A major Jurᴀssic World Rebirth moment almost didn’t make the cut, despite being one of the film’s most nostalgic callbacks. Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, and Rupert Friend. The 2025 sequel brings new horror-inspired energy to the longstanding franchise while still honoring the DNA of Steven Spielberg’s Jurᴀssic Park, especially in one of its most memorable scenes.

During an interview with Collider, Edwards, alongside longtime Jurᴀssic producer Frank Marshall, explained how the gas station scene evolved organically from Rebirth‘s setting and slowly shaped itself into an eerie moment that nods to the original film’s kitchen sequence. Edwards revealed that as the production team built the gas station interior, he realized the refrigerators could create a confined, flickering space with real tension.

He said he loved the concept so much that even after realizing it mirrored Jurᴀssic Park, he shrugged and said: “F–k it, let’s just do it anyway.” However, Marshall and writer David Koepp weren’t completely sold on the idea and suggested shooting an alternate version that removed the scene entirely. Check out their full comments below:

Edwards: They had vehicles, and so I thought, “A gas station.” So, you start a gas station, and suddenly you’ve got the interior. You’re going to have a bit of a predatory kind of tension in there, and then they built these fridges like you get in gas stations. I was looking at them, thinking, “Well, you could hide in one of those.” Then, you start to go, “Oh, they flicker on and off. That’s a good gag. Oh, maybe only the girl could fit. Maybe she covers the light. Oh, and then it would come after her and it would flicker on!” You start getting excited. Then you go, “Oh, wait a minute, that’s like the kitchen scene in Jurᴀssic.” Then you think, “Oh, f–k it. Let’s just do it anyway.” Because it’s kind of a nod. It’s kind of a reflection of that movie.

Then, when we were shooting it, David Koepp was on set, and Frank, and they came up and were like, “You should shoot a version where you can cut this bit out if you need to.” I was so deflated. I did shoot a version where we could cut it out, and we did cut a version with it out. There was very little cut out of this film. It’s pretty much all in there. It’s very difficult for the deleted scenes. There are about two, and they last about two minutes. But that one was out for a while. I remember just trying to look sad around Frank every time I saw him, and then eventually they were like, “Go on, put it back in.”

Marshall: Timing is everything. I just had to wait for the right time that I knew we could put it back in the movie and it would work, because we had taken out other things that were callback.

What Keeping The Gas Station Scene Means For Jurᴀssic World Rebirth

The Movie Balances Nostalgia With New Ideas

Edwards’ decision to include the fridge scene illustrates how Jurᴀssic World Rebirth knows how to walk the line between fresh storylines and appreciative callbacks. His willingness to feature Jurᴀssic Park callbacks in Rebirth without entirely overloading the movie with them shows how the franchise continues to move forward.

While Rebirth‘s tone can be described as more grounded and mature, with some horror-inspired scenes, the film still embraces the kind of suspenseful, intimate sequences that made the original so iconic. The fact that members of the creative team wanted to cut the scene in question also shows how carefully they handled the legacy elements.

However, it’s clear that the kitchen scene callback earned its spot in the final picture. Edwards also noted there are only a couple of deleted scenes in total, but the gas station scene’s near removal shows how even one decision can shift the tone of the film.

Although supposedly not much was cut, it would be interesting to find out if this includes other callbacks. For audiences, these decisions can make or break their connection with a new movie, but thankfully, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth seems to have found a rhythm that allows it to be its own thing while subtly nodding to the original.

Our Take On Rebirth’s Jurᴀssic Park Callback

Edwards’ Instincts Deserve More Trust In This Franchise

Gareth Edwards clearly has a profound appreciation for the Jurᴀssic series, but also a vision that’s not exclusively based on nostalgia. The gas station fridge sequence shows how Rebirth understands what made Jurᴀssic Park great: tension, simplicity, and set design. It’s tempting to overload a legacy sequel with references, but this isn’t what happened with Rebirth.

Edwards’ callback is earned and builds up from the kitchen scene concept without directly copying it. His ability to fight for what matters most in the film proves him to be a director with a vision who knows when to push and when to pivot. Because if Jurᴀssic World Rebirth proves anything, it’s that honoring the past can coexist with a new story.

Source: Collider