Malta, with its beaches, narrow streets, and historical buildings that make you feel as if you have stepped back in time, has long been an island coveted for its amazing filming locations. Over the decades, several Hollywood box office hits have been filmed here. In the latest news, Malta opened its streets to dinosaurs for the filming of Jurassic World: Dominion, the most recent movie in the Jurassic World saga.
Jurassic World: Dominion is scheduled to be released in theaters across the world on 10th June, 2022. In the movie, dinosaurs seem to have taken over Malta with the famous St. George’s Square overrun with the beasts. They can be seen leaping over churches and chasing actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard through the streets of Valletta in a man versus dino showdown.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Jurassic World: Dominion, directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum, is the latest in the Jurassic Park franchise as well as the Jurassic World saga. The Jurassic World saga began in 2015 as the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park franchise, becoming the first movie to gross over $500 million worldwide in its opening weekend. Throughout its run, the movie ended up making $1.6 billion in box office revenue.
The saga’s success continued with its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which was released in 2018, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the 12th highest grossing film of all time and was the third Jurassic film to cross the billion dollar mark, truly turning the movie into a success. Jurassic World: Dominion is the third – and final – movie in the trilogy.
The Jurassic World trilogy takes place in the fictional island of Isla Nublar. The island has been home to a theme park filled with several successfully cloned dinosaurs. However, chaos ensues when one transgenic dinosaur escapes from its enclosure and proceeds to wreak havoc on the theme park, going on a killing rampage, and it is up to the actors to save the park – and the people – from doom. At the end of the movie, the island is abandoned once again.
The sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, takes us back to Isla Nublar once again when the actors return to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from an impending volcanic eruption that would lead to their extinction. Upon reaching there, they find out that a mercenary team has planned to sneak the dinosaurs to the mainland and sell them in the black market. The actors must come up with a plan to save the dinosaurs. The end of the movie sets forth the beginning of a new age where dinosaurs and humans must coexist.
The latest Jurassic World: Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed once and for all. Dinosaurs now coexist among human beings and other wildlife. This movie will decide the fate of the future world: will human beings continue to remain the apex predators of the planet, or will they be replaced by dinosaurs? Jurassic World: Dominion features cast members from the Jurassic Park era as well as the Jurassic World era, bringing them together for a final showdown of the franchise as a whole. The synopsis as well as the trailer promise a movie just as interesting and thrilling as the previous ones in the saga.
Malta: A Top Filming Destination in Europe
Whether it is a movie set in a tiny picturesque village or a TV show set in the Ancient era, the Maltese islands are a top destination choice for filmmakers from all over the world. With its plethora of Medieval sites, startling blue lagoons bordered by rugged coastlines, and buildings made out of limestone that make the country seem like it’s painted in gold, the archipelago looks like a movie waiting to happen. With hidden caves, catacombs, and fishing villages, the country’s versatility as a landscape only adds to its allure as a filming location.
The first movie shot in Malta was Sons of the Sea in 1925. Since then, the country has found itself in several movies on the big screen. Even if you haven’t visited the country yet, chances are you have already visited it through some of your favorite movies. One of the most popular TV shows filmed here includes the first season of Game of Thrones. Some of the attractions featured in the show are the Mdina Gate, Fort Ricasoli, The San Anton Palace and Gardens, and Fort St. Angelo. The streets of Valletta and Mdina also appeared in the show as the streets of the famous King’s Landing.
Other historic movies filmed here include Troy and Gladiator. Fort Ricasoli proudly features in the latter, representing the city of Rome. Saint Mary’s Tower in the island of Comino was the backdrop for The Count of Monte Cristo. Apart from movies set in the Ancient and Medieval era, the archipelago is also a famous location for action movies. Valletta’s Basilica of St. Dominic and the Grand Master’s Palace doubled up as a 15th Century Seville in Assassin’s Creed.
By the Sea, the movie starring Angelina Jolie, was filmed entirely in the Maltese island of Gozo despite being officially set in France. The famous Azure Window from the island of Gozo served as the backdrop for Clash of the Titans and the wedding of Khal Drogo and Khaleesi in Game of Thrones. Kon Tiki, an award-winning Norwegian film, was mostly shot on the Mediterranean island. The film shows Malta in the best light, heavily features the fisheries area of Valletta, Malta shipbuilding, and the interiors and exteriors of Palazzo Parisio. The movie even manages to capture the way the light glints off of the limestone buildings.
