Sam Neill has confirmed that he and fellow Jurassic Park originals Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are expected to be on the set of the sixth film of the franchise within the next two weeks.
Jurassic World: Dominion is expected to resume shooting in the UK at the start of July, having been halted amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the actor has said that he’s ‘excited’ to get to work on it.
He also joked that he and Jeff have asked Laura to do the COVID-19 safety ‘homework’ for them, before they return.
Reprisal: Sam Neill has confirmed that he is expected to be on the set of the sixth Jurassic Park film within the next two weeks
‘We are about to begin again. I should be in the UK all things being equal in a couple of weeks – at Pinewood working under very strict protocols,’ he explained on Wednesday’s This Morning.
‘We’ll be breaking new ground in fact, we are the first big film to get back into production and it’s going to be very interesting to see the process.
‘I am very excited about it… it’s going to be a terrific film!’
Jurassic World: Dominion will see the trio of stars appear together for the first time since 1993’s original blockbuster.
Back together: Fellow Jurassic Park originals Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are due on the set with him too [pictured far right]
Back to work: He also joked that he and Jeff have asked Laura to do the COVID-19 safety ‘homework’ for them, before they return, during an appearance on Wednesday’s This Morning
Of this, Sam said: ‘I’m very much looking forward to meeting my old friends again.’
He also joked that he and Jeff won’t be poring through the alleged 100-page COVID-19 regulation document that the cast are said to be being provided before they get to work post-lockdown, and have instead asked Laura to read it and give them the gist of it.
‘We’ve gotten Laura to do the homework!’ he laughed.
Sam will reprise his role of Dr Alan Grant from Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, having not played the part since the latter movie, which was released in 2001. Laura played Dr Ellie Sattler, appearing alongside Sam in the same two films.
Jeff, however, appeared in a different sequel – The Lost World: Jurassic Park – as Dr Ian Malcolm, before reprising the part for the fifth instalment, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in 2018.
Roar-some! Sam starred in 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, reprising his role as Dr Alan Grant for Jurassic Park III in 2001, and will be featuring in the sixth film, Jurassic World: Dominion
Life finds a way: Sam said last month that the sets were built ‘ready and waiting’ for things to resume
It was recently revealed that the newest film in the franchise is implementing a ‘drive-thru coronavirus test facility’ as it prepares to resume filming next week at Pinewood Studios in the UK.
The Jurassic Park sequel was announced as the first major film to get back to work after the COVID-19 shutdown, but with ‘rigorous safety protocols on-site’ in guidance with post-lockdown regulations.
And this has been revealed to feature the drive-thru facility, which will see everyone involved in the film going through it before gaining access to the set.
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.
On the road again: Jurassic World: Dominion is implementing a ‘drive-thru coronavirus test facility’ as it prepares to resume filming next week [pictured are stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Isabella Sermon and Chris Pratt]
Access approved: ‘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!’ a source said
‘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!’
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.
The cast being flown out to the UK will also be required to undergo a two-week quarantine once arriving, before being allowed on set, as per the UK’s current travel rules.
Sam 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.’
Jurassic Park: Dominion is the sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise, and began shooting in Canada earlier this year.
The park is (re)open: Jurassic World: Dominion is set to resume filming in ‘early-mid July’ in the UK – and will be the first movie to get back to work following the COVID-19 industry shutdown
Back in business: The likes of Chris Pratt [pictured] and Bryce Dallas Howard were sent home and plans to fly them to the UK – where much of the movie was set to be shot at Pinewood Studios outside London – were put on hold back in March
Amid the global health crisis, the likes of Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard were sent home and plans to fly them to the UK – where much of the movie was set to be shot at Pinewood Studios outside London – were put on hold.
In addition, returning Jurassic Park stars Sam, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum were also 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 have confirmed that pre-production will commence next week and that filming will re-start on July 6.
Speaking to Deadline, an exec from Universal said: ‘The plan is for us to be shooting early-mid July.’
Shut down: The sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise began shooting in Canada earlier this year, but was halted when the global health crisis forced the majority of movie and TV productions into dormancy
The question on everyone’s lips: Will the Dilophosaurus finally return to the franchise in Dominion?
‘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.
‘We have a T-Rex!’ Returning Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern and Sam were also stopped from getting to work [pictured with the late Richard Attenborough in the original 1993 film]
Speaking to Deadline, an exec from Universal said: ‘The plan is for us to be shooting early-mid July… implementing rigorous safety protocols on-site’
This follows the news that Mission: Impossible 7 will resume filming in September, after production was relocated by the coronavirus pandemic.
First assistant director Tommy Gormley said in early June that Paramount are hoping to restart work on the Tom Cruise blockbuster this autumn, and ‘visit all the countries’ they originally planned to film scenes.
Mission Impossible 7’s release was set for July 2021 but has been pushed back to November 19, 2021.
The COVID-19 crisis forced the film to relocate from Venice to the UK, and eventually halt production indefinitely, prior to lockdown measures.
Screeching back: This follows the news that Mission: Impossible 7 will resume filming in September, after production was relocated by the coronavirus pandemic
They’ll be back! First assistant director Tommy Gormley said in early June that Paramount are hoping to restart work on the Tom Cruise blockbuster this autumn, and ‘visit all the countries’ they originally planned to film scenes
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Tommy said: ‘We hope to start shooting again in September.
‘We were days from shooting in Venice – we were right at the epicentre when it all kicked off – so we had to shut down in Venice where we were four or five days from shooting.’
Tommy went onto hint that ‘tens of thousands’ of film industry staff needed to return to work, after almost all Hollywood films were put on hold as COVID-19 continued to spread.
He added: ‘We have to do it safely and protect our colleagues, but it is definitely possible and we’re working flat out to make it happen.’
The news comes as the latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, had its release date brought forward at the weekend.
Forward-thinking: The latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, has had its release date brought forward
Sooner than expected: The official Twitter account for the project has confirmed the news
The tweet read: ‘The return of old friends in NO TIME TO DIE. In cinemas 12th November UK, 20th November US!’
The long-awaited movie was originally scheduled for release in April, but the date was changed in light of the pandemic, with a new date of November 25 being set back in March.
But now, the official Twitter account for the project has confirmed that its release date has been moved once again.
The tweet read: ‘The return of old friends in NO TIME TO DIE. In cinemas 12th November UK, 20th November US!’