After a significant delay due to COVID-19 production is once again ready to roar on the London set of JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION. As it stands, Dominion is one of Hollywood's first tentpole films to roll cameras after productions across the globe were shut down due to matters of health and safety. According to The New York Times, the protocols for resuming production are laid out in a 107-page safety manual that includes "everything from the infrared temperature scanners the cast and crew encounter upon arrival to the vacuum-sealed meals provided by masked workers standing behind plastic partitions in the takeout-only cafeteria."
It's also been reported that those working on the film have been divided into two groups. The larger group, which includes a significant amount of workers that handle construction and props, are only allowed on set once the smaller group has exited the area. That smaller group, referred to as the Green Zone, consists of director Colin Trevorrow, cast members like Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and essential crew, like camera operators and the sound department.
How intense is the atmosphere around the Dominion set, you ask? Well, according to NYT, "Those working inside the Green Zone receive COVID-19 tests three times a week, and the sets are fogged with an antiviral mist before each use. The chairs that the actors sit in between takes are surrounded by orange cones to remind people to remain socially distant. When there is more lag time during a day, the cast can retire to a special Green Zone 'living room,' complete with couches, blankets, lamps, and plants. There are numerous sinks, and each time someone leaves or enters the Green Zone, he or she must wash hands. The costs associated with the safety protocols total roughly $9 million."
While conditions on the set of JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION appear to be pretty extreme, I think it's comforting to know that Universal is taking the health and safety of their cast and staff as seriously as they are. I can't imagine the pressure they're under to do this stuff by the letter, especially if they're to serve as an example of how to run a proper set under the threat of the COVID-19.
Thankfully, this update isn't all doom and gloom. Universal has recently shared a batch of new photos from the set as well, including a look at the entrance to the filming area as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a gathering of Compsognathus, aka Compys. You can check the photos out the post below, or keep scrolling to see each of the images in their full glory.
Directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow with Emily Carmichael, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, BD Wong, Daniella Pineda, and more.
So long as everything continues to run smoothly, the third film in Universal's Jurassic World series will stomp into theaters on June 21, 2021.