Jurassic World: Dominion set revealed as cast and crew resume production at Pinewood Studios

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Aerial photos of Pinewood Studios show the Jurassic World: Dominion set on its first day after production resumed this week.

The forthcoming sequel halted filming in March but became the first Hollywood blockbuster to return to work after lockdown was implemented.

The studio in Buckinghamshire was a buzz of activity as the actors and crew returned for the eagerly anticipated film.

Snaps appear to show a crash scene with a plane stuck in snow in an arctic environment.

Photos taken in March show a very different and much emptier set, showing the scale of production in recent days.

It comes after a scare that the franchise had hit its first roadblock since returning to production on Friday after several of the crew contracted coronavirus.

Insiders alleged that the blockbuster sequel is said to have stalled on its first day back on set, yet Universal representatives have denied the claims.

It is understood none of the cast – which includes Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum and Chris Pratt – have tested positive, but that more than one crew member has.

A Universal spokesperson later clarified: ‘Any reports indicating that Jurassic World: Dominion has halted production are categorically untrue.’ 

A source told The Sun: ‘This was the last thing anyone expected so soon. Everyone was excited about getting things back up and running on set but this has totally derailed that.

‘There are millions and millions of pounds at stake here. Nobody wants more long delays.’ 

This comes just days after writer/director Colin Trevorrow told Empire how much of a ‘challenge’ this film was shaping up to be, but that the shutdown had also proven beneficial. 

Having already shot some scenes in Canada in March, the director, 43, said: ‘For many of us, Dominion was already the biggest creative challenge of our lives, before the lockdown.

‘The shooting schedule really worked to our advantage – the first four weeks we put to film were mostly sequences with dinosaurs in them. 

‘So that allowed us to get a head start on VFX and workshop some of the newer elements without the pressure of a looming deadline.’

He went on to assure the publication: ‘I’m confident our [safety] guidelines will keep us safe. The hard part will be constructing a creative environment within all the precautions. Once the cameras roll, we have to forget our world and live in the world of the movie. That may take some practice.’

The news of the positive crew members will be a slap in the face to the fans of Jurassic Park who rejoiced in the news that the sixth film in the franchise would be the first Hollywood juggernaut to get back to work amid the global health crisis.

So prepared for the post-lockdown world was the film that it had arranged for a ‘drive-thru coronavirus test facility’ as it prepared to resume filming this month. 

With ‘rigorous safety protocols on-site’ in guidance with pandemic regulations, the drive-thru facility was understood to see everyone involved in the film going through it before gaining access to the sound-stage.

A source told The Sun: ‘This is the future of movies and hopefully it can prove successful. We need to get these productions back on track and fast.

‘There are millions of pounds at stake, and it’s going to take months to catch up so this solution seems a good way to put minds at rest.

‘Everyone on set, from the runners to the leading stars, will have to drive through the testing station — and only those who pass the checks will be allowed on set. One person showing symptoms somewhere like this could be totally catastrophic!’ 

Amid the global health crisis, the stars of the film were sent home following principal photography in Canada, and plans to fly them to the UK were put on hold.

In addition, returning Jurassic Park stars Dern, Goldblum and Neill were stopped from joining them, having signed on to the sequel to appear as a trio for the first time since the original 1993 film.

But Universal confirmed last month that production would re-start on July 6, with the set re-opening on Wednesday this week.

Speaking to Deadline, an exec from Universal said: ‘The plan is for us to be shooting early-mid July.’ 

‘Anyone with symptoms will be isolated immediately before being sent home,’ the source went on. ‘We want to make sure that we are going above and beyond the national protocols to create a safe environment.

‘Cost isn’t our main concern now: it’s safety.’

The executive added: ‘We will take direction from our medical team, but we’re confident that with the staggered scheduling and zones of talent and crew, along with a system of contact tracing, we can move forward with limited delay in production.’

This will please fans of the franchise who are expecting Jurassic World: Dominion to hit cinemas on 11 June 2021.

Production has been delayed by around three months, with speculation rife that the sequel could face a late-summer release rather than an early-summer one.

Those in the cast flown out to the UK have also been required to undergo a two-week quarantine once arriving, before being allowed on set, as per the UK’s travel rules.

Neill – who will reprise his Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III role of Dr Alan Grant – said last month that the sets were built ‘ready and waiting’ for things to resume.

‘I should be going into Pinewood at 6AM,’ he told The Guardian in May. ‘All the sets are there, waiting. I can’t wait to get back to it.’