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WIRE Buzz: Jurassic World: Dominion wraps; The Witcher Season 2 halts; and Baby Yoda cocktail charms internet
After months of delay and a positive COVID diagnosis, Jurassic World: Dominion has finally wrapped its production. "All my gratitude to our extraordinary crew and cast. We made a family," wrote director Colin Trevorrow on Twitter Saturday. After living in a health safety bubble since July, the director will spend some time with his family before starting work on post-production.
Speaking with Deadline, the filmmaker added: “There are a lot of emotions ... “I’m not sure I can put it into words. It has been remarkable. Our crew and our cast has been so resilient. All producers have worked around the clock to make it the best it can be. It has been inspiring."
"As we continue to contend with the challenges facing our industry during a global pandemic, the collaborative nature of this production allowed us to safely complete nearly 100 days of shooting, and we are so proud of what this team was able to accomplish," added Donna Langley, Chairman Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.
Like all live-action projects, Dominion was forced to place its shoot on pause in late March when the coronavirus pandemic started to become a pressing issue. Cameras started rolling again over the summer, making the film one of the largest Hollywood features to resume production amid the global health crisis. Filming paused again in early October after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. The shoot resumed two weeks later.
“This movie is about the need to co-exist and survive together. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need the different generations to protect each other. It was the right movie to be making at this moment," Trevorrow said to Deadline.
The filmmaker, who co-wrote the project's screenplay with Emily Carmichael (Pacific Rim: Uprising), returned to direct the trilogy capper after handing the franchise reigns to J.A. Bayona for 2018's Fallen Kingdom. The threequel is bringing back three Jurassic Park veterans: Sam Neill ("Alan Grant"), Laura Dern ("Ellie Sattler"), and Jeff Goldblum ("Ian Malcolm") to reprise their iconic characters.
"I think people may be underestimating the size and importance of Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum’s characters in this movie," Trevorrow told SYFY WIRE back in September. "It is very much an ensemble and that element, the ability to take these beloved characters from almost 30 years now and understand how they interact with each other in the context of a world that we’ve really never seen before and have not been able to witness until now — it’s very exciting for me. I’m having the time of my life."
"There were days we thought we might not make it. But we have...we pulled off what seemed well nigh impossible. Great crew. Lovely cast. Top director. Phew — and CELEBRATIONS," Neill wrote on Twitter.
Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BD Wong, Campbell Scott, Isabella Sermon, Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Jake Johnson, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Scott Haze, and Dichen Lachman co-star.
Due to all of the delays, Dominion is now scheduled to arrive in theaters June 10, 2022 — a year after its intended release date.
The Witcher is now facing COVID problems of its own. Per Variety, the second season of Netflix's hit fantasy series has hit pause after several crew members tested positive for the virus. To help mitigate any further spread, the streaming giant "will execute an isolated round of testing for everyone involved in the show’s production. Those who tested positive are not among the lead cast members and are currently in isolation," reads the report.
This is the second time the show has been forced to halt production over health concerns. Filming shut down back in March after Kristofer Hivju was diagnosed with the disease. The Game of Thrones alum is playing the role of Nivellen. The shoot restarted in August at Arborfield Studios, situated west of London. Henry Cavill, who plays the titular character (a monster hunter named Geralt of Rivia) shared a sneak peek from the set in early October.
Freya Allen, Eamon Farren, Anya Chalotra, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, Royce Pierreson, Mimi Ndiweni, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte, Anna Shaffer, and Mahesh Jadu co-star. Season 2 of The Witcher is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime next year.
"I do think that it’s going to be an easier season to follow … more than that, the storytelling is a lot more focused," showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said earlier this year, referring to Season 1's different timelines that confused some viewers.
The company is currently working on two spinoff projects: an anime feature film and a prequel series.
A Baby Yoda-inspired cocktail is going viral after Jennifer Aniston (Friends) shared a photo of it on her Instagram story devoted to the U.S. presidential election. "May the force be with us," the actress wrote in the caption. According to Entertainment Weekly, the Star Wars-themed drink (based on the adorable breakout character from The Mandalorian) hails from The Vault, an artisan pizza restaurant in the U.K.
"It’s been so flattering to see the great response to our Baby Yoda cocktail," Michael Young, co-owner of the eatery tells SYFY WIRE. "We always try and have fun with our creations, whether it’s a blue Breaking Bad cocktail served in a chemistry beaker, or a cocktail made with local ingredients to promote sustainability and local business. It’s been a very challenging year for everyone, so it’s been great to have a little fun and create a cocktail that has made people smile all around the world."
The Vault divulged the simple Baby Yoda recipe on its Facebook page: Grey Goose Vodka, muddled kiwi fruit, fresh lime, Demerara syrup, and bitters.
The first two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
