Malta’s Streets Welcome Dinosaurs in the Latest Jurassic World Movie

Jurassic World Dominion, the latest movie in the blockbuster trilogy, finally makes its long-awaited debut on the big screen. Premiering this Friday, June 10, 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 was 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 installment in the Jurassic World franchise will bring back the director of the original series, Steven Spielberg, who joined 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 united 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.

About Malta

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere. Valletta, built by the proud Knights of St. John, is one of the UNESCO sites and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do. For more information on Malta, click here.