WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Jurassic World Dominion.
Jurassic World Dominion was filmed at different locations across the globe, including in the United Kingdom, British Colombia, and Malta. The end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom set the franchise up to expand to a greater scale than ever before. The dinosaurs of Jurassic World were released into the wild in the third act of that movie, and it didn't take long for them to spread from the North American continent.
Unfortunately, this global scale caused major problems during production. Jurassic World Dominion was filmed during the coronavirus pandemic and was subsequently put on hold multiple times. At one point, an entire hotel in England was rented out by Universal, with the cast and crew living there in a bubble - an experience that inspired Judd Apatow's Netflix movie The Bubble. Other complications arose due to quarantine restrictions when cast flew from a location in one country to another. Filmmaking has always been an exercise in logistics as much as one of artistry, and that was particularly true in the case of Jurassic World Dominion.
All this disruption did not, however, have a major effect on Jurassic World Dominion's budget. The film is believed to have cost $165 million, putting it in the same range as its predecessors (Jurassic World cost $150 million, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had a budget of $170-187 million). Here are all the locations in Jurassic World Dominion where that money was spent.
Jurassic World Dominion Used Pinewood Studios
The bulk of Jurassic World Dominion's production was conducted at the celebrated Pinewood Studios in England. The team used the classic 007 Stage that was restored after a fire in 2007, previously used for movies such as Mamma Mia!, SPECTRE, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It's the biggest sound stage in Europe, and the Jurassic World Dominion team put it to the test; in an interview, Sam Neill (Alan Grant) remembered the experience fondly. "The great thing about going to work was that almost every day, there would be a different set," he observed. "I think they had something like 129 different sets; it was a really major production so it wasn’t just the same thing happening every day." (via Stuff) Set photos confirm these included Arctic scenes around the crashed plane.
Malta Scenes Were Shot In Valletta & Floriana
The Jurassic World Dominion team headed to the Maltese capital city of Valletta and the nearby town of Floriana. Several local landmarks are visible during the motorcycle chase, including St. Ursula Street and St. George’s Square, while a jumping scene featuring Claire was shot at St. Lawrence Church in Birgu. Unfortunately, this particular part of Jurassic World 3's production was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, with plans scaled back after an outbreak and quarantine restrictions. None of the stars actually traveled to Malta at all in the end.
The Grady Homestead Is In Merritt, British Colombia
Owen and Claire's homestead, and the nearby village, are actually found in Merritt, British Colombia. Leaked casting calls invited locals to join the shoot, presumably as passers-by imagining they were staring at dinosaurs as they walked through the streets. Filming in Merritt began in February 2020, in and around Little Box Canyon, and the exterior of the historic Coldwater Hotel was used at one point. This phase of production wrapped in March 2020.
Forest Scenes Were Shot At Hawley Common, Near Camberley & Fleet in England
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom saw the dinosaurs escape from Lockwood Estate, and a façade of the manor house was built in an army training ground in Hawley Common, in Hampshire. Jurassic World Dominion returned to this location, although it seems it was mostly used for shots of dinosaurs in the wild. The return to Hawley Common is a nice bit of continuity running through the franchise.
Forest Backdrop - Cathedral Grove, British Colombia
A Jurassic World Dominion production team headed to Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in February 2020. Drones shot scenes for aerial photography over a 24-hour period. Visitors to Cathedral Grove were greeted by signs warning some paths would be closed if drones were in use.