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Jurassic World Dominion
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Jurassic World Dominion
| image = JurassicWorldDominion Poster.jpeg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Colin Trevorrow
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on =
| producers =
| starring =
| cinematography = John Schwartzman
| editing = Mark Sanger
| music = Michael Giacchino
| production_companies =
| distributor = Universal Pictures
| released =
| runtime = 146 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $165185 million
| gross = $997.8 million
}}
'Jurassic World Dominion' is a 2022 American science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emily Carmichael. Based on a story by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, it is a sequel to 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' (2018), the third and final film in the 'Jurassic World' trilogy, and the sixth installment overall in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, concluding the storyline from the original 'Jurassic Park' trilogy. As with its predecessors, Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley produced the film with Trevorrow and 'Jurassic Park' (1993) director Steven Spielberg as executive producers. The film stars an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, and Omar Sy. Dern, Goldblum, and Neill reprise their roles from the 'Jurassic Park' trilogy, appearing together for the first time since the 1993 film.
The film is set four years after the events of 'Fallen Kingdom', with dinosaurs now living alongside humans around the world. It follows Owen Grady and Claire Dearing as they embark on a rescue mission, while Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler reunite with Ian Malcolm to expose a conspiracy by the genomics corporation Biosyn, a once rival of the defunct InGen. Initial planning of the film began in 2014 prior to the release of the first 'Jurassic World' film in the trilogy. Filming, which commenced in February 2020, was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Set locations included Canada, England's Pinewood Studios, and the country of Malta. Unlike its two predecessors, Legendary Entertainment was not involved in the film's production following the expiration of a four-year partnership with Universal in 2019.
'Jurassic World Dominion' is distributed by Universal Pictures and premiered in Mexico City on May 23, 2022. It was theatrically released in the United States on June 10, 2022, and has grossed over $997 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2022. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, who felt that the franchise had run its course.
Plot
Four years after the Lockwood Estate incident and the volcanic eruption on Isla Nublar, de-extinct dinosaurs freely roam the Earth, causing ecological disasters and cruelties against them. Amid global efforts to control the invasive species, Biosyn Genetics established a dinosaur preserve located in the Dolomite Mountains, Italy, where they conduct genomics research, ostensibly seeking groundbreaking pharmacological applications.
Claire Dearing, Zia Rodriguez, and Franklin Webb are still with the Dinosaur Protection Group and investigate illegal dinosaur breeding sites, while Claire's partner, Owen Grady, works as a wrangler relocating stray dinosaurs. At their remote cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Claire and Owen secretly raise 14-year-old Maisie Lockwood, Benjamin Lockwood's biogenetic granddaughter, while protecting her from nefarious groups seeking to exploit Maisie's unique makeup. When Blue, the 'Velociraptor' that Owen raised, arrives with its asexually-reproduced hatchling, Maisie names it Beta after they bond. Having grown increasingly frustrated living in seclusion, Maisie sneaks away. Mercenaries kidnap her and capture Beta. Owen and Claire immediately launch a rescue effort.
Elsewhere, swarms of giant locusts are decimating crops in the south-central United States. Paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler observes that corporate-grown crops using Biosyn seeds are left uneaten, raising suspicions they created the insects. Ellie takes a captured locust to her former partner, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant. They determine the locust was genetically engineered with Cretaceous-period insect DNA and contemporary migratory locusts.
Meanwhile, Franklin, now with the CIA's dangerous species division, informs Claire and Owen that the kidnappers they're pursuing are in Malta. Upon arrival, they infiltrate a dinosaur black market, accompanied by Owen's former 'Jurassic World' colleague Barry Sembne, who works for French Intelligence and is leading a raid. Carnivorous dinosaurs are unleashed during the foray, causing havoc. With Barry's help, the pair interrogate two of the kidnappers and learn that Maisie and Beta have been transported to Biosyn. Sympathetic cargo pilot Kayla Watts, who witnessed Maisie being trafficked, agrees to fly them there.
Chaotician Dr. Ian Malcolm, now working for Biosyn, has sought Ellie's help to expose CEO Dr. Lewis Dodgson after communications director Ramsay Cole warned him of Dodgson's illegal activities. Dodgson is exploiting dinosaur genetics including having former InGen geneticist Dr. Henry Wu modify the transgenic locusts to avoid Biosyn crops as a means to control the world's food supply. Wu now denounces this plan, citing it will cause global famine as the locusts spread unchecked. Wu meets Maisie and explains that his former colleague, Dr. Charlotte Lockwood, Benjamin Lockwood's deceased daughter, used her own DNA to replicate and give birth to the genetically-identical Maisie. Charlotte altered Maisie's DNA to prevent her from inheriting the fatal disease she had. Wu believes that Maisie and Beta's asexual conceptions, along with their DNA, are key to creating a pathogen to halt the locust outbreak.
A 'Quetzalcoatlus' attacks Kayla's plane in Biosyn's airspace, forcing Owen and Kayla to crash into a dam reservoir while Claire is ejected into the valley. Following separate encounters with a 'Therizinosaurus', 'Pyroraptor', and 'Dilophosaurus', the three regroup. Inside Biosyn, Ian and Ramsay guide Ellie and Alan on accessing a restricted lab to obtain a locust DNA sample. While there, they encounter Maisie, who wants to leave with them. Discovering the breach, Dodgson incinerates the locusts to destroy evidence, but the resulting inferno escapes through an air vent, sparking a wildfire around the site.
Alan, Ellie, and Maisie barely escape the facility before finding Ian. They then meet Owen, Claire, and Kayla, and Ramsay later joins them. Dodgson flees with dinosaur embryos via a hyperloop but becomes trapped in a tunnel and is killed by three 'Dilophosaurus'. As the group works together, Owen captures Beta. They, along with Wu, escape in a Biosyn helicopter amid a battle between a 'Giganotosaurus', the 'Therizinosaurus' and the first park's veteran 'Tyrannosaurus'.
Ellie and Alan rekindle their relationship before testifying alongside Ian and Ramsay against Biosyn. Owen, Claire, and Maisie return home and reunite Beta with Blue. Wu releases a host locust carrying the pathogen, gradually eradicating the swarms. Around the world, dinosaurs and humans adapt to a new coexistence while the United Nations declares Biosyn Valley an international dinosaur sanctuary.
Cast
* Chris Pratt as Owen Grady: An ethologist, US Navy veteran, and former Jurassic World employee who was responsible for training 'Velociraptors'. He is Claire's boyfriend and Maisie's adoptive father.
* Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing: The former Jurassic World park manager and founder of the Dinosaur Protection Group. She is Owen's girlfriend and Maisie's adoptive mother.
* Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler: A paleobotanist and one of the consultants who traveled to John Hammond's original Jurassic Park.
* Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm: A mathematician in chaos theory and former consultant for Jurassic Park as well as a key figure involved in the San Diego incident depicted in 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (1997).
* Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant: A paleontologist who was also one of the consultants who traveled to John Hammond's original Jurassic Park as well as a survivor of the Isla Sorna expedition depicted in 'Jurassic Park III' (2001).
* DeWanda Wise as Kayla Watts: A former Air Force pilot who aids Owen and Claire on their mission
* Mamoudou Athie as Ramsay Cole: Head of Communications of Biosyn Genetics and Lewis Dodgson's delegate. Ramsay is secretly aligned with Ian Malcolm and his friends to bring Dodgson down.
* Isabella Sermon as Maisie Lockwood: A direct genetic descendant of Benjamin Lockwood's daughter that he raised as his granddaughter and is under the care of Owen and Claire. A troubled but brave and resourceful 14-year-old under the mentorship of Owen in understanding animal behaviors, she regularly helps dinosaurs that enter human settlements.
** Sermon also plays the young Charlotte Lockwood, with Elva Trill portraying her as an adult.
* Campbell Scott as Dr. Lewis Dodgson: The CEO and the owner of Biosyn. Dodgson is the architect of a plot hatched to kidnap Maisie and Beta, and creating biological weapons with dinosaur genetics include hiring Soyona Santos to sell dinosaurs for the black markets and breeding a swarm of giant locust-hybrids. Scott replaces Cameron Thor from 'Jurassic Park' (1993).
* BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu: The lead geneticist behind the dinosaur cloning programs at Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. He knew Maisie's late mother, who was one of his colleagues.
* Omar Sy as Barry Sembne: A former animal trainer who worked with Owen at Jurassic World and is now a French Intelligence agent.
* Justice Smith as Franklin Webb: A former Jurassic World technician and dinosaur rights activist.
* Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez: A paleo-veterinarian and dinosaur rights activist.
Additionally, Scott Haze appears as Rainn Delacourt, a poacher who captures Maisie and Beta for Biosyn; Dichen Lachman appears as Soyona Santos, a dinosaur smuggler; Kristoffer Polaha appears as Wyatt Huntley, a CIA officer working undercover as one of Delacourt's men; Caleb Hearon appears as Jeremy Bernier, a CIA analyst; Freya Parker appears as Denise Roberts, a Biosyn employee; Varada Sethu appears as Shira, a Fish & Wildlife officer; and Dimitri "Vegas" Thivaios appears as a Maltese mercenary, respectively.
Production
Development
During early conversations on 'Jurassic World' (2015), executive producer Steven Spielberg told director Colin Trevorrow that he was interested in having more films made. In April 2014, Trevorrow announced that sequels to 'Jurassic World' had been discussed. He said they wanted to create something that would be "less arbitrary and episodic" that could "potentially arc into a series that would feel like a complete story". Trevorrow was later asked how much planning he had put into a trilogy while he was filming 'Jurassic World' in 2014, in which he replied that he knew where the story would end. He said that planning the beginning, middle, and end of the trilogy ahead of time "is crucial to a franchise like this if you really want to bring people along with you and make sure they stay interested. It needs to be thought through on that level. It can't be arbitrary [...] the earlier 'Jurassic Park' movies had pretty clear definitive endings. They were much more episodic."In May 2015, Trevorrow stated his desire to have different directors work on future films, believing that others could bring different qualities to the series. He said: "I think this is one of those franchises like 'Mission: Impossible' and like what they're currently doing with 'Star Wars' that is going to really benefit from new voices and new points of view. [] down the line, looking at the way that franchises have been working, I'm pretty confident this is the right answer for this one. We need to keep it new and keep it changing and constantly let it evolve." Trevorrow also said the series would not always be about a dinosaur theme park, stating that future films could explore the idea of dinosaurs and humans co-existing.
'Jurassic World' producer Frank Marshall confirmed plans for a third 'Jurassic World' film later in 2015. Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said that Trevorrow and Spielberg had a story idea for the film. Actor Chris Pratt, who portrayed Owen in 'Jurassic World', was signed on for future films in the series. Trevorrow said that the friendship in 'Jurassic World' between Owen and Barry (portrayed by Omar Sy) could carry on into the sequels. He also said that Bryce Dallas Howard's character, Claire, would evolve the most over the course of the 'Jurassic World' trilogy.
Pre-production
Universal announced in February 2018 that the untitled film, known then as 'Jurassic World 3', would be released on June 11, 2021. It was also announced that Trevorrow would write the script with Emily Carmichael, based on a story by Trevorrow and his writing partner, Derek Connolly, who worked with Trevorrow on the scripts for the previous 'Jurassic World' films. As with the previous films, Marshall and Patrick Crowley would serve as producers, with Trevorrow and Spielberg returning as executive producers. A month after the announcement, Trevorrow was also confirmed to direct the film. J. A. Bayona had directed the previous installment, 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom', and Trevorrow was inspired by Bayona's work on the film, saying that it "made me want to finish what we started." Spielberg had also asked Trevorrow to return as director.Trevorow had previously been set to direct 'Star Wars: Episode IX', before departing the project in September 2017. 'Episode IX' would serve as the finale in the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy. For 'Jurassic World Dominion', Trevorrow applied the experience and knowledge he gained from the 'Star Wars' project, which he viewed as a "practice run" for creating a finale film. In addition, people who worked with Trevorrow on 'Episode IX' would later join him on 'Jurassic World Dominion'. Legendary Entertainment co-financed the two previous films, but was not involved with the third, as its five-year contract with Universal expired in 2018.
Writing
Trevorrow met Carmichael in 2015, after seeing a short film of hers. Trevorrow was subsequently impressed with Carmichael's writing work on 'Pacific Rim Uprising' (2018) and a remake of 'The Black Hole', leading him to choose her as a co-writer for 'Jurassic World 3'. Trevorrow and Carmichael were writing the script as of April 2018. Trevorrow said the third film would be a "science thriller", describing it as the 'Jurassic World' film that would most closely match the tone of the franchise's first film, 'Jurassic Park' (1993). He said about the third film and its predecessors: "I have a dinosaur movie that I've always wanted to see, and it took two movies to earn it." He later described the film as a "celebration of everything that has existed in the franchise up until now", and considered it somewhat like a spy film, comparing it to the Jason Bourne and James Bond films.
During the development of 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' in 2015, Trevorrow said that film's storyline could involve dinosaurs going open source, resulting in multiple entities around the world being able to create their own dinosaurs for various uses. Certain scenes and ideas regarding the integration of dinosaurs into the world were ultimately removed from the 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' script to be saved for the third film, and to keep the second film's story focused. According to Bayona: "There were moments that we thought, this is more like a 'Jurassic [World] 3' scene so we took them out from the script. Some of those scenes we thought were better seen in a world where dinosaurs had spread all over the world. Colin, from time to time, came to me and said, 'I want this character to say that line because this is a moment that's referencing something I want to use in 'Jurassic 3'."
Trevorrow did not want to depict dinosaurs terrorizing cities, an idea that he considered unrealistic. He said he wanted to honor Michael Crichton's novels 'Jurassic Park' (1990) and 'The Lost World' (1995), believing that humans and dinosaurs "battling it out in the city streets is a different kind of film than what he would've done". Instead, he described a world where "a dinosaur might run out in front of your car on a foggy backroad, or invade your campground looking for food. A world where dinosaur interaction is unlikely but possiblethe same way we watch out for bears or sharks. We hunt animals, we traffic them, we herd them, we breed them, we invade their territory and pay the price, but we don't go to war with them."
Regarding the realism of the film's story, Trevorrow said that dinosaurs would not be "everywhere all the time. I think any kind of global acceptance that they are just around doesn't feel real to me because, even now when you think of animals, when was the last time you saw a tiger walking down the street? We know there are tigers. We know they're out there. But to me, it's very important that we keep this grounded in the context of our relationship with wild animals today." For inspiration, he watched episodes of 'Planet Earth', as well as certain alien invasion films told from a realistic perspective. Trevorrow said his goal with the 'Jurassic World' trilogy was to have Claire's line from the first film, "No one is impressed by a dinosaur anymore", be proven false in the final film.
With input from Carmichael and cast members, the film's storyline evolved somewhat from Trevorrow's initial vision. During production of the previous 'Jurassic World' films, Howard kept a list of possible ideas for the final film, including a baby raptor and an underground dinosaur market in Malta. Trevorrow consulted the list while writing the script with Carmichael. He considered the Malta black market to be a departure from the dinosaur auction scene in 'Fallen Kingdom', saying "I felt that what would really happen is a hive of scum and villainy. I wanted to see that".
The writers wanted the character Dr. Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist from the 'Jurassic Park' trilogy, to lead the story in 'Dominion'. Trevorrow consulted scientists for story ideas, seeking to depict a global ecological crisis which would be caused by genetic tampering, and which would be noticed by a paleobotanist before anyone else. He learned of Insect Allies, a program by DARPA in which insects spread pesticides to crops. This inspired the film's locust plot. Trevorrow and Carmichael also consulted with screenwriters Michael Arndt and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, as well as David Koepp, who wrote the first two 'Jurassic Park' films.
Trevorrow wanted the film to explore the idea of dinosaurs being created by people other than Dr. Henry Wu. He said that Wu being the only person who knows how to create a dinosaur was far-fetched "after 30 years of this technology existing" within the films' universe. Biosyn, which appears in Crichton's novels but is absent from their film adaptations, makes its debut in 'Dominion'. Trevorrow also wanted to see the return of Lewis Dodgson, a prominent character in the novels who had only a brief appearance in the first 'Jurassic Park' film.
Other returning characters from the original trilogy would include Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ian Malcolm, reuniting with Ellie Sattler. According to Trevorrow, striking a balance of screen time for the trio and the newer characters was the most difficult aspect of developing the film's story. Wu, who also appeared in the first film and the 'Jurassic World' films, would return as well. Other characters from the series including Lex and Tim Murphy, and Kelly Curtis were once considered, but Trevorrow felt that the film had enough returning characters. Spielberg advised Trevorrow to remember the importance of the film's characters: "Don't forget that these are humans. These are real people, scientists, parents going through something spectacular, something fantastic".
Casting
Actress Laura Dern, who portrayed Dr. Ellie Sattler in the 'Jurassic Park' trilogy, expressed interest in reprising her role during 2017. Trevorrow announced in April 2018 that Pratt and Howard would reprise their roles from the previous films, and that there were other characters in 'Fallen Kingdom' who "you'll realize are major characters". Later that year, Howard said that her top desire for the film was to include more characters from the 'Jurassic Park' trilogy, including Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum's character Ian Malcolm. Trevorrow hinted that Sam Neill and Dern could reprise their roles for the film. Neill previously portrayed Dr. Alan Grant in earlier films.In September 2019, Neill, Dern, and Goldblum were confirmed to be returning for the film in major roles. They appear throughout the film, which marks Neill and Dern's first appearance in the series since 'Jurassic Park III' (2001). It also marks the trio's first film appearance together since the original 'Jurassic Park' film, though Goldblum briefly reprised his role in 'Fallen Kingdom'. While Goldblum and Neill had both starred in their own 'Jurassic Park' sequel, Trevorrow considered 'Dominion' to be Dern's film among the trio, noting that the plot is partially driven by her character. Trevorrow collaborated with the three actors to ensure their characters would be portrayed accurately. He said the film would answer questions about the characters such as "who are these people now? What do they make of the new world they're living in, and how do they feel about being part of its history?" Trevorrow, Dern and Neill were in agreement on having Grant and Sattler reunite as a couple. Neill said he would get into physical shape to prepare for the role, which would include running.
Mamoudou Athie and DeWanda Wise were cast in lead roles in October 2019, both without auditioning. Trevorrow was impressed by Athie's performance in 'The Front Runner' (2018). Wise was cast after Trevorrow saw her in the television series 'She's Gotta Have It'. At the end of 2019, Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda were confirmed to reprise their roles from 'Fallen Kingdom'. Isabella Sermon also reprises her role as Maisie from 'Fallen Kingdom'. In early 2020, Jake Johnson and Omar Sy were announced to reprise their roles from 'Jurassic World', and that Dichen Lachman and Scott Haze had been cast in roles as well. BD Wong was also confirmed to reprise his role as Dr. Henry Wu. In June 2020, Campbell Scott was cast to portray Dodgson. The role was originally played by Cameron Thor in the original 'Jurassic Park', but was recast for 'Jurassic World Dominion' as Thor had since been arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl and was sentenced to six years in a state prison. Pratt compared 'Jurassic World Dominion' to another film he was in, 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019), as both films feature the return of numerous characters from their respective franchises.
Andy Buckley, who portrayed Scott Mitchell in 'Jurassic World', stated that he was at one point attached to reprise his role, but his inclusion was dropped during rewrites.
Filming
On February 19, 2020, a production unit used drones to film aerial scenes at Cathedral Grove on Canada's Vancouver Island. Principal photography began in British Columbia, Canada on February 24, and the film's title was announced the following day as 'Jurassic World Dominion'. Filming in Canada concluded in early March 2020. Production moved to England, where a major filming location included Pinewood Studios, the facility used for 'Fallen Kingdom'. Filming also took place in Malta.The film's budget was between $165 million and $185 million. John Schwartzman served as the film's cinematographer, returning to the position after working with Trevorrow on the first 'Jurassic World' film. Schwartzman shot the movie with a combination of 35mm film, 65mm film, and VistaVision. Some night scenes were shot digitally to aid the visual effects team during post-production. The film was shot under the working title 'Arcadia', which is the name of the ship that transported dinosaurs to the U.S. mainland in the previous film.
COVID-19 pandemic
Filming was put on hiatus in March 2020 as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A decision on when to resume production was originally expected within several weeks. Following the delay, the filmmakers saved time by doing post-production work on the footage that was already shot. Most of these scenes featured dinosaurs, allowing the visual effects team to get started on the creatures.
Universal eventually confirmed that filming would resume in July 2020, at Pinewood Studios. Universal planned to spend approximately $5 million on various safety protocols, including thousands of COVID-19 tests for each cast and crew member, who would be tested before production resumed and multiple times during filming. A medical facility would be commissioned to perform the tests, and doctors and nurses would be located on-site during filming. The cast and crew would also undergo COVID-19 training, and the Pinewood set would include 150 hand sanitizer stations and 1,800 safety signs to remind them of safety precautions such as social distancing. Walk-through temperature testing stations would also be built. All members of the production team would be required to wear masks, except for actors during filming. The cast received a 109-page document outlining various safety protocols. In addition, the 750-person production team was divided in two groups, with a larger group consisting of crew members involved in construction, props, and other pre-filming activities. The smaller group consisted of Trevorrow, the cast, and essential crew members.
Filming resumed on July 6, 2020. An entire hotel in England was rented out by Universal for the remainder of the shoot, allowing the cast and crew to quarantine there for two weeks before resuming filming. After quarantine, they were allowed to freely roam the hotel without social distancing or mask-wearing. The cast and hotel employees were tested three times a week. Renting an entire hotel, combined with the COVID-19 precautions, convinced the cast that it would be safe to resume filming. The hotel provided a protective "bubble" for the cast and crew. Trevorrow encouraged the cast members to make their own creative suggestions regarding their respective characters. He and the cast formed a close relationship while living together for four months, allowing them to create the characters "in a way that I never would have had the opportunity to do" if not for the pandemic protocols. The safety measures cost approximately $9 million, including the hotel rooms. 'Jurassic World Dominion' was one of the first major films to resume production during the pandemic, serving as an example for other major productions on how to resume. Regarding COVID-19 safety, Universal considered the film ideal to resume as it required few real locations outside of the studio sets, and it had a relatively small cast and few extras. The earlier start of filming in England also made it easier to resume.
Neill, Dern and Goldblum began filming in early August. By that time, a total of four crew members in England had tested positive for COVID-19, and another four tested positive in Malta after arriving there ahead of production. The first unit crew was to shoot in Malta with Pratt, Howard and Neill, but plans to film there were scaled back a few weeks prior to filming, after an increase there in positive COVID-19 cases. As a result of the rising cases, the United Kingdom added Malta to a list of countries in which people arriving from there must quarantine for 14 days. Scenes set in Malta were rewritten by Trevorrow, and sets were reconfigured to continue with filming. The actors were no longer part of the Malta shoot, which was instead handled by a second unit crew. Filming in Malta was underway at the end of August, and continued into September. After the Malta shoot, filming continued at Pinewood Studios.
Because of the rescheduling caused by the pandemic delay, Trevorrow and Johnson struggled to find an ideal time in Johnson's schedule for filming. Johnson ultimately had to drop out of the project because of quarantine and travel restrictions, which prevented him from reaching the set. Pineda appears early in the film, and was meant to film a later scene as well, although quarantine restrictions interfered with these plans. Actress Varada Sethu was hired to take her place in the later scene, playing a different character.
Filming was partially halted on October 7, after several people tested positive for COVID-19. Although the individuals later tested negative, the film's safety protocols required a two-week quarantine period. During the partial shutdown, the main cast members continued to film secondary sequences, before a full resumption of production later in the month. Filming concluded on November 7, after nearly 100 days of shooting. As with the previous films, Spielberg was minimally involved during the film shoot, and COVID-19 protocols would have prevented him from visiting the set.
Locations and sets
Trevorrow wanted the film to take place in locations not previously featured in the series, including Malta and the Dolomites. Location shooting was preferred to sets, and blue screens were rarely used. 'Jurassic World Dominion' is the first film in the franchise to feature dinosaurs in snowy environments. Some scenes set in the Sierra Nevada were actually filmed in British Columbia during winter, making use of real snow. The city of Merritt was among the shooting locations in British Columbia, including its downtown area, and a lumber yard. A scene early in the film features Owen and others riding horses while herding a group of 'Parasaurolophus'. For years, Trevorrow had wanted to introduce such a scene, which was also filmed in British Columbia. The scene was influenced by the 1969 film 'The Valley of Gwangi', as well as western films from the 1960s and 1970s set in snowy landscapes.
Filming at Pinewood Studios included the 007 Stage, where large sets were assembled. In total, 112 sets were built for the film, including the black market. Another set represented the interior of Kayla's C-119 cargo plane, while a miniature version of the plane was used for certain exterior shots.
Other filming locations in England included Hawley Common, where part of the previous film was shot. Filming in Hawley Common, as well as Minley Woods, took place over a three-night shoot, with helicopter filming on the final night. These locations served for a drive-in theater sequence involving a 'T. rex' that was ultimately cut from the theatrical version of the film. Winterfold Forest was used to represent certain scenes set in the Sierra Nevada, including Owen and Claire's cabin. Another scene was shot at a farm near Aylesbury, standing in for a Texas farm where Ellie Sattler is investigating the locust outbreak.
Various locations were used to represent Biosyn's headquarters, including Blavatnik School of Government and Wolfson College, both part of the University of Oxford in England. A lecture hall at Wolfson was used for a scene introducing Malcolm as he gives a speech. Black Park, located adjacent to Pinewood Studios, was used for Biosyn's exterior, along with two locations in British Columbia: Cathedral Grove and the town of Squamish. Switzerland's Grande Dixence Dam, along with surrounding mountains, was digitally scanned during wintertime and recreated in the film as a frozen Biosyn dam. An exterior set at Pinewood depicted Kayla's crashed plane in the frozen lake, while the distant mountains in the background were added with the use of blue screens. The Dolomites mountains were also scanned and added into the film. A set was used to depict Biosyn's locust lab, which Dodgson eventually lights on fire. Trevorrow had planned to use special effects to depict the fire, but instead agreed to burn down the set at the suggestion of Paul Corbould, a special effects supervisor. Up to nine cameras were used to film the set as it burned.
Filming in Malta included its capital city Valletta. Malta was chosen as a filming location after the country's film commission introduced financial incentives in April 2019, hoping to attract the project to the area. Trevorrow also chose it because he wanted to see "dinosaurs around old stones, around something that's ancient to us, just to illustrate how much more ancient these things are". Because Pratt and Howard could not travel to Malta, they were portrayed by stunt people while filming took place there, and the actors' faces were added digitally during post-production. In addition, scans of Valletta's streets were taken with lidar, allowing Pratt and Howard to act against blue-screen footage of the city. The Malta sequence includes a chase in Valletta in which an 'Atrociraptor' pack pursues Claire across rooftops, while Owen flees the dinosaurs on motorcycle. Shooting the chase was complex and required up to nine cameras filming simultaneously. In the U.K., Pratt filmed his portion of the chase in a blue-screen studio, riding a stationary bike on a treadmill. Filming also took place in the town of Floriana, where a car-crash was shot. Malta stands in for itself with the exception of Melliea, which represents part of Grant's dig site in Utah.
Creatures on screen
The film uses more animatronic dinosaurs than the previous 'Jurassic World' films. Approximately 18 animatronics of varying sizes were created for the film, by designer John Nolan. Partial animatronics and puppetry were also used. As with all the previous films, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) worked on CGI versions of the animals. Animatronics and puppets were used for close-up shots with humans, and CGI was used whenever needed for certain movements. ILM scanned miniature clay maquettes of each dinosaur to create a digital version, which was then passed to Nolan's team for the creation of practical dinosaurs.
Paleontologist Jack Horner, a longtime advisor for the series, returned for 'Dominion'. Paleontologist Steve Brusatte was also a consultant. Trevorrow sought to strike a balance between realism and "awesome-movie-scary". 'Jurassic Park III' had featured 'Velociraptors' with quills along the head, but 'Dominion' along with a five-minute prologue introduces fully feathered dinosaurs to the series. Within the storyline of the previous films, the dinosaurs were created by InGen and partially engineered with frog DNA, explaining inaccuracies in their physical appearance. In 'Dominion', feathered dinosaurs are introduced through advanced methods from Biosyn. 'Pyroraptor' and 'Therizinosaurus' are among the feathered dinosaurs introduced in the film. Nolan and ILM conducted research to accurately simulate feathers. Trevorrow intended for the 'Therizinosaurus' encounter with Claire to be a "quiet and still and suspenseful" scene, similar to the original 'Jurassic Park' rather than the action sequences in the 'Jurassic World' trilogy. He also noted that Claire "never really had even one sequence where it was just her alone with a dinosaur".
The film's dinosaur antagonist is a 'Giganotosaurus', which Trevorrow saved for the trilogy's final installment to set up a rivalry with the 'T. rex', the latter being the same individual from Isla Nublar seen in previous films. He said about the 'Giganotosaurus', "I wanted something that felt like the Joker. It just wants to watch the world burn". The final showdown between the two animals was written solely by Trevorrow, and he primarily filmed it from the perspective of the humans, hoping that this would "make it feel like it was actually happening to you". An animatronic 'Giganotosaurus' was created, and Nolan said it was "probably the biggest challenge" for his team. The dinosaur was expected to take six months to build, but his team only had about four months to finish it. For the 'T. rex', Trevorrow wanted to reuse an animatronic created for 'Fallen Kingdom', but it had already deteriorated, as is common for animatronics.
'Dimetrodon', a synapsid that existed before the dinosaurs, also appears in the film. The creature had made appearances through various franchise merchandise over the years, while 'Dominion' marks its film debut. Another new creature is the 'Atrociraptor', which Trevorrow described as brutish compared to 'Velociraptors'. Although hybrid dinosaurs had prominent roles in the earlier 'Jurassic World' films, none appear in 'Dominion', as Trevorrow felt that this concept had "narratively run its course". Among the returning dinosaurs is 'Dilophosaurus', appearing in the flesh for the first time since the original 'Jurassic Park' film. Like the first film, no CGI was used to create the 'Dilophosaurus', the only animal on the film to lack a digital model. Nolan also created animatronic locusts measuring 30 inches in length.
Post-production
After filming concluded, Trevorrow worked on the film in a barn behind his U.K. house that had been converted into a post-production facility. The film's release had previously been delayed by a year due to the pandemic, and this allowed Trevorrow time to work on visual effects, sound mixing, and scoring as separate processes, unlike most films. As visual effects were almost done, Trevorrow screened the near-finished film for friends and 'Jurassic Park' fans to get feedback and make any necessary improvements. He said that it was a "much more involved process with the audience this time".The film was completed on November 6, 2021. With a runtime of 2 hours and 26 minutes, it is the longest film in the 'Jurassic Park' series. The film was initially 2 hours and 40 minutes, prompting concern from the studio about whether moviegoers would turn out for such a long film during a pandemic. As a result, Trevorrow worked to get the theatrical cut's runtime under two and a half hours, although he expressed interest in eventually releasing a director's cut with the excluded footage intact.
Approximately fourteen minutes were cut from the theatrical cut, including five which would be released online as a prologue. Other deleted scenes include a fight between an 'Oviraptor' and a 'Lystrosaurus', set in the black market; and an extended confrontation between Ramsay and Dodgson, lasting about two minutes. The home media release includes an extended cut with the deleted scenes restored. Trevorrow said the extended edition is his preferred cut as it represents his original vision for the film.
Music
The film's music was composed by Michael Giacchino, who scored the previous 'Jurassic World' films. It was recorded at England's Abbey Road Studios over a 10-day period, concluding in May 2021. As with his previous 'Jurassic World' scores, Giacchino incorporated themes from John Williams's earlier 'Jurassic Park' soundtracks. The score was distributed by Back Lot Music and was digitally released on June 3, 2022, followed by a physical release on June 24.
Marketing
A five-minute preview of the film was released in June 2021, attached to IMAX screenings of 'F9'. Trevorrow initially intended for this footage to act as the film's first five minutes, before removing it from the final theatrical cut. The footage was later released online on November 23, 2021, as a standalone short film and prologue to promote 'Jurassic World Dominion'. It is also included in the film's extended home media release. The prologue includes a prehistoric segment set in the Cretaceous, during which a 'Giganotosaurus' kills a 'T. rex' in battle. The prologue sets up a present-day rivalry between the two animals, as clones, in the main film.
Universal partnered with Olympians Mikaela Shiffrin, Nathan Chen, and Shaun White, who appeared in commercials promoting both the film and the 2022 Winter Olympics. In the ads, each Olympian has a different encounter with dinosaurs in a snowy environment.
The first trailer was released online on February 10, 2022, four months before the film's release. The trailer's debut came at a later point compared to the previous 'Jurassic World' films. The trailer was also broadcast during Super Bowl LVI, and it earned 86 million views across social media websites during the 24 hours after it airednearly three times the post-Super Bowl traffic of 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'. A second trailer was released on April 28. A month before the film's release, Universal launched an in-universe website for the fictional Department of Prehistoric Wildlife (DPW), detailing dinosaur sightings around the world. An exhibit was opened in London's Trafalgar Square a few weeks before the film's release. It included an interactive billboard featuring the 'Giganotosaurus', which would react to bystanders.
Mattel and The Lego Group released toys based on the film, along with Funko and Tamagotchi. An expansion pack tied in to the film was released for the video game 'Jurassic World Evolution 2', shortly after the film's theatrical debut. The Smithsonian Institution produced educational products based on the film. Barbasol released limited-edition canisters of its shaving cream, with design work featuring dinosaurs from the film. Jeep, which has several of its vehicles featured in 'Dominion', launched a dinosaur-themed commercial as a tie-in to the film. Other promotional partners included CKE Restaurants and Ten Thousand Villages.
Release
Theatrical
'Jurassic World Dominion' had its premiere in Mexico City on May 23, 2022. The film began its theatrical rollout on June 1, 2022, starting in Mexico and South Korea. In the United States, 'Dominion' was released theatrically by Universal Pictures on June 10. It was previously set for release on June 11, 2021, but it was delayed due to the pandemic.Home media
'Jurassic World Dominion' was released on digital purchase and rental on July 14, 2022. It was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 16, 2022. The latter release includes an extended version of 'Jurassic World Dominion' with the 14 minutes of cut footage restored, bringing the total runtime to 160 minutes. The extended edition received more favorable reviews and is considered an improvement over the theatrical cut.Both the theatrical and extended versions debuted on Universal's Peacock website on September 2, 2022, as part of an 18-month deal. The film would then move to Amazon Prime Video for 10 months, before returning to Peacock for the final four months. Following that 18-month deal, it will air on the Starz platform as part of Universal's Post Pay-One licensing agreement with the network.
Reception
Box office
, 'Jurassic World Dominion' has grossed $376 million in the United States and Canada, and $621.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $997.8 million. It is the second-highest-grossing film of 2022. The film opened with $392.4 million globally, making the fourth highest grossing opening for Universal.In the U.S. and Canada, it was projected to gross around $125 million from 4,676 theaters in its opening weekend. After making $59.55 million on its first day (including $18 million from Thursday night previews, just below the first 'Jurassic World's $18.5 million and above 'Fallen Kingdom's $15.3 million), weekend estimates were raised to $142 million. It went on to debut to $145.1 million, topping the box office. It was the best opening weekend for a non-superhero film amid the pandemic, with 'Deadline Hollywood' calling the over-performance "amazing" considering the unfavorable critical reception and middling audience exit scores. This made it the fourth-highest opening weekend for a Universal film, behind its two predecessors and 'Furious 7' (2015). At the time of its opening, it had the third-highest number of screens of any film, trailing only behind 'The Lion King' (2019) and 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022). In its second weekend, it made $59.2 million (a drop of 59%), upsetting newcomer 'Lightyear' to remain in first place. In its third weekend the film made $26.7 million, falling to third behind newcomer 'Elvis' and 'Top Gun: Maverick'.
Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film made $55.7 million from 15 early offshore markets, and $178 million from 72 markets in its second weekend. It added $76.1 million in its third weekend, which included first place finishes in countries experiencing heat waves such as the UK, France, and Germany, and another $43 million in its fourth. By its fifth weekend, it had become the fourth Hollywood film since the start of the pandemic to pass the $800 million threshold. As of September 11, 2022, worldwide IMAX earnings total $53.5 million and the top markets include China ($157.6 million), Japan ($43.4 million), Mexico ($43 million), the United Kingdom ($42.4 million), and France ($29.5 million).
Critical response
It is the lowest-rated film of the series on both websites. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 73% overall positive score, with 57% saying they would definitely recommend it.Michael Phillips of the 'Chicago Tribune' rated the film two out of four stars and wrote that 'Dominion' was the weakest entry in the franchise, criticizing the dialogue and labeling Owen and Claire as "thinly conceived". Writing for 'Rolling Stone', David Fear said that compared to the original 'Jurassic Park', "'Dominion' feels like a contractual obligation at best, and a D.O.A. attempt to wring one last drop out of an already depleted brand at worst." 'Variety' stated, "Of the three 'Jurassic World' movies, 'Dominion' is the least silly and most entertaining. But that's not saying much. This 'stop to ask if they should' cycle's human characters were never especially interesting, and why should we trust Trevorrow to suddenly make them so?" 'The Jewish Chronicle' critic Linda Marric rated the film two out of five stars and wrote, "Overall, and bar a few good performances, 'Dominion' fails on almost all accounts by delivering a story that is too preposterous even for a franchise that has demanded that we suspend disbelief for the last 3 decades."
Other reviews were more mixed. Mark Feeney of 'The Boston Globe' stated, "The movie has its moments, and the CGI really is fabulous, but this go-round feels fairly tired. Its also too long, and much of it is paced in a somewhat... leisurely?... fashion." Katie Walsh, writing for Tribune News Service, praised the performances of newcomers DeWanda Wise and Mamoudou Athie and called the motorcycle chase scene "the film's best, and most innovative, set piece", but she added 'Dominion' is "not exactly satisfying, lacking in true suspense, tension and the kind of thrilling spectacle that Spielberg so effortlessly mastered in the first 'Jurassic Park', a cinematic high that well be chasing forever".
Accolades
Future
'Jurassic World Dominion' concludes the second film trilogy and the storyline that began in the original trilogy, although Marshall has not ruled out the possibility of future films. In January 2022, he said: "We're going to sit down, and we're going to see what the future is."
Notes
References
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