Inside Jenna Ortega, Glen Powell’s forgotten Netflix sci-fi franchise

One sci-fi series on Netflix starred future A-list actors Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell, but the show never received its flowers during its multiple-year run. On the downside, many shows go unnoticed as there is a sheer number of viewers.

While Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters deservedly became a huge hit upon its 2025 release, the similarly superb Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld has not yet received the same attention despite its critical acclaim. Although Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a critically adored dystopian sci-fi thriller, Ridley Scott’s two-season effort in the same genre, HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves, was largely forgotten.

Similarly, even though the animated Netflix shows Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory boasted cast members like Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, neither of these shows became anywhere near the mainstream successes that the live-action Jurassic World movies are. What makes this a real shame is the fact that, as surprising as it might sound, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory are arguably the most faithful sequels in the entire franchise.

Set between the events of 2015’s franchise reboot Jurassic World and 2018’s sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous debuted in 2020.

Winona Ryder reunites with Jenna Ortega for Wednesday Season 3

The series followed a group of teens, including Ortega’s wannabe travel influencer Brooklyn, Paul-Mikél Williams’ Darius, Kausar Mohammed’s Yaz, Sean Giambrone’s Ben, and Raini Rodriguez’s endlessly enthusiastic Sammy, who are inadvertently stranded in the titular theme park when its dinosaur attractions break loose.

Although Ortega’s Jurassic World spinoff is animated, viewers should not assume that this means Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and its 2024 sequel series, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, are aimed at children. Instead, the two animated shows might be the most tonally faithful follow-ups to Steven Spielberg’s original 1993 blockbuster, bringing back the unpredictable tone and horror elements of the Michael Crichton adaptation.

While sequels like 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic World: Dominion prioritized flashy action sequences over tension and suspense, both Camp Cretaceous and Chaos Theory take a subtler approach to the franchise. While Camp Cretaceous is effectively a siege horror that follows the group’s attempts to escape a chaotic, overrun Jurassic World, Chaos Theory’s four-season story expanded the world of the series while still frequently returning to the horror roots of the franchise.