Is life finding a way? While Alex Trebek is advocating for Jeopardy! to become one of the first shows to resume filming after pandemic interruptions, Universal’s pushing forth to make Jurassic World: Dominion the first major studio film to fire production back up in the U.K. — in a matter of weeks. In a plan detailed by Deadline, the official date to resume on-set production has been set as July 6. Actual filming at U.K.-based Pinewood Studios is anticipated to begin by mid-July at the latest.
How will this happen? Universal has outlined its $5 million investment in new safety protocols (which purportedly go beyond both the UK’s British Film Council and U.S. unions recommendations) to finish up the final 12 weeks of filming. Not only will cast and crew be repeatedly tested, but there will be a private medical facility in place, as well as staggered schedules and these measures:
Covid training for all cast and crew; on-site doctors, nurses and isolation booths; 150 hand sanitizer stations; nightly anti-viral ‘fogs’; more than 1,800 safety signs put up around Pinewood; and ‘Green Zones’ for shooting cast and crew. Masks will be obligatory other than for actors while performing. Scroll down for more detail on the studio’s protocols.
A Universal executive also confirmed that anyone who displays symptoms will go into isolation, and the studio’s not concerned with additional costs, only to finish the film in the safest manner possible. Will it work? One can only hope. And it looks like Universal’s insurance policy, as it was written before, is somehow going to “remain in place without exclusions,” which isn’t the case across the Hollywood board. Also, the production has faced mounting holding fees from Pinewood, which is only further incentive to get the ball rolling again. Seriously though, let’s hope that life really does find a way here, and everyone involved can stay healthy.
(Via Deadline)