Dominion has about three weeks left on production in the U.K. and previously shut down in March — along with productions worldwide — amid the coronavirus pandemic. It resumed production July 6, with new safety protocols in place, which included the cast and crew staying together in a hotel bought out by Universal in an effort to maintain a quarantine bubble, as well as coronavirus testing three times a week for cast and crew. As of mid-September, THR reported the production had generated an astounding 27,000 COVID-19 tests — which had added about $3 million to the production budget in testing alone.
“We have people who are hired to do nothing but go, ‘You need to get 2 meters away from him,’ because you know that the success of the show and the likelihood of them continuing to have jobs in the industry is dependent on that,” Dominion producer Patrick Crowley told THR last month.
The shutdown comes one day after Universal and Amblin pushed the film back by a year to June 10, 2022, because of uncertainties surrounding the theatrical calendar during the pandemic.
Dominion reunites Colin Trevorrow with stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard after he directed them in 2015’s Jurassic World and co-wrote and produced 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Dominion sees Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles from the original Jurassic Park. The film also stars Mamoudou Athie, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, Daniella Pineda, Campbell Scott, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Omar Sy, DeWanda Wise and BD Wong. Emily Carmichael takes on scripting duties for this installment.
“Woke up to the news we had a few positive Coronavirus tests on Jurassic World: Dominion,” Trevorrow wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “All tested negative shortly after, but due to our safety protocols we’re going to pause for two weeks. Back soon.”
