Jurassic World Dominion, the latest movie in the blockbuster trilogy, has finally made its long-awaited debut on the big screen. Premiered earlier this week, the movie follows Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in another man versus dinosaur showdown, this time within the streets of Malta’s capital city – Valletta.
In the movie, Malta’s famous St. George’s Square is overrun with dinosaurs, chasing actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard through the cobbled corners of Valletta, in one last battle between man and beast.
Dominion unites two generations of Jurassic World fans
Taking place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed, dinosaurs now coexist among human beings, where Dominion depicts the struggle of maintaining the fragile balance between the two apex predators: humans and dinosaurs.
The latest instalment in the Jurassic World franchise will bring back the director of the original series, Steven Spielberg, who will join Colin Trevorrow as an executive producer, followed by the three main characters from the original Jurassic Park movies: Laura Dern as Dr Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Dr Alan Grant, and Jeff Goldblum as Dr Ian Malcolm.
Together, they will unite two generations of Jurassic World fans for a final showdown of the franchise.
The Maltese islands are no strangers to Hollywood
Jurassic World Dominion isn’t the first time Malta has appeared in a project of this scope. The country has a long history of providing fantastic filming locations for various producers who created some of the best motion pictures of the last decades.
HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones featured the islands in several scenes, with the most impactful one being the wedding scene between Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen, with Malta’s Azure Window arch in the background.
Landmarks like Fort St. Elmo and the Port of Valletta are featured in several scenes in season three of Netflix’s Queen of the South, as are many other things Maltese residents would recognize from their normal, day-to-day life. A local market serves as the backdrop for a walkthrough shot of the main character, and many genuine Maltese phrases are used throughout, giving fans a taste of the islands’ true culture.
The Oscar-winning movie Gladiator, starring Russel Crowe, features Malta’s imposing Fort Ricasoli, panoramic views of the Grand Harbour in Valletta, and the Valletta Ditch in Saint Michael’s Bastion. At the same time, the equally star-studded Troy with Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt transformed landmarks like Fort Ricasoli into a convincing portrayal of locations in the Ancient Greek Era.
Much of Apple TV’s Foundation was filmed at Malta Film Studios in Kalkara. This futuristic sci-fi series, based on Isaac Asimov’s eponymous trilogy of novels, did not just showcase Malta’s scenery, but also employed hundreds of locals who worked on the set in several episodes.
Another movie starring Brad Pitt, World War Z, was also shot in Valletta, which was transformed into Jerusalem for some of its most impactful scenes. Pitt was brought back to the island once more in 2015 to film By the Sea with his then-wife Angelina Jolie, shot in Gozo’s Mgarr ix-Xini.
All imagery supplied by Malta Tourism Authority
