Jurassic World Dominion is the final part of the epic dinosaur series that has entertained generations of cinemagoers. With the action spilling into recognisable real-world locations, the cast and crew headed to Malta to celebrate the home entertainment release of the latest film, and Verge’s resident stunt man Cassam Looch joined them to find out more.
As you might already know, Malta has a growing reputation as a film hub thanks to its unique architecture and available studio space. Gladiator, Troy and Game of Thrones have all been shot here in some capacity and there are a number of high profile projects yet to be released too. If you go back a little further, Robin Williams’ Popeye movie ended up leaving complete sets intact and you can still visit them today.
One thing you won’t have seen on the screen in any major Blockbuster, however, is Malta as itself. The country is a beguiling mix of historical cultures that have all left their mark on places like the capital Valletta – which explains why tourists love it here so much – but that also means that it’s hard to give it its own identity. Thankfully Colin Treverrow has changed that with a number of key sequences from his return to the Jurassic series and here he is telling Verge more about filming in Malta.
Lead stunt performer David Grant was on hand to talk us through the stunts in the film but also highlight some of the work done on location in Malta. Obviously David and his team make it look easy, but as you can see even novices can give it a go.
Using a combination of visual trickery and on location production, the final sequence on the rooftops of Valletta is a heart-pounding thriller featuring Bryce Dallas Howard and a not-so-friendly raptor. The sequence we shot out there is almost as convincing…
Malta’s Film Commissioner Johann Grech told Verge about how proud he was to see Malta on screen and some of the exciting developments that will take the local film industry forward in the coming years.
“For almost 60 years we’ve been hearing about sound-stages being built here in Malta. Today we are writing our history; we are experiencing a record number of local people working in the industry as well as an unprecedented level of investment from both the government and private sectors.”
Malta’s Film Commissioner Johann Grech
Jurassic World Dominion was shot in a number of locations across Malta. On our visit we saw a handful in Valletta but if you do a little more exploring you’ll find a country steeped in film history and an incredible cultural heritage. Take a trip to the islands of Gozo or Comino and get a feel of those crystal clear blue waters that populate many Instagram feeds or take a detour to the old capital Mdina which is famed for its calm environment. It’s known as ‘the silent city’ for a reason!
Finally on our epic tour of the country, we sat down with two of the film’s stars to find out why dinosaurs have such a long-lasting appeal and what shooting on location really means when making a blockbuster.
Dewanda Wise and Bryce Dallas Howard talk Verge through the action. There’s no word yet on how impressed Howard and the team were with my own stunts, but surely it’s just a matter of time before I get the call up for the next Hollywood blockbuster.
JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION THE EXTENDED EDITION, the conclusion to the epic franchise arrives on digital download 12th September and 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on 26th September from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
