Deadline reports that the director's name was mentioned as a contender to direct the sequel back in September, but his involvement was later denied. The site reports that no official negotiations are under way, and the studio hasn't made him an offer quite yet, but it seems he is in contention once again. It isn't known if the studio has any other top candidates for the coveted directing gig as of yet.

Even though he won't be directing, Colin Trevorrow is coming back to write the screenplay with co-writer Derek Connolly, and this report reveals that they have waited to get the script just right before searching for a director. The last we heard on this project was back in November, when Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley revealed that both Colin Trevorrow and Jurassic World executive producer Steven Spielberg were actually developing an entire trilogy.

No specific story details have been confirmed for Jurassic World 2 yet, but one report from August claimed that the sequel will have weaponized dinosaurs and it will go off the Isla Nublar island. Colin Trevorrow has also teased in the past that it will be a very different film when compared to Jurassic World, revealing the original was a "starting point" for a "much larger story." It isn't known when Universal plans on starting production on the sequel quite yet.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are set to return as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing from the original, but no other cast members have been confirmed yet. Juan Antonio Bayona made his directorial debut with the 2007 thriller The Orphanage, which he followed up with the 2012 disaster drama The Impossible. His next film, A Monster Calls, is set for release on October 14. DO you think Juan Antonio Bayona is a good choice to direct Jurassic World 2?