While it had to shut down production as the Covid pandemic's effects began to bite Jurassic World: Dominion is clanking back into life. And one of the key elements will be the return – in both senses of the word – of classic Jurassic Park cast members Sam Neill and Laura Dern. Neill is marking his reporting back to work by riffing on one of the iconic elements of Dr. Alan Grant's outfit – his hat.
Yes, the battered headpiece will be reunited with its owner for the film, which continues Fallen Kingdom's story. The dinosaurs have been unleashed on the world and everyone has to deal with the new situation. Naturally, Chris Pratt's Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing would call on the experts, including Grant, Dern's Dr. Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm (who already re-entered the franchise in the previous film).
Of course, the actors are back to work in just as much of a new world as their characters, given the ongoing Covid situation. Dominion director Colin Trevorrow explained to Empire recently about the measures they're taking to stay safe, which include quarantining cast and crew, health checks and more sanitizing procedures for the sets. "I’m confident our guidelines will keep us safe," he says. "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.”
As Dominion is among the very first blockbusters to re-enter production, the filmmaker commends his cast and crew who are keen to get back to something approaching business as usual. "I’ve been really moved by the way everyone has shown support for each other," Trevorrow admits. "We’re all fired up to get back to work. This is what we do, and we’re all eager to get back out there and do it."
Omar Sy, Jake Johnson, Daniella Pineda, BD Wong and Justice Smith are all part of the wider ensemble, while Campbell Scott is inheriting the role of rival biotech CEO Lewis Dodgson. Jurassic World: Dominion is currently set for release on 11 June next year.