Jurassic World: Dominion Star Says Production Is Going "Above and Beyond" With Safety Protocols

Yesterday brought the news that Jurassic World: Dominion will officially restart production in July, picking up after what will be a four month delay in filming for the sequel. Universal Pictures reportedly has the resources in place to make the set safe for the cast and crew and are reportedly spending around $5 million for all the safety protocols. Speaking in a new interview with SiriusXM, star Bryce Dallas Howard had high praise for the precautions being taken by the studio, saying: "There's been a lot of communication. They are going above and beyond...We would never go back to work if we didn't feel safe, and you know we're taking it a day at a time, and I'm very grateful to have a job."

When asked how it feels to know that in one month she'll be back in the UK and filming at Pinewood, Howard added: "What feels really right about it is that there is this daily conversation, daily communication with all of the actors and the key crew members, just us consistently being like 'How are we going to do this? How are we going to do this safely?' And not making compromises that could undermine someone's health and well-being."

The measures in place for Dominion, the sixth film in the Jurassic Park film series, include requiring cast members (including Howard and co-star Chris Pratt) to be tested for COVID-19 before leaving the United States. They must then undergo a two-week quarantine period after arriving in the United Kingdom, meaning they'll likely have to travel across the pond very soon.

Furthermore COVID-19 training will be required for cast and crew with doctors and nurses on-site, isolation booths, hand sanitizer stations, and "Green Zones" for the shooting cast and crew. Anyone who isn't on-camera will be required to wear a mask throughout production.

"Anyone with symptoms will be isolated immediately before being sent home," a Universal production executive told Deadline. "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. 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."

Jurassic World: Dominion remains scheduled to hit theaters on June 11, 2021. It's unclear if Universal Pictures will delay the film following the stoppage in production.